Year 2 Cyber Operations Security Training and Research for N/ROTC Los Angeles and San Diego
Abstract
Building and sustaining the cybersecurity talent pipeline and enhancing the federal cybersecurity workforce have been identified as two of the top strategic priorities in the 2018 US National Cyber Strategy. Cyberinfrastructure Operations (Electronic Warfare, Communications and Networking) are one of the broad priority areas of Naval Research and Development Framework.To address the US National Cyber Strategy under these Naval Research and Development Framework broad priority areas, Cal Poly Pomona, an NSA/DHS Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance/Cyber Defense Education since 2005, proposes to provide opportunities of training and research for Computer Science/Computer Information Systems/Electrical and Computer Engineering or related major students from Cal Poly Pomona ROTC, Los Angeles and San Diego NROTC in the domain of Cyber Operations security. Based on the successful recruitment and training of 26 NROTC students from Los Angeles and San Diego in 2020, Cal Poly Pomona is requesting funding for its continuation for the second year. Although the full training and research was originally planned for 20 participants, due to the online conversion ofthe training, CPP was able to exceed the original target numbers in 2020.Also, for maximum dissemination and broader impact, we will offer an introductory workshop on Cybersecurity awareness for ALL N/ROTC students, as a fundamental understanding of common cyberattacks and defense is a required knowledge for anyone working with computing devices in the area of national security. In 2020, over 100 N/RTOC students from Los Angeles and San Diego units have participated in the introductory cybersecurity awareness workshop. Although the cybersecurity awareness training was originally planned for 60 participants, due to the online conversion of the training, CPP was able to exceed the original target numbers in 2020.The proposed program will continue to: (i) Prepare CS/ECE/CIS or related major N/ROTCstudents in Cyber Operations security skillset through multiple online training modules in Spring 2021; (ii) Disseminate Cybersecurity awareness to ALL N/ROTC students by organizing an introductory cybersecurity online workshop; (iii) Train CS/ECE/CIS or related major N/ROTC students online to do undergraduate research in Cyber Operations Security in Summer 2021 and facilitate their independent research projects online in Fall 2021 followed by a research poster presentation during closing ceremony, and (iv) Disseminate information about Naval program and careers to N/ROTC Students by integrating NIWC-Pacific in the program execution by leveraging Cal Poly Pomonas existing collaboration with NIWC-Pacific through online career panels.Cal Poly Pomona has a High-Performance Computing (HPC) cluster as well as a Data Center and Security Operations Center to support student training and research in the domain of Cyber Operations security. The PIs have successfully received and managed over $2M in federal funds in cybersecurity training and research and have strong track record in placing students in federal cybersecurity workforce. Cal Poly Pomona is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), many of the students are first generation minority students. Los Angeles and San Diego NROTC also have significant diversity in student population being in Southern California. So, the proposed program is anticipated to have high impact in terms of diversity as well.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jun 09, 2021
- Source ID
- N000142112628
Entities
People
- Mohammad Husain
Organizations
- California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy