Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI)

Alumni

911�� secures grant to expand high school cybersecurity internships in Northern Virginia

sbrown79 — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 20:57:14 +0000

911�� secures grant to expand high school cybersecurity internships in Northern Virginia sbrown79 Thu, 04/09/2026 - 16:57

911��’s Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) Northern Virginia (NoVa) Node recently received a $150,793 grant from the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority for “CCI Scholars—High School Experiential Learning Program FY26,” a seven-week high school summer internship program for rising seniors and recent graduates of Northern Virginia public high schools.

The program provides hands-on experiential learning opportunities for high school students with local STEM and cybersecurity industry partners, addressing workforce gaps in the commonwealth.

“Given the gap between the number of cybersecurity-related job openings and the number of skilled graduates, creating opportunities for younger learners to spark that interest is critical,” said Liza Wilson Durant, director of the CCI Northern Virginia Node and associate provost for strategic initiatives and community engagement at 911��.

CCI 2025 at CGI Bootcamp. Photo provided.

CCI is partnering with the Children’s Science Center Lab and STEM programs, operated by the Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The organization delivers STEM education at its Fairfax-based museum facility and to schools and community venues across the region and will support program administration for the CCI Scholars program.

“We are proud to collaborate with 911�� in growing the next generation of cybersecurity talent through the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Internship Program,” said Nene Spivy, Chief Executive Officer at the Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation. “Together we provide students with practical workplace skills and direct exposure to industry and careers that are critical to our nation’s future.”

“The Children’s Science Center is exemplary and has been running high school internship programs for many years. The center understands the challenges younger learners face and provides support to help overcome obstacles,” Wilson Durant said.

The program also acts as a pathway opportunity for the students who get to meet George Mason faculty and learn about the different community engagement opportunities that the university presents.

Students are selected through a competitive process that includes written responses, recommendation letters, transcripts, and in-person interviews conducted by industry professionals and Children’s Science Center staff. Selected students are matched with host organizations such as CGI Federal, ManTech, Leidos, and Chainbridge Solutions.

CCI 2025 at CGI Bootcamp. Photo provided.

Before starting their internships, students complete a professional skills bootcamp covering workplace etiquette, time management, teamwork, communication, and public speaking.

Once students are placed, they engage in cybersecurity-focused projects, that include addressing emerging cyber threats related to AI agents and digital twins, investigating cybersecurity incidents in the context of satellites, and expanding the technical capabilities of a host company’s product.

“We don't get a lot of hands-on experience in high school cybersecurity classes, so the opportunity of experiencing a professional workplace environment really intrigued me,” said Sridevi Annamalai, a sophomore cybersecurity student.

For her internship, Annamalai was placed with CGI Federal, a global consulting company for technology and business.

“I was assigned to make a presentation on cybersecurity basics for their nonprofit partners as well as conduct tests for different cybersecurity products,” said Annamalai, who is from Prince William County.

“There was a new product on the market, which they were considering, so I was able to help them compare the products and decide which one the company would invest in,” she said.

Annamalai credits her experience with the CCI Program for helping to prepare her for the courses in 911��’s cybersecurity program.

“I've grown a lot more confident in myself, and my presentation skills have really improved a lot because of this internship,” said Annamalai.

Experiences such Annamalai’s prepare students for future careers both through technical and professional skills-building, as well as exposing them to the breadth of career opportunities they may not have known existed, said Wilson Durant.

Since its launch in 2021, the program has served 175 students. CCI and the Children’s Science Center are now reconnecting with alumni to track career outcomes and gather feedback.

Learn about Cybersecurity at 911��

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education-to-employment pathways

Community Engagement

experiential learning

internships

911�� team wins Virginia Cyber Cup Competition at Commonwealth Cyber Fusion event

tdonnel — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:25:26 +0000

911�� team wins Virginia Cyber Cup Competition at Commonwealth Cyber Fusion event tdonnel Fri, 02/27/2026 - 10:25

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Matthew Jablonski

A team of 911�� students brought home the first-place trophy from the 9th Annual Commonwealth Cyber Fusion and Virginia Cyber Cup Competition, held February 20-21 at Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in Lexington, Virginia. The statewide, invitation‑only event brought together top cyber programs from institutions designated as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense for two days of competition, professional development, and networking. More than 150 students from 19 Virginia colleges and universities participated.

Mason Competitive Cyber (MCC) team secured first place in the university division, edging out top competitors from the University of Virginia and the College of William & Mary. Their win came down to the final minutes of a four‑hour Jeopardy‑style capture-the-flag (CTF) competition, for which students solved a series of complex cybersecurity challenges across multiple categories. The winning team included undergraduates Amaan Abbas, Dylan Charnick, Kyson Fromm, Noah Hinger, Neil Sharma (cyber security engineering (CYSE) majors) and Cristian Puerto (information technology major).

911�� team poses with trophy. Photo provided.

For Dylan Charnick, MCC’s vice president and the team’s student liaison with Cyber Fusion organizers, this year’s competition carried a different weight. “Last year I was one of the new players, and I felt like my main responsibility was to learn as much as I could," he said. "This year I was the team leader, which meant I had to guide a lot of new players into their roles. I had a blast working with my teammates, and I feel like we all worked hard to secure the win. We definitely learned a ton, and we’re ready to come back next year!”

Teammate Cristian Puerto agreed. “This was my first time at this event, along with most others on my team, so we came into it willing to learn and to try our best. Our team's balanced skill sets throughout all the categories allowed us to get through almost all the challenges except for a couple. One of my highlights from this weekend was not only winning the competition but having the opportunity to put myself in an environment where everyone shares the same passion for cybersecurity and having conversations with anyone at any experience-level.”

Hosted by VMI’s Center for Leadership and Ethics and co‑sponsored by the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) and the Virginia Cyber Range (VACR), the event featured a job fair and industry speakers in addition to the CTF competition. Attending the event with the students was Peggy Brouse, a member of the VACR Executive Board and associate chair in CYSE, and Matthew Jablonski, faculty sponsor for MCC and CYSE assistant professor.

The weekend’s competition extended beyond the CTF. On Friday, the event kicked off with Tech Duels, a team debate challenge in which students were paired across institutions to argue a topic selected by the organizers. For his debate, Neil Sharma, representing 911��, was partnered with a student from Liberty University to form “Team AI” and tackle the prompt: “AI vs. Zero Trust—What is the best way to protect the nation’s infrastructure?” The duo won their opening debate, which was the first competitive event of the weekend.

Jablonski poses with trophy. Photo provided.

“The Tech Duels debate was a lot of fun. I enjoyed working with someone I didn’t know prior to the event,” said Sharma. “Due to my teammate’s prior experience with Tech Duels and our coordination beforehand, we were able to put forth a convincing argument and win the debate. Unlike the CTF component of the competition, I had no prior experience, so it was exciting to try something new.”

Jablonski said, “This was my first time attending Cyber Fusion, I was incredibly impressed with the way CCI and the Virginia Cyber Range organized this event. Our students were challenged, they competed hard, and they were respectful of their peers from other universities throughout the entire weekend. The CYSE Department couldn’t be more proud of MCC and our students for bringing home the Virginia Cyber Cup.”

With support from partners like CCI and faculty mentors across the College of Engineering and Computing, MCC students continue to demonstrate excellence in Virginia's growing cybersecurity ecosystem.

Topics

information sciences and technology

Mason Competitive Cyber

Commonwealth Cyber Initiative NoVa Node promotes a research culture

Nathan Kahl — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 18:23:51 +0000

Commonwealth Cyber Initiative NoVa Node promotes a research culture Nathan Kahl Mon, 01/12/2026 - 13:23

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Tanvir Arafin

Duminda Wijesekera

This is the third of a three-part series about the NoVa Node’s three foci: workforce development, innovation and entrepreneurship, and research.

The Commonwealth Cyber Initiative NoVa Node supports a portfolio of research projects across nine Northern Virginia institutions, as well as new faculty hires and undergraduate researchers. In FY25, CCI NoVa Node researchers received 68 external grants totaling $36.7 million.

Program Manager Jordan Mason said the NoVA Node funding often straddles research and workforce development. “CCI funds undergraduate research assistantships, where the students conduct research 15 to 20 hours a week alongside faculty on cyber challenges they would otherwise only read about in the classroom.”

“CCI NoVa Node often provides seed funding for faculty to generate results that are then leveraged to support larger proposals for federal funding,” said Liza Wilson Durant, CCI NoVa Node director and associate provost for strategic initiatives at 911��. “Our impact on research is then amplified when our funded faculty bring back a 10-fold increase in funding over our initial investment.”

Whether a new professor or a veteran researcher, CCI NoVa Node helps many faculty explore new and existing avenues. “As a new faculty member, CCI and NoVa Node immensely helped bootstrap my research portfolio,” said Tanvir Arafin, an assistant professor in cyber security engineering. “The seed grants provided an opportunity for learning competitive grant preparation, as well as successful research execution with high-risk, high-reward projects. CCI events also helped me connect with fellow researchers across nodes, collaborate in active research, and pursue major research grants.”

Arafin said that those efforts directly translated into success for students, ranging from building their own 5G testbed for hardware security research to a Best Demo Award at ACM WiSec 2025, a major conference.

Samy El-Tawab, information technology professor and program director in the department of computer science at James Madison University, said, “Since becoming an R2 university in 2020, our engagement with CCI significantly contributed to enhancing research at James Madison. This partnership is vital for supporting faculty development, providing essential equipment, and fostering opportunities for undergraduate researchers. The CCI collaboration has truly been one of the key avenues for advancing our research capabilities and educational mission, and we're excited to be a part of this impactful effort.”

Duminda Wijesekera, a tenured professor in the Cyber Security Engineering and Computer Science Departments at 911�� and former recipient of a CCI Impact Award, said, "CCI brings together universities, businesses, and government in developing and enhancing Virginia's cyber capabilities. I have met participants across the commonwealth working with them on impactful projects. CCI's financial assistance played a major role in establishing the Living Innovation Laboratory at Mason Square and providing me a CCI fellowship.”

President and CEO of Fairfax County Economic Development Victor Hoskins stressed the geographic importance of having NoVA Node at 911��. “This region is the sixth largest economy in the country at $600 billion annually, and $320 billion of that is in Northern Virginia. And 911�� is smack dab in the middle of that.”

About CCI
CCI was established in 2018 by the General Assembly, according to its website, to “serve as an engine for research, innovation, and commercialization of cybersecurity technologies, and address the commonwealth’s need for growth of advanced and professional degrees within the cyber workforce.”

Other institutions in the CCI NoVA Node include James Madison University, the University of Mary Washington, Marymount University, Shenandoah University, Blue Ridge Community College, Germanna Community College, Laurel Ridge Community College, and Northern Virginia Community College.

Topics

Research

Commonwealth Cyber Initiative helps launch new start-ups

Katarina Benson — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 16:06:56 +0000

Commonwealth Cyber Initiative helps launch new start-ups Katarina Benson Tue, 11/04/2025 - 11:06

The Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Accelerator (CCI+A) program is a jam-packed, five-month innovation program that’s fueling cybersecurity entrepreneurship across Virginia. It’s teaching professors and start-ups what it takes to bring technology to market, including how to pitch to a panel of investors and industry leaders.

“Supporting cybersecurity start-ups and bringing ideas out of universities and into the marketplace are an essential part of the CCI’s mission,” said Luiz DaSilva, executive director of CCI. “We’re excited to help these start-ups reach their milestones and create new opportunities and jobs in the commonwealth.”

The program began at 911�� and has expanded statewide. It’s co-funded by the CCI Northern Virginia Node and the CCI Hub.

