Cybersecurity

Chaos theory finds its voice

Nathan Kahl — Tue, 19 May 2026 15:42:55 +0000

Chaos theory finds its voice Nathan Kahl Tue, 05/19/2026 - 11:42

Talk may be cheap, but it is still rich with data, and George Mason's Anomadarshi Barua is using artificial intelligence (AI) and a new approach to chaos theory to rebuild missing pieces of speech with incredible accuracy.

"When we talk, our voices have a frequency component from zero kilohertz (kHz) to around 8 kHz," said Barua, an assistant professor in the Department of Cyber Security Engineering. "Capturing all those frequencies normally requires devices to collect and process large amounts of data, which consumes power, storage, and computing resources."

He will present a paper he coauthored on this topic at the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL) annual meeting later this summer. ACL is one of the world's leading conferences in natural language processing and speech technologies, and the paper was accepted in the top 15 percent of accepted submissions at a conference with a 19 percent acceptance rate overall.

Smaller devices and sensors operating with limited battery life or bandwidth have difficulty capturing an entire signal, and so record a smaller slice, attempting to reconstruct the missing frequencies later. Barua says this is known as bandwidth extension or bandwidth reconstruction.

Imagine listening to a song through a wall and trying to mentally fill in the muffled higher notes. Barua's research teaches AI systems to do something similar, but with far greater mathematical precision. The team's major breakthrough came from incorporating a concept not often associated with speech: chaos theory.

"Our speech is actually a chaotic signal," Barua said. "'Chaos' does not mean completely random."

Instead, he describes speech as "deterministically random," meaning sounds and phonemes are strongly connected to one another in predictable ways. "You can actually determine what could be the next phoneme if you have the sufficient information from the previous phoneme," he said.

To capture those hidden relationships, the researchers developed what Barua calls a "chaotic discriminator" inside a machine-learning framework known as a generative adversarial network, or GAN. In simple terms, one part of the AI system generates reconstructed speech while another checks whether the recreated speech preserves the natural chaotic patterns found in human voices.

The approach significantly improved reconstruction quality compared to previous methods. "We are getting more improved results compared to the previous baseline," Barua said, "because of the incorporation of the chaotic properties."

By integrating chaos-informed modeling, the team dramatically reduced the size of the AI system needed for reconstruction. "We actually reduce the size of the discriminator by 14 times," Barua said. Smaller models require less memory and computing power, making them more practical for real-world devices.

For Barua, whose earlier work focused primarily on cybersecurity before expanding into speech and natural language processing, the ACL conference's acceptance marks an important milestone. "This is my first paper in natural language processing," he said.

While the current paper focuses on speech, Barua sees much broader possibilities ahead. The same reconstruction techniques could eventually be applied to electrical signals, sonar, lidar, and other sensing technologies. "This concept is not only limited to speech," he said. "We are trying to open up a larger branch in different signal modality."

And that message comes through loud and clear.

In This Story

Anomadarshi Barua

Explore Cybersecurity at George Mason

Powering Artificial Intelligence

Topics

Cybersecurity

Department of Cyber Security Engineering

natural language processing

large language models

Artificial Intelligence

Research

College of Engineering and Computing

Graduation spotlight series: Mile by mile, running for success

tdonnel — Tue, 12 May 2026 19:36:42 +0000

Graduation spotlight series: Mile by mile, running for success tdonnel Tue, 05/12/2026 - 15:36

When Simeon Omorodion crossed the finish line of the 130th Boston Marathon this April for the first time, he wasn’t just completing a race. He was confirming something he’d been building toward for years—that running wasn’t a hobby or a side pursuit, but a core part of who he is.

At 91��, that identity never existed in isolation. An Honors College student and long-distance runner, Omorodion found the same logic threading through both pursuits: structure, persistence, and a tolerance for discomfort that eventually becomes growth.

Simeon Omorodion runs the 130th Boston Marathon. Photo provided.

This May, he earned his degree in information technology, specializing in cybersecurity with a minor in Japanese studies.

