Cybersecurity Guide

Sarah Powazek, Program Director of Public Interest Cybersecurity at UC Berkeley Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity (CLTC), where she leads flagship research on defending low-resource organizations like nonprofits, municipalities, and schools from cyber attacks.

Find a complete transcript of the show on Cybersecurity Guide.

Dr. Ahmet Aksoy is an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Cybersecurity at the University of Central Missouri. As the Director of the cutting-edge NetML (Network Machine Learning) Lab, Dr. Aksoy leads groundbreaking research in the field of network traffic fingerprinting. His research focuses on incident classification, software, and device identification through the innovative application of machine learning algorithms.

Dr. Faisal Kaleem is a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Cybersecurity at Metro State in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He is also and the director of cybersecurity programs at Metro State and the Executive Director of MN Cyber.

Find a full transcript of the interview on Cybersecurity Guide.

Dr. Batyr Charyyev is an assistant professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Department of the University of Nevada Reno. He received his PhD in systems engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, NJ) in 2022, his MS degree in computer science and engineering from the University of Nevada Reno in 2019, and his BS in computer engineering from Middle East Technical University (Ankara, Turkey) in 2017. His research interests include networking, IoT, traffic fingerprinting, security, privacy, network science, and edge computing.

Dr. Scott Shackelford is the Provost Professor of Business Law and Ethics at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

In this episode of the Cybersecurity Guide Podcast, host Steve Bowcut interviews Vianey Luna, a cybersecurity supervision specialist and recent graduate of a cybersecurity bootcamp. The topic of discussion is the pros and cons of an accelerated cybersecurity education versus a traditional university approach. Luna shares her experience and insights, highlighting the factors that led her to choose a bootcamp over a traditional degree, such as time and cost considerations. She also discusses the rigorous nature of the bootcamp, the importance of self-discipline, and the opportunities that have come her way as a result of her bootcamp education, including job prospects and resume preparation. Luna advises prospective students to carefully weigh their options and consider their goals and interests before deciding on an educational path. She also emphasizes the importance of continuous learning in the rapidly evolving field of cybersecurity.

Find the full transcript at Cybersecurity Guide.

Kathleen Hyde is the director of Champlain College’s online cybersecurity programs. She also teaches Champlain’s War Games Capstone in the graduate program. Kathleen holds an MBA and a Master of Science in Computer Information Systems and is currently working on her doctoral dissertation.

Learn more and get a full transcript of the show at Cybersecurity Guide.

In this episode of the Cybersecurity Guide Podcast, host Steve Bowcut interviews Dr. Mark Heckman, a professor of Computer Science and Cybersecurity at the University of San Diego (USD). They discuss the cybersecurity educational opportunities at USD, including the two master's programs offered in cybersecurity engineering and cybersecurity operations and leadership. Heckman emphasizes the importance of understanding fundamental concepts in cybersecurity and highlights the need for professionals who can balance security and usability in system design. He also mentions the increasing importance of legislation and regulations in the cybersecurity field.

Find the complete episode transcript at cybersecurityguide.org.

Dr. George Trawick is a distinguished former Army officer with over twenty-five years of dedicated service. His career is marked by a rich blend of leadership, technical expertise in Information Technology, and a deep commitment to professional education. As an energetic and knowledgeable information assurance professional, Dr. Trawick has excelled in various roles, most notably in academia.

Currently, he serves as an Associate Professor and Cyber Security Coordinator at Mississippi State University, a position he has held since August 2020. In this role, he contributes significantly to the Department of Computer Science & Engineering, shaping the next generation of cybersecurity experts.

Best-selling cybersecurity author Marlon Buchanan joins the podcast to talk about how to stay safe while holiday shopping.

Find the full transcript.

And be sure to check out the related Holiday Hacks data studyabout security risks while shopping online

Kevin Nolten is Vice President at the Cyber Innovation Center.

This episode covers cybersecurity education and workforce development. 

In this episode of the Cybersecurity Guide Podcast, host Steve Bowcut interviews Dr. Jeremy Straub, an associate professor at North Dakota State University, about cybersecurity education opportunities at NDSU.

Straub discusses his background and interest in cybersecurity, particularly in the application of AI to cybersecurity. He also provides an overview of the cybersecurity programs offered at NDSU, including undergraduate certificates, bachelor's degrees, and graduate degrees.

Straub emphasizes the importance of hands-on experience and engagement with the cybersecurity community, and highlights the research opportunities available to students.

He also discusses the need for continuous learning and keeping up with the evolving cybersecurity landscape. Straub predicts that automation will play a significant role in the future of cybersecurity and advises students to develop programming skills and stay updated on the latest developments in the field.

Find the full transcript of the show on Cybersecurity Guide.

Dr. C. Jordan Howell, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology at the University of South Florida. Before his current appointment, Dr. Howell was an assistant professor in Intelligence and National Security Studies at the University of Texas at El Paso and Associate Director of the Evidence-Based Cybersecurity Research Laboratory. He received his doctorate in criminology from the USF, where he also earned a graduate certificate in digital forensics and a master’s degree in criminology.

Dr. Howell’s research focuses on the human factor of cybercrime. He employs advanced computer science techniques to gather threat intelligence, which is then used to test social scientific theory, build profiles of active cyber-offenders, plot criminal trajectories, and disrupt the illicit ecosystem enabling cybercrime incidents.

Dr. Shouhuai Xu serves as the Gallogly Chair Professor in Cybersecurity at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS). At UCCS, Dr. Xu is renowned for his instrumental role in various cybersecurity initiatives. He architected the UCCS Cybersecurity Strategy, POWER, which focuses on partnership, outreach, workforce development, education, and research. He’s also contributed to earning prominent designations for UCCS, such as the NSA/DHS National Center of Academic Excellence – Cyber Defense, and securing the university’s membership in the USCYBERCOM Academic Engagement Network. As part of his ongoing efforts, he’s spearheading the creation of a Cyber Range and new courses in cybersecurity at UCCS while also striving to expand the institution’s cybersecurity programs and research capabilities.

