UB awarded $126k grant to host teen cybersecurity workshop

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The University at Buffalo has received a $126,577 grant from the National Security Agency to host GenCyber, a summer camp that teaches local middle and high school students the fundamentals of cybersecurity.

The camp, which will bring dozens of students to UB for a week of learning next summer, includes hands-on activities about different cybersecurity topics. It culminates on the final day, when students are asked to defend the UB GenCyber network from a simulated cyberattack.

The goal of GenCyber is to encourage students to pursue career opportunities in cybersecurity, a profession that’s growing in demand as government agencies, businesses and other organizations face growing cyberthreats.

GenCyber is presented by the UB School of Management, the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the Center of Excellence in Information Systems Assurance Research and Education (CEISARE) at UB, with sponsorship from the NSA, the National Science Foundation and businesses.

“It is a great example of how groups from across UB can come together to address a common societal issue such as cybersecurity,” said camp co-organizer Shambhu Upadhyaya, who serves as director of CEISARE, which has fostered a multidecade collaborative effort between the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the School of Management, the School of Law and the Department of Mathematics.

 “UB is fortunate to have been a part of the National Security Agency’s GenCyber initiative, which was created in 2014 to prepare the younger generation to address the cybersecurity challenges faced by the nation. Since 2015, UB has hosted six camps and trained more than 200 middle and high school students in various aspects of cybersecurity,” said Upadhyaya, a professor of computer science and engineering, also serves as associate dean for research and graduate education in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

“Bringing together a diverse set of talents and skills, our team of faculty, staff and students from across the university delivers a high-quality camp program each year,” said David Murray, clinical professor of management science and systems in the School of Management. “This GenCyber award will enable us to provide a free cybersecurity camp experience for middle and high school students again in 2022 and continue our impact in the community.”