This pairing surprises people. But for Omorodion, it makes perfect sense. His interest in cybersecurity comes down to problem-solving under pressure—the same discipline that gets a runner through mile 20.

His passion for Japanese studies dates back to childhood, when anime introduced him to stories of perseverance and the impossible becoming possible. He joined the Japanese Student Association his freshman year and studied in Japan in the summer of 2024. “Why don’t I just learn this beautiful language?” he said, “this language that has allowed me to see visions of impossibles becoming possible.

Omorodion (right) with classmates at the conclusion of a Japanese language presentation during his summer 2024 study-abroad program in Japan. Photo provided.

The two halves of his life at George Mason reinforce each other in ways he didn’t anticipate. “It’s like a symbiotic relationship,” he said. “Without the athletics, it’s hard for me to engage within the academics. With the academics, it helps me to engage in athletics.”

Those connections extended beyond the classroom and the track. Through the Patriot Run Club and his role in Housing and Residence Life as a resident assistant, he found the sense of belonging that made everything else easier. “It made me feel connected,” he said, “connected to this environment, to the George Mason culture.”

Omorodion celebrates at the finish line of the 130th Boston Marathon, medal in hand. Photo provided.

To students still on the fence about getting involved and pursing what they are passionate about, his advice is direct: do it, and don’t expect to regret it.

After graduation, Omorodion plans to continue merging the passions he discovered during his time at George Mason. He will work for the global sportswear company ASICS in Boston as a marketplace operations coordinator, a role that would keep him rooted in the running world while building a career.

He arrived at George Mason without a clear plan. Through running and his academics, Omorodion leaves with a deeper understanding of himself and what drives him—and a conviction that not having it figured out from the start was never the problem.

“You are going to transform a lot during college,” he said, “and that could be a very positive transformation.”

Note: This article was written by Tiffany Boggs, Student Media, and edited by Chelsea Xu, UL Marketing and Communications. It was originally published on 91��'s University Life website.

Explore Cybersecurity at George Mason

Learn more about Honors College

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information technology

Cybersecurity

University Life

Housing and Residence Life

George Mason secures grant to expand high school cybersecurity internships in Northern Virginia

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

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

91��’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 George Mason.

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 91�� 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 George Mason’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 George Mason

In This Story

Liza Wilson Durant

Topics

Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI)

education-to-employment pathways

Community Engagement

experiential learning

internships

Students

Cybersecurity

Our Students Can Hack It

Katarina Benson — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 18:39:34 +0000

Our Students Can Hack It Katarina Benson Tue, 03/24/2026 - 14:39

91�� students have key roles to play in the future of cybersecurity—and they are rising to the occasion. Over the past few years, the university has advanced as a leader in this rapidly developing field. In the 2025 Country-to-Country Capture the Flag contest, for example, only 100 finalists were invited from the world over—and five of them were from George Mason.

Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

“Our students are focused and curious,” says Sai Manoj, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and advisor to George Mason hackathon participants. “And they're very interested in participating in hackathons.”

Hackathons, like PatriotHacks and other competitions such as Capture the Flag and Defend the Republic, are considered essential extracurricular activities by many students in the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC). Whether a student is passionate about hardware, software, datasets, AI-driven workflows, puzzle-solving, or flying robots, there is something for everyone.

“These competitions are an important bridge between our academic programs and the evolving demands of the technology and cybersecurity industries,” says Kamaljeet Sanghera, MS Information Systems ’00, executive director of talent development and a professor of information technology at CEC who has served as a faculty sponsor to George Mason’s annual PatriotHacks.

She says these competitions complement students’ classroom education and allow them to gain real-world, hands-on experience while networking with professionals in settings that encourage innovative thinking.

“Industry involvement definitely enriches these experiences,” says Sanghera of the companies that sponsor these competitions. “Sponsors and mentors introduce students to real-world tools, datasets, and AI-driven workflows, helping them see how their skills apply in professional settings.”

And it opens doors for these students. One George Mason student, Fatima Majid, discovered this when she placed in the top 10 at the 2025 National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Cyber Competition against defense professionals. She so impressed those attending that the NDIA vice president introduced himself afterward, and she had a large group of attendees interested in talking to her.