Rui Ning of DeepScan presenting their pitch. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

"Since its launch at 911�� in 2022, CCI+A has accelerated 34 technologies from across Virginia," said Liza Wilson Durant, CCI Northern Virginia Node director, associate dean of strategic initiatives and community engagement at 911��, and College of Engineering and Computer professor. "Each year we've seen the teams increase their customer engagement and elevate their competitive pitch performance. It's exciting to see several entities undergo acquisition and see the impact of the program on Virginia economic development."

The CCI+A program works on two tracks—the CATAPULT Fund supports teams emerging from Virginia public research universities and the ASCEND Fund focuses on start-up teams collaborating with faculty subject matter experts. The teams receive up to $75,000 to help them commercialize their technology.

CCI funded 10 projects this year. On October 16, teams from both tracks competed to pitch their start-ups to a panel of investors and industry leaders. The winning team from each category received an additional $5,000 in funding.

The CATAPULT winning team is DeepScan, led by Rui Ning, an assistant professor in computer science at Old Dominion University (ODU). The team also includes Maia Lin and Yao Wang from ODU.
The ASCEND winning team is Glacier21, a start-up led by CEO Ren McEachern, a former FBI agent. Team members include Robert Appleton, Mike Borowski, Neil Alexander, along with 911�� professor Foteini Baldimsti.

The CCI+A program is coordinated by Gisele Stolz, senior director of entrepreneurship and innovation at 911��.

Meet the Winners

DeepScan

While artificial intelligence is quickly becoming a requirement on our smartphones and other devices, security is lagging, said Ning, DeepScan team lead. Hidden triggers can hijack behavior, and many apps ship models that are easy to tamper with. DeepScan promises to protect on-device AI without slowing down performance. First-time winner Ning is a veteran of CCI+A and put what he learned from a past program to good use.

“The program taught me how to communicate technical ideas in a way that connects with broader audiences,” Ning said. “I’ve always been curious about entrepreneurship because it feels like a natural way to translate research into something that can make a difference. It’s another path to extend our impact beyond papers and grants.”

Glacier21

Glacier21 is focusing on combating illicit cryptocurrency activities. The platform integrates data from such sources as social media, data leaks, and the deep/dark web to uncover complex connections between crypto wallets, businesses, and individuals.

Glacier21 presented their platform focused on combating illicit cryptocurrency activities. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

CCI+A helped the team with the execution, McEachern said. “When we were lucky enough to be selected into the CCI+A program, it didn't just open up some resources; it opened up access to people and vast networks that totally changed our strategy and our thinking.”

Foteini Baldimsti, an associate professor of computer science at Mason, worked with Glacier21 to provide technical expertise. “It's very nice to see how your academic work can help a start-up and give technical knowledge,” Baldimsti said. “But I think it's also very interesting as an academic to learn from this project and from the CCI+A program about how you can bring your own ideas and how you can participate in one of the next cohorts and be on the other side as the founder of the company. I think this experience has been very, very valuable.”

In This Story

Foteini Baldimtsi

Learn more about Fuse at Mason Square

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Rebecca Sutter, DNP, APRN, BC-FNP

Anonymity’s ARX nemesis

Nathan Kahl — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 15:12:08 +0000

Anonymity’s ARX nemesis Nathan Kahl Mon, 10/20/2025 - 11:12

A team of faculty and students from 911�� recently discovered a vulnerability in a widely used anonymization tool. They presented their findings last week in Taiwan at the Association for Computing Machinery Conference on Computer and Communications Security (ACM CCS), one of the world’s most prestigious computer security conferences, with a very low paper acceptance rate.

The problem they discovered was with ARX, an open-source data anonymization tool, which provides what is referred to as k-anonymity. It is a commonly used tool in clinical settings to maintain data privacy. The discovery is particularly important at a time when more and more private data is being used in a variety settings and systems.

Evgenios Kornaropoulos, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, said, “Sometimes this type of microdata is very valuable. Tools like ARX anonymize the data so it’s compliant with HIPAA, and then that data can be shared with policymakers, engineers, scientists, and others who will make policy decisions and scientific studies based on this information.”

While many people receiving medical care are comfortable with their information being included in larger data sets for purposes of medical discovery, they likely do not want personal, identifiable information released.

“For patients, and especially those from more vulnerable or marginalized communities, data privacy is not an abstract concern, it’s deeply tied to trust in the health care system," said paper co-author Rebecca Sutter, a professor in the School of Nursing, and director of the MAP Clinics. "The integrity of tools like ARX matters because they underpin how we protect patient information while advancing public health research. When anonymization fails, it’s not only a technical vulnerability, it’s a human one."

Computer science PhD student Somiya Chhillar, lead author on the paper, said that the ubiquity of ARX was a reason they chose to study it. “We wanted to see how ARX really operates and how the algorithm works. While we were doing that, we realized that a few of the steps that it takes are very opportunistic, and because of that, it leaks information that we shouldn't be finding out by just looking at the anonymized data.”

Chhillar said that ARX follows a “greedy strategy,” explaining that there is a tension between privacy and utility. When data is shared, it should be useful without leaking information. The best metric for deciding the data usefulness is measured by information loss while the data is being made private. “The algorithm tries to minimize information loss while anonymizing the data, and ideally, we want the least possible information loss. And that's the greedy aspect of it; it's not always going for the most private, it’s just going for the most utility.”

This is what backfires, said Kornaropoulos, because experts (or attackers) can reverse engineer the anonymization steps the algorithm took throughout its execution to maximize utility and figure out properties of the data that were there before and after this anonymization step.

Kornaropoulos praised his student’s dedication to the discovery, noting that Chhillar “worked on this project for a while, and this code base of ARX is an elaborate tool, with thousands of lines of code. She had to go through it to truly internalize understand everything that's going on there,” he said.

The project was supported by a Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) grant from the program, “Securing Interactions between Humans and Machines,” and as a requirement of the grant, the project crossed different parts of the university. The College of Engineering and Computing collaborated with Mason and Partners (MAP) Clinics, which provided the data.

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Learn more about Cybersecurity at 911��

Commonwealth Cyber Initiative NoVa Node nurtures next-gen cyber sleuths

Nathan Kahl — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 18:38:00 +0000

Commonwealth Cyber Initiative NoVa Node nurtures next-gen cyber sleuths Nathan Kahl Wed, 10/08/2025 - 14:38

In This Story

This is the first of a three-part series about the NoVa Node’s three foci: workforce development, innovation and entrepreneurship, and research.

A cyber-physical systems testbed, cutting-edge research projects across AI and next-gen networks, a cybersecurity apprenticeship program, and a cybersecurity accelerator are just a sampling of the outcomes from 911��’s role as the NoVa Node headquarters of the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI), Virginia’s main access point for workforce development cybersecurity innovation, and research.
According to Jordan Mason, NoVa Node program manager, all programs in the node check at least two of those boxes, but he emphasized that NoVa Node is particularly strong in workforce development. From traineeships to internships for different ages, the NoVa Node has opportunities for people interested in learning more.

“There are more than 50,000 cybersecurity job openings in Virginia and the existing pipeline of cybersecurity-related degree-seeking candidates is not enough to fill the demand,” said Liza Wilson Durant, CCI NoVa Node director and associate provost for strategic initiatives at 911��. “CCI NoVa Node programs widen the pipeline and present new sources of talent, including those with degrees outside of the typical cybersecurity pathway, but with hands-on skills developed in the field. Our programs have touched thousands, and we know we are having an impact.”

The node features a cybersecurity traineeship targeting people who, at the end of the program, will be ready for full-time, entry-level cybersecurity positions. The traineeship builds a bridge for people with non-technical or non-cybersecurity backgrounds, typically either recent grads or career transitioners looking to enter the field.

