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Cyberterrorism scholars
Two graduate students win coveted scholarships from NSA
By DONNA LONGENECKER
Reporter Assistant Editor
Two UB graduate students have received coveted scholarships from the federal government that are designed to assist in the task of rooting out hackers, cyberterrorists and insider threats to the nation's information superhighway—a task that has taken on an increasing urgency since Sept. 11.
Alexander Eisen and Melissa Thomas, both students in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, were awarded the Information Assurance Scholarships from the National Security Agency (NSA).
The scholarships were awarded to the students because of UB's designation last spring as a Center of Excellence in Information Systems Assurance Research and Education (CEISARE), UB is one of 13 universities to receive the designation this year and among only 36 that have been named to date by the NSA.
Information assurance encompasses the scientific, technical and management disciplines required to ensure computer and network security.
The year-long competitive scholarship covers the cost of tuition, fees, books, lab expenses, supplies and equipment, as well as providing a $15,000 stipend for graduate students and $10,000 for undergraduates. The goal of the scholarship is to support the development of information assurance specialists within the Department of Defense. Eisen and Thomas will be required to serve internships with DOD agencies and may be hired by a federal agency after graduation.
Shambhu Upadhyaya, associate professor of computer science and engineering and director of CEISARE, says companies and government research labs have taken extra steps to ensure information security and critical infrastructure protection.
"New initiatives such as Trusted Computing (National Science Foundation), Trustworthy Computing (Microsoft) and the Homeland Security Act were formed to address security in the post-Sept 11 era. Our students will contribute to some of these initiatives through their research," explains Upadhyaya. "Their selection was made through two independent evaluations—evaluation by the CEISARE center at UB and evaluation by the selection committee at the Department of Defense. They both receive full-ride scholarships for one year, with a possible extension into the second year."
Eisen will serve his internship during 2003 with the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) at Arlington, Va. DISA is involved in information assurance, global combat-support systems and electronic commerce.
During his study at UB, Eisen will be involved in various research activities with CEISARE; in particular he will be working on electronic banking security.
"This program benefits all of us—not just me in being able to become an expert in this field and not only the university in terms of research, but the nation as well," says Eisen.
"Alexander's programming skills and knowledge of information assurance and his leadership qualities made his application attractive to the evaluators," Upadhyaya says.
Eisen, who moved to the United States 11 years ago from the former Soviet Union and has been a U.S. citizen for five years, says he is proud to be involved in a project that doesn't just benefit the academic community, but private industry as well.
"I have an opportunity to help this country—especially now in light of recent events," he says.
"Internet technology and infrastructure has grown so fast and as it continues to grow and become more complex, it will become more vulnerable," he adds.
Thomas will serve her internship in 2003 with the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) at Patuxent River, Md. NAVAIR is involved in testing and evaluation, electronic warfare and survivability/vulnerability analysis, as well as other projects.
"I don't believe it has sunk in yet that I have actually gotten it," she says of the award.
"I applied for the scholarship because it was in my area of interest and I was considering attending graduate school. Thomas, the single parent of a 10-year-old boy, says she went back to school—one of the hardest decisions she says she has ever made—when her son entered first grade.
Evaluators were attracted to Thomas' advanced study in security and her involvement in research with faculty members while an undergraduate student, Upadhyaya notes.
He says that while at UB, Eisen and Thomas will attend research group meetings of the UB CEISARE, perform research in the area of information assurance and security, and attend conferences. "They are expected to get jobs in the federal agencies when they graduate," he adds.