Sanghera notes that these challenges also set George Mason grads up for post-collegiate success in other ways. “They challenge students to tackle complex problems under time constraints,” she says. “Whether by developing innovative solutions in a hackathon or analyzing and defending systems in a Capture the Flag competition, both experiences help students build technical skills, while also strengthening essential soft skills such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and creative thinking.”

These events provide important lessons, too, in learning how to get up again after experiencing difficult setbacks and challenges. The recent George Mason Fail-a-Thon encouraged students to “fail forward” by judging them on ambition, creativity, and iteration instead of penalizing for mistakes. “The goal was to celebrate experimentation and meaningful learning,” says Humaira Akhtari, a term instructor in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology, who judged the event.

Students don’t have to go far to find an opportunity either. The 2025 Raytheon Defend the Republic autonomous blimp contest, for example, took place on the Fairfax Campus in EagleBank Arena.

“George Mason has a very strong background in general in security. It's not just about the faculty, but also the students and the locality,” says Manoj. “With the government and so many high-tech companies nearby, there’s a huge need for security in the area. That means that the students and faculty are seeing a lot of opportunities for growth.”

Meet a few of the George Mason students who are advancing in cyber competitions at the national level.

This content appears in the Spring 2026 print edition of the Mason Spirit Magazine.

More Than Meets the Eye

Katarina Benson — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 17:34:11 +0000

More Than Meets the Eye Katarina Benson Tue, 03/24/2026 - 13:34

The knifefish is a predatory fish with a distinctive frilly fin on its underside that allows it to move backward and forward. It’s normally found in South American rivers–so what is one doing wafting through the air in George Mason’s EagleBank Arena?

Knifey, a nature-inspired blimp based on the knifefish’s movement (with an added ferocious glare), is just one of junior Alexia De Costa’s projects combining art and robotics. “I love any way to get people interested in tech and also understand complicated things visually,” she says.

De Costa played with robotics kits as a kid, then got into Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, where she developed her skills even further and connected them with her love of nature. “In high school, I made puppy, guinea pig, and bunny robots that could all do different things. I love figuring out how to make the robots more visually pleasing to make the interactions more appealing to the user.”

Alexia De Costa is an applied CS major. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

When De Costa came to George Mason as an applied computer science major and an Honors College student, she became involved in the Mason Innovation Exchange (MIX). There, she ran a Robot Night workshop, teaching students how to make robots from scratch.

Since then, she has leveraged George Mason resources to power her projects. Through the Research and Interdisciplinary STEM Experiences (RISE) Scholars program, De Costa hosted a robot blimp-making workshop for middle school students. She also became involved with the Mason Autonomous Robotics Center (MARC) as a research assistant. This is where she designed and built Knifey, which she piloted in the 2025 Defend the Republic blimp competition in EagleBank Arena.

In 2025, also through MARC and with support from the Office of Student Creative Activities and Research, De Costa led a team of eight students to develop giant art and tech pieces. “It was a series of works to convey very technical information. It blends art and robotics to make these topics engaging to the general public.”

One of these pieces was a giant interactive eye with pixelated sensors that help viewers understand how computer vision works. Another was a lenticular design project illustrating how sea life inspires their robot blimps. De Costa is working to have these pieces installed at spots across campus.

Her current research project harkens back to her high school roots but with a twist. De Costa and her team took second place at Sauceathon 2025, a hardware-focused hackathon hosted by Open Sauce and the National Havoc Robot League, for their robotic cat.

The challenge began with a $500 combat robot kit and a mission: modify the base design to complete a rescue scenario in an apocalyptic setting. The 24-hour event tested De Costa and her team’s endurance and ingenuity. Against a backdrop of camera crews and livestreams, George Mason’s team stood out for its creativity and adaptability. Even after a late-night power outage forced participants to improvise, the team completed two rescue runs, performing “emergency surgery” with duct tape between rounds.

“Usually hackathons are software focused, so building a robot was so much fun,” says De Costa. “Seeing it succeed was exciting. We’re definitely planning to attend the next one.”