Mason said, “We pay them to go through a seven-week, full-time cyber fundamentals boot camp. And then we work to place them in 12-week apprenticeships. CCI trainees have been placed with Peraton, one of the first adopters of the program, as well as other government contractors and some small businesses. One graduate from our program landed a position with TikTok and another with Amazon Web Services.”

"The node also runs a subsidized internship program," said Mason, with a sliding scale determining level of support based on company size. “Small and start-up companies have limited resources to support interns and yet they are excellent training ground, providing roles with significant responsibility and opportunities for technical training,” said Durant. NoVa Node’s support of startups and early-stage companies provides secondary reinforcement of the innovation and entrepreneurship foci.

NoVa Node interns participate in "Tech Duels." Photo courtesy CCI.

Fairfax County Economic Development Authority President and CEO Victor Hoskins stressed the need for a skilled technical workforce in the region. “We have five times the data center capacity of Silicon Valley. We have three times the data center capacity of Singapore. So, when you look at what our global competitors would be, we are way ahead of them in terms of their infrastructure capacity. And when you get ahead in the infrastructure, you also must have the talent to run it.”

Recognizing the importance of filling the pipeline when the talent is still deciding on a career path, NoVa Node runs a summer high school internship program partnering with the Children's Science Center, part of the Northern Virginia Science Foundation. The competitive application process yielded 45 students in a recent cohort. Mason said, “The candidate interns go through a two-week professional skills boot camp and are then placed in a five-week paid internship.”

Xin-Wen Wu, an associate professor at the University of Mary Washington, said CCI was instrumental in the university’s growth in cybersecurity education and research. "We have hosted summer camps for high school students, funded faculty-led research involving undergraduate CCI Scholars, and provided students with access to paid internships and experiential learning opportunities. These initiatives have significantly advanced UMW’s research capabilities and contributed to the development of a skilled cybersecurity workforce.”

Coming up next: Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Topics

Workforce Development

internships

College of Engineering and Computing

Cybersecurity student hopes to use his powers for good

sbrown79 — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 15:49:25 +0000

Cybersecurity student hopes to use his powers for good sbrown79 Fri, 08/29/2025 - 11:49

When 911�� cyber security engineering major Connor Wadlin learned about ransomware attacks on organizations, such as the one on the Health Service Executive in Ireland, in his CYSE 445 System Security and Resilience class, it confirmed his commitment to dedicating his educational and professional career to protecting and preserving human lives.

“There’s nothing more important than protecting and defending others. As an engineer, I’m driven to get important work done by thinking about complex problems and finding suitable solutions,” said Wadlin, who is from Leesburg, Virginia.

Since winter 2024, the Honors College student has been interning at the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) Northern Virginia Node, 911��’s branch of the statewide network dedicated of excellence in cybersecurity research. CCI’s mission includes workforce development through training the next generation of cybersecurity experts.

CEC student and Commonwealth Cyber Initiative intern Connor Wadlin. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding.

“It’s a super exciting job because I get to work with AprilTags, which are on objects that the drone's camera then sees and scans. Instead of sharing data, the tags utilize location information for navigation, tracking objects, or pathing purposes,” he said.

Wadlin is also simulating drone flight with the Microsoft tool Air Sim, a project he presented at the CCI Symposium in April. “I created a model with a 98% accuracy, really high F1 score—higher than what we could find on the market—detecting collisions so the drones would be able to respond to anomalous factors such as objects that get too close, environmental variables, cyber-attacks, and more,” he explained.

Wadlin learned about many of the tools he’s currently using for CCI in his classes with College of Engineering and Computing professors, such as his mentor Mohamed Gebril, an associate professor in the Department of Cyber Security Engineering.

“911�� supports people where they are to get them where they want to be,” Wadlin said.

The skills Wadlin has acquired during his time at 911�� and in his work with CCI have enable him to help other students in their studies.

“Connor is a very skilled student and has been able to develop different programs, as well as 12 labs for sophomore- and freshman-level students at 911��. He even assists the students during our workshops,” said Gebril.

Wadlin is participating in 911��’s Bachelor’s to Accelerated Master’s Program and will to pursuing a master’s degree also in cyber security. Gebril said he’s looking forward to having Wadlin in his classes again as a graduate student.

“It will be a smooth transition from the undergraduate to the graduate level because the curriculum aligns well with the CCI mission, which is to equip our students with the tools to conduct research activity and develop cutting-edge technology,” said Gebril.

Wadlin’s team is also working to develop a first-of-its-kind cyber drone race that incorporates cybersecurity challenges and artificial intelligence for undergraduate students.

Wadlin was diagnosed with autism at 19 and sees this diagnosis as working to his advantage by allowing him to see things from different perspectives and approach problems with his own unique ideas.

“As an engineer, you have to ask yourself ‘how is this making the world a better place?’ That's always got to be the end goal,” said Wadlin.

Explore the College of Engineering and Computing

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Mohamed Gebril

Topics

internships

Honors College

Bachelor’s to Accelerated Master’s

911�� and CodeLock work on securing the software supply chain

Nathan Kahl — Thu, 15 May 2025 11:27:25 +0000

911�� and CodeLock work on securing the software supply chain Nathan Kahl Thu, 05/15/2025 - 07:27

911�� Department of Information Sciences and Technology Professor Kun Sun received a grant from the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) of Northern Virginia to collaborate with CodeLock, Inc., a Virginia-based technology company specializing in software security. The grant totals $75,000 for one year and is part of CCI’s Academic Support for Cybersecurity Entrepreneurship and Next-Gen Development (ASCEND) Fund. 

“The idea for this funding is to partner a startup company with university subject matter experts,” said Sun. “The focus of this grant is to build a platform that connects startups with academic experts to solve technical industry challenges.”  

The project will integrate Sun’s previous research on automated security patching with CodeLock’s technology for secure software supply chain using dynamically generated digital signatures to develop solutions that address vulnerabilities in source code. 

The CCI is Virginia’s main access point for cybersecurity research, innovation, workforce development. Image courtesy CCI.

CodeLock offers a cybersecurity platform designed to secure software development processes by providing real-time monitoring, compliance automation, and protection against insider threats and supply chain attacks. It creates a forensic chain of custody by linking every code change to its developer, ensuring transparency and integrity throughout the software development lifecycle.  
 
“So for software supply chain security we install outside software applications on our smartphones and computers, for example,” said Sun. “That software may rely on  other software and we have this term, SBOM, which means software bill of material. It says that we need to know what other dependent software is used and can we trust that software? If you install software, you need to verify it has not been manipulated or modified by an attacker.” Sun will apply his 10+ years of research on automatic software vulnerability detection and automated program repair. 

“The vast majority of software supply chain attacks begin with compromised credentials—something traditional security tools are ill-equipped to prevent,” said CodeLock CEO Brian Gallagher. “By enforcing zero-trust authentication at the developer level and linking that identity to a tamper-proof chain of custody, CodeLock is fundamentally reshaping the threat landscape. Partnering with 911�� allows us to build on that foundation by automating vulnerability patching, which not only strengthens security but also delivers measurable cost savings for our customers. This collaboration accelerates our mission to bring transparency, accountability, and efficiency to software development across both government and commercial sectors.”

The project team will get feedback from CodeLock’s existing customers and collaborate with CCI and the Northern Virginia Technology Council to refine the solution for broader commercial adoption. Additional funding will be provided by CodeLock and supplemented through grant opportunities. 