They train, compete, and perform at the highest levels—only their arena is cybersecurity. Like top athletes, George Mason's cyber-focused students prove themselves when the pressure is on.

Read more from this series >>

From the Classroom to the Community: Cybersecurity in Action

Katarina Benson — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 17:38:31 +0000

From the Classroom to the Community: Cybersecurity in Action Katarina Benson Thu, 03/19/2026 - 13:38

91�� and Howard University have launched a new collaborative effort to prepare the next generation of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) professionals while strengthening the digital resilience of community based organizations.

From left, Cybersecurity + AI Clinic students Courtney Gill, Isabella Floyd, Michael Niebergall, and Sam Roland working with instructor Ali Jessani. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

The Cybersecurity + AI Clinic, a partnership between the National Security Institute’s Cyber and Tech Center (NSI CTC) at George Mason’s Antonin Scalia Law School and the Howard University School of Business (HUSB), welcomed its first cohort earlier this academic year.

The one-year program blends rigorous academic preparation with hands-on service, giving students the opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world cybersecurity challenges. Supported by a seven-year, $1 million grant from Google, George Mason and Howard were selected to establish a cybersecurity and AI clinic that provides free support to nonprofits, local agencies, and other under-resourced organizations. As a member of the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics, the program engages in faculty-level collaboration, shared learning, and ongoing development of best practices at the intersection of cybersecurity, law, and technology.

“AI is transforming every corner of our national security landscape, and cybersecurity has long been a critical concern for enterprises large and small,” says Jamil Jaffer, founder and executive director of NSI and principal investigator for the clinic. “We need leaders who understand both technology and policy and can apply them in practice. That is exactly what the clinic enables students to do. By tackling real challenges faced by our clients, students gain the hands-on, innovation-driven experience needed to lead in a world where cyber and AI touch every part of our society.”

The inaugural class includes 14 students: eight law students from George Mason and six HUSB undergraduates with a mix of computer science and mechanical engineering backgrounds. The cohort reflects George Mason’s bold educational approach to the interdisciplinary nature of today’s cybersecurity and AI landscape by bringing together students who can analyze problems from technical, legal, and policy perspectives.

Clinic instructor Kathryn Ciano Mauler leads a class discussion. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

In the fall 2025 semester, Howard students traveled to George Mason’s Fuse at Mason Square to attend class alongside Scalia Law students and gained a strong foundation in cybersecurity, risk management, data governance and privacy, and AI concepts. Two instructors—Kathryn Ciano Mauler, a product counsel attorney at Google, and Ali Jessani, counsel at WilmerHale in privacy, cybersecurity, and AI law—guided the students through their coursework.

“This clinic is truly a unique experience for students because it provides them with an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they learn in the classroom in a real-world setting,” says Jessani. “While some classes offer doctrinal lessons and others offer applied skills, this clinic provides students with both.”

“Here they learn not just the nuts and bolts of privacy and cybersecurity, but also the experience of speaking with clients, thinking on the spot, and tying together diverse experiences and issue spotting to provide real-world value in a supervised setting,” says Mauler. “The clinic classroom has brought together a diversity of experience across undergrad and law school students and their perspectives in a rich discussion.”

In addition to coursework, the students have gained professional skills essential for client-facing work, including learning how to conduct client interviews, present technical findings to nontechnical audiences, navigate project challenges, and draft written Recommendations.

Scalia Law School student Mike Niebergall says he applied to the clinic because he’s interested in how technologies like AI will affect the entertainment industry and the commercial world in general. “I have a background in music. With no cybersecurity or computer science background, the clinic has been incredibly eye-opening and has taught me how cybersecurity practices apply across many different spaces.”

“I wanted to gain experience learning how to work within legal frameworks to protect business operations and consumers with the rise of AI usage,” says HUSB undergraduate Courtney Gill. “As a senior at Howard University interested in practicing law, [I felt] the class simulated what it feels like to be in a law school classroom.”

“While many of my law classes asked me to consider harms that had already occurred, the clinic challenged me to think about managing risk and preventing legal liability from arising in the first place,” says Scalia Law School student Liam McGettigan. “For anyone interested in learning how to run an organization—and understanding the unavoidable challenges of the digital world—the Cybersecurity + AI Clinic should be on your radar.”

Some students, like law student Tate Kaufman, have been able to immediately apply what they learned in class. “The clinic has provided an invaluable look into the work of cyberlaw practitioners, while enabling me to stay on the cutting edge of AI law,” says Kaufman. “Knowledge from the clinic directly translated to my work as a clerk on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where I worked on issues relating to the emergence of generative AI and copyright.”

Entering the spring semester, students transitioned to hands-on client work, a core part of the clinic’s community-focused mission. Working in small groups of three to four students, and supported by expert instructors, each group is partnered with a client organization that may not have the expertise or resources to manage cybersecurity risk on their own.

The first group of clients includes the Arlington Free Clinic, Washington, D.C.-based Bread for the City, Center for Child and Family Advocacy in Arlington, and the charter school Digital Pioneer Academy.

Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

NSI CTC continues to welcome new partners who are looking to strengthen their cybersecurity resilience, and the clinic has a goal of increasing the number of clients served each clinic cycle.

Under the guidance of instructors and the leadership of Clinic Director Jessica Jones, students are providing a range of services for their clients, including conducting cybersecurity risk assessments; mapping organizational vulnerabilities; reviewing or drafting cybersecurity, AI-use, or incident response policies; and providing practical recommendations tailored to strengthen an organization’s overall security posture.

In May, students formally present their findings and recommendations to client representatives. They also present to their fellow students, with each group highlighting project results, sharing real-world challenges they faced, and reflecting on the lessons learned throughout their client engagements. The clinic’s year-long experience is a core part of preparing students for careers in a cyber field that increasingly demands interdisciplinary understanding and practical experience.

Admission to the program is competitive. Howard students apply as rising seniors, and George Mason students currently come from the law school. Applicants are not required to have prior cybersecurity experience—just interest and a willingness to engage.

All participants receive a stipend, helping ensure that financial barriers do not prevent qualified students from participating.

Looking ahead, the clinic anticipates welcoming students from a broader range of disciplines and additional George Mason programs, such as public policy, engineering, and business, to strengthen the interdisciplinary preparation needed to address evolving cyber and AI challenges.

George Mason team wins Virginia Cyber Cup Competition at Commonwealth Cyber Fusion event

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

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

In This Story

Matthew Jablonski

A team of 91�� 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).

91�� 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 George Mason, 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

Cybersecurity

information sciences and technology

Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI)

Mason Competitive Cyber

Students

George Mason Scholarship for Service students commit to America’s cyber defense

tdonnel — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 16:08:18 +0000

George Mason Scholarship for Service students commit to America’s cyber defense tdonnel Mon, 02/16/2026 - 11:08

With the support of the National Science Foundation’s CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service (SFS) program, 91��'s Department of Cyber Security Engineering (CYSE) and Department of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) are training the next generation of cybersecurity professionals committed to public service.

Funded by a $3.9 million grant, the SFS program provides students who commit to working in federal, state, or local government cybersecurity roles after graduation with two or three years of full tuition. The first cohort of five students is already demonstrating how financial support, professional development opportunities, and a shared service mission can accelerate careers in the public interest.

CyberCorps Defending America's Cyberspace Scholarship for Service logo

The students receive professional development support not only through exclusive networking events and job opportunities but also through funding for certifications, conferences, and workshops.

“That kind of professional support is a big deal,” said senior DJ Strigel. “It really helps you build credentials while you’re still a student.” Strigel, a CYSE Bachelor’s to Accelerated Master’s (BAM) student concentrating in artificial intelligence, added that the scholarship made graduate study feasible.

Ailene (Diemmi) Dao, a CYSE BAM student specializing in digital forensics, said the scholarship allows her to focus fully on learning and skill development. “The [CYSE] program itself is really fun, including interesting, engaging, hands-on labs. This scholarship lets me concentrate on building the experience I’ll need to do this work well.”