In This Story

Kun Sun

Topics

software

Research

Nearly 500 high schoolers get expert advice at Virginia CyberSlam 2025

tdonnel — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 16:20:56 +0000

Nearly 500 high schoolers get expert advice at Virginia CyberSlam 2025 tdonnel Mon, 03/17/2025 - 12:20

Nearly 500 high school students from across the commonwealth gathered at 911�� for Virginia CyberSlam 2025, where cybersecurity experts from both the public and private sectors shared industry insights during a day of activities aimed at inspiring the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

Dolores Garza addresses CyberSlam 2025 attendees. Photo by Teresa Donnellan/CEC

“What an event it was March 10, with 475 students representing 22 schools and six school districts from around the commonwealth enjoying hands-on workshops and activities led by cyber experts from industry, government, and higher education,” said CyberSlam founder Chris Starke, a teacher for Loudoun County Public Schools who co-directed the event with the University of Alabama in Huntsville’s Jennifer Marden. “In all, 28 presenters combined to run 12 workshops—6 for each of our novice and advanced students. It was truly rewarding to see students enjoy learning about cybersecurity.”

Students heard from keynote speaker Dolores Garza, Branch Chief of the Technical Operations Group at the United States Marshals Service, among others. Garza oversaw the creation of a cyber investigation unit at the U.S. Marshals and described the evolution of cybersecurity as a professional field. She encouraged attendees to stay open to new technological developments and emphasized the need for a hybrid set of skills that combines criminal investigatory techniques with technical expertise.

“Diversity in technology is not just an asset; it is a necessity,” said Garza. “The more perspectives we bring to problem-solving, the stronger and more effective our solutions become.”

Student navigates drone during CyberSlam 2025. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding.

Throughout the day, professionals led hands-on workshops in various aspects of cybersecurity.

David Raymond from Virginia Cyber Range led a session on advanced Capture the Flag challenges, focusing on Wireshark.

Greg Crabb from 10-8, LLC, conducted a tabletop exercise on incident response and deep fake technology, and Randy Benn from Claroty introduced students to the Internet of Things.

Other experts leading workshops represented Vertex11, OpusType Advisors, the Idaho National Laboratory, the Drug Enforcement Administration, CYBER.ORG, 911��, and Shenandoah University, leading workshops on drones, deep fakes, digital forensics, and more.

Students participate in a CyberSlam workshop. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

“I would like to thank our co-hosts, 911��’s Department of Cyber Security Engineering and Loudoun County Public Schools, as well as the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Northern Virginia Node (CCI NoVA Node), Virginia Cyber Range, Vertex11, CACI International Inc., Claroty, CodeHS, Widelity, Inc., and GT Edge AI for sponsoring this wonderful event that in four years has impacted more than 1,600 students,” said Starke. “And, thank you to our exhibitors the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Mason Competitive Cyber (MCC), 911��’s College of Engineering and Computing, GT Edge AI, and the Virginia National Guard 91^st Cyber Brigade.”

CyberSlam attendees navigate drones in a workshop. Photo by Jennifer Marden

One event highlight was a panel featuring 911�� students from the MCC club—Dylan Charnick, Dylan Knoff, and Danyaal Shaozab. MCC is known for its inclusivity, welcoming 911�� students from all majors and levels of experience. The club meets twice weekly, hosting impressive speakers, running workshops on cybersecurity skills, and forming teams to participate successfully in various CTF events throughout the year.

During the panel, the MCC students fielded questions from the audience about degree programs at 911��, the benefits of technical certifications, and how to best prepare for a career in cybersecurity. “Most cyber jobs are here in the D.C. area,” noted Knoff, pointing out one benefit of pursuing cybersecurity at 911��.

CyberSlam fosters the cultivation of cybersecurity talent in Northern Virginia, where the industry is booming. This year’s event particularly underscored the opportunities in both public and private sectors that are preparing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, ensuring they are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in this rapidly growing field.

“I would like to thank CCI NoVA Node, specifically Liza Durant and Jordan Mason for sponsoring the amazing raffle prizes and their support for the Virginia CyberSlam, and also 911��’s Elizabeth Dean for making this event possible,” said Marden. “We could not have done this with the support of 911��, CCI, our presenters, sponsors, and of course our wonderful Virginia cybersecurity educators and students.”

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Department of Cyber Security Engineering