For junior Shanti Nadimi, the program aligns with a strong sense of civic responsibility. “Without federal and Virginia state aid, I wouldn’t be able to go to college at all,” Nadimi said, “so I feel like I should give back. I want to contribute to our nation’s security.”

"I grew up liking the security and structure of government and the sense of service that comes with government work," added senior Tristan Boyd.

As the first cohort, these students are shaping the culture of the program. The group regularly shares job leads, internship advice, and guidance on navigating federal hiring and security clearance processes.

“We all send each other opportunities and teach each other about the process,” said Carlos Javier Navarro‑Montanez, a sophomore. “That camaraderie has been really important.”

Kun Sun

For George Mason, the SFS program is both a powerful student support mechanism and a mark of distinction. It reflects the university’s national leadership in cybersecurity education and its role as a trusted pipeline for public‑sector talent. Professor Kun Sun, principal investigator of the program, is excited by how well the first cohort started. “The students have already shown impressive technical skill, curiosity, and a real sense of purpose around public service and cybersecurity,” he said.

The cohort’s work is already paying off. One student has completed an internship with the Department of Homeland Security while two others will complete internships for the Department of Defense.

With strong faculty mentorship, federal investment, and students already entering public‑service cybersecurity roles, George Mason’s SFS program is helping safeguard the future by preparing those committed to serving it.

Learn more about George Mason's SFS program: https://sfs.cec.gmu.edu/prospective-students/

In This Story

Kun Sun

Learn about Cybersecurity at George Mason

Learn about CEC's Bachelor's to Accelerated Master's

Topics

Cybersecurity

College of Engineering and Computing Scholarships

public service

Scholarships

Students

National Science Foundation

CEC BAM program

Bachelor’s to Accelerated Master’s

George Mason student project presents sticky situation for hackers

tdonnel — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 20:56:10 +0000

George Mason student project presents sticky situation for hackers tdonnel Wed, 12/17/2025 - 15:56

When a cloud computing class at 91�� called for a team project, master’s student Kevin Landry saw an opportunity to share what he knew and give classmates a taste of real-world cyber defense.

A seasoned cybersecurity enthusiast, Landry introduced his team to the concept of a honeypot—a decoy system designed to lure and monitor cyber attackers. As he put it, honeypots allow you to “reach out and touch actual attackers,” bringing textbook concepts to life in a way few classroom exercises can match.

“You’ll never look at the internet the same way again after running a honeypot,” Landry said. “It’s eye-opening to see how many bots are out there scanning for vulnerabilities.”

For his teammates—many of whom had never built home labs—the project offered hands-on experience that mimicked an enterprise environment and bridged the gap between theory and practice. Honeypots aren’t just academic tools; companies maintain them to study hacker activity, identify patterns, and share intelligence that helps reveal common vulnerabilities.

Kevin Landry. Photo provided.

“It’s a low-investment, high-yield product that’s passive,” Landry explained. “You do all the coding and setup, then just let it run and watch attackers come in.”

The team deployed Cowrie, an open-source honeypot that simulates a Linux shell. But Landry didn’t settle for the default configuration.

“I changed every standard setting possible,” he said. “Fake encryption keys, fake password files, fake directories—everything to make it look like a lazy or incompetent sysadmin left the doors open.”

Those tweaks made the trap convincing enough to attract hundreds of attackers, from automated bots to human hackers.

Once customized, the honeypot started buzzing—logging intrusion attempts almost immediately. To make the experience even more interactive, the team integrated real-time alerts through Discord, receiving up to 500 notifications a day whenever an attacker engaged with the system.

At one point, the attack volume was high enough that Discord temporarily rate-limited the alerts, thinking they were automated traffic. Landry resolved the issue by rotating through multiple webhooks and fine-tuning the alert frequency to keep everything running smoothly.

Over the course of 48 days, the honeypot captured an extensive dataset. Landry even created an interactive visualization of the activity for the team’s class presentation, showing where attacks originated and how they unfolded over time.

To make the project even more aligned with industry practices, Landry’s team uploaded the attackers’ IP addresses to Gray Noise Intelligence, a company that allowed him to use its enterprise-grade platform for the project. The software analyzes IP addresses and assigns confidence levels indicating how likely each one is malicious, giving students a window into professional threat intelligence workflows.

“It makes me feel good that I’m wasting hackers’ time or bots’ time,” Landry said.

For Landry—who served ten years in the U.S. Coast Guard and earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Mary Washington before pursuing his master’s in applied information technology at George Mason—the honeypot was both an academic milestone and a career-building moment. He believes projects like this are essential for breaking into cybersecurity.

“Cybersecurity jobs—even entry-level—want three years of experience, but you can’t get experience without getting a job,” he noted. “Home labs and projects like this help build a portfolio and show employers you can do the work.”

As cyber threats grow more sophisticated, George Mason’s applied approach to technology education ensures students are ready to meet them head-on. For Landry, the honeypot was not only a class assignment but also a chance to turn passion into practice—and to share that experience with others.

An image from the interactive visualization of the project. Full visualization available here: https://gemini.google.com/share/24b205428724.

Topics

applied information technology graduate programs

Cybersecurity

innovative classes

Students

Cyber security engineering student excels at his internship for the second time

sbrown79 — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 14:15:06 +0000

Cyber security engineering student excels at his internship for the second time  sbrown79 Mon, 10/06/2025 - 10:15

When 91�� cyber security engineering student Noah Hinger interned at Surefire Cyber in summer 2023, his managers were so impressed with his work that they invited him back. Thanks to his previous experience, the Honors College student was able to take on more responsibility this summer at the computer security company and contribute to more projects.

“The experience from my first summer here let me understand what was happening and contribute across the company,” said Hinger, who is a sophomore in the College of Engineering and Computing. “Surefire Cyber has an amazing internship program. They're investing in us by having professional development meetings and providing us with the opportunity to talk to experts from different fields.” said Hinger.

“I think it’s helped me a lot to be able to practice my independence and accountability,” said Hinger, who also competes in George Mason’s Chess and Competitive Cyber Clubs. “I've had the chance to do projects on my own without necessarily needing to report to someone, and I've also learned so much from all the smart people at Surefire Cyber.”

Noah Hinger. Photo provided.

What made you choose Surefire Cyber for your internships? 

Surefire Cyber is a digital forensics and incident response company. When an organization gets hacked, they call Surefire Cyber to conduct an investigation and restore systems so that everything's OK. As a technology intern, I am helping develop the code that our forensic analysts use to figure out what's happened and retrieve all the essential data. Surefire Cyber is really exceptional at using a lot of automation tools so that the forensic analysts can focus more on the big picture and the data they’re working with. 

What does a typical day interning at Surefire Cyber look like for you? 

I work under two groups: software development and information operations, or DevOps, and security engineering. For DevOps, I help to manage company infrastructure and work on a lot of coding assignments. 

Traditionally, there are software developers, and there are operations, which maintain it. DevOps is kind of a hybrid role, which means it entails coding, setting up servers, and being responsible for maintaining the infrastructure. 

How would you say George Mason has helped prepare you for this role? 

I definitely think more critically when problem-solving this time around, and I think that's in part due to George Mason, especially the Honors College research and literature classes that I’ve taken. I'm learning about a lot of new technologies in real time, so I have to be able to research and read about them and then apply that knowledge to my work. The courses have definitely helped me when it comes absorbing the information I’m reading about and then transferring it to my assignments at Surefire Cyber. 

Another thing about the Honors College is that I get to meet different people from different disciplines, and that's really helped me at Surefire Cyber when connecting and networking with colleagues. I think that's been really rewarding and something that George Mason's helped prepare me for. 

I've also gotten a lot of experience in my systems engineering and digital systems engineering classes, and getting to see what goes into a lot of security minded decisions is very similar to what I’m doing in this internship. 

What’s your favorite thing about interning at Surefire Cyber? 

My favorite thing about the company is that it’s always driving innovation and new discoveries within cybersecurity and digital forensics. They're always pushing for the best and trying to help people. That's the whole point of digital forensics is to be there for and helping them out on the worst day of their life. 

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