Find the full transcript of this interview at Cybersecurity Guide.

John Petrozzelli, the Director of MassCyberCenter.

John has been a featured speaker at the Massachusetts National Cyber Crime Conference and at the Microsoft Digital Crimes Community Conference in Vienna, Austria. He was a featured speaker at ThreatLocker Zero Trust World and the International Crisis Management Conference in 2023. He has delivered remarks at many universities and professional organizations.

Dr. Chuck Gardner a Senior Advisor for Workforce Development at the Cyber Innovation Center.

The episode is about the Cyber Innovation Center’s academic guidance and workforce development efforts. 

Dr. Stephen Kirkman is an assistant professor and program director for the Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity degree in the Anderson College of Business and Computing at Regis University in Denver, Colorado.

Dr. Kirkman has over 25 years of professional experience, including 6 years of active duty in the Air Force and 20 years of experience in industry. Dr. Kirkman held various roles in industry, but mostly as a computer security engineer supporting various agencies within the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community. 

He has proficiency in the certification and accreditation of systems, system administration, and a specialization in cyber and computer security.  He has been CISSP certified since 2003. Prior to joining Regis, Dr. Kirkman completed his Ph.D. in Computer Engineering at the University of Florida. His research focused on modeling trust in cloud companies and using blockchains to store cross-domain consumer policies.

You can find a complete transcript of this interview with Dr. Kirkman on cybersecurityguide.org.

Dr. Igor Khokhlov's primary research interests include applying artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) techniques in the cybersecurity domain, security of smartphones, usable security and data security & quality. He also explores vulnerabilities, threats, and attacks on AI/ML-powered systems. Professor Khokhlov's teaching interests include mobile security, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and AI/ML in cybersecurity. Before joining Sacred Heart University in 2021, Professor Khokhlov worked as a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at the Department of Software Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, New York.

Find the full transcript of this episode on Cybersecurity Guide.

Deep Ramanayke is a teaching professor of computer science and cybersecurity and the director of the cybersecurity program at Xavier University where he teaches information security, networking, perimeter defense, ethical hacking and pen testing. His research is currently focused on education and cybersecurity, engaging students with real-world hands-on experience, practice, and exposure to working in teams.

Dr. Abdulbast Abushgra is an assistant professor of cybersecurity at Utica University. He is skilled in MATLAB, analytical skills, information security, algorithms, cryptography, and programming languages. He holds a PhD in computer science and engineering focused on quantum computing from the University of Bridgeport.

Find a full transcript of the interview: https://cybersecurityguide.org/expert-interviews/abdulbast-abushgra/

Dr. Erald Troja is an assistant professor with the Mathematics, Computer Science, and Science Division of St. John’s University’s Collins College of Professional Studies. He is also the acting program director for the Cybersecurity Systems program and the main point of contact for St. John’s University’s Cybersecurity Center of Academic Excellence. He received his PhD in computer science from the graduate center at the City University of New York.

Prior to joining St. John’s, he served as an assistant professor of computer science at Iona College, teaching computer science and cybersecurity courses. He has over 20 years of experience working as a senior systems engineer for Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications.

Find the full transcript at https://cybersecurityguide.org/expert-interviews/erald-troja/.

Dr. Seth Hamman is the Director of the Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity and an associate professor of cyber operations and computer science at Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio. 

Dr. Hamman joined the faculty at Cedarville in 2012. He brings real-world experience to the classroom from having worked in the tech industry, both as an employee of a startup dotcom and as a consultant. During his first four years at Cedarville, he earned his Ph.D. while studying cybersecurity at the Air Force's graduate school, the Air Force Institute of Technology, located at nearby Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. As a researcher he is interested in helping to shape the young and growing discipline of cybersecurity education and in integrating the Christian faith and computer science.

Karen Scarfone is a recognized cybersecurity expert, she develops publications for federal agencies, media companies, and other organizations. She was formerly a Senior Computer Scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Karen has co-authored over 100 NIST Special Publications and Interagency Reports on a wide variety of cybersecurity topics. In addition, she has co-authored or contributed to 18 books and published approximately 200 articles on cybersecurity topics.

Karen recently published an article entitled Latest attack surface: Small business and cybersecurity here at Cybersecurity Guide.

Find a full transcript of the episode.

Dr. Munther Abualkibash is an associate professor teaching cybersecurity, information security and applied computing. He earned a PhD in computer science and Engineering, and an MS in computer science from the University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport, CT.

Dr. Sajal Das is a professor of computer science and Daniel St. Clair Endowed Chair in Computer Science at Missouri University of Science and Technology. He earned a PhD in computer science from the University of Central Florida, Orlando, an MS in computer science from the Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore, and a BS in Computer Science and Engineering from Calcutta University, India.

Dr. Das has a research focus that includes cyber physical systems, security and privacy, smart environments, IOT, wireless sensor networks, mobile and pervasive computing, big data analytics, parallel and cloud computing, social networks, systems biology, graph theory, and game theory.

Find a full transcript of the interview on Cybersecurity Guide.

Dr. Michael Ruth, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Roosevelt University. He earned an MS in computer science and a PhD in Engineering & Applied Science from the University of New Orleans. His teaching interests are focused on introductory/intermediate programming, networking, system administration, and security courses. His research interests lie on the intersection of distributed systems and software engineering, more specifically, designing regression test selection techniques for web service-based systems.

Find a complete transcript of this show at: https://cybersecurityguide.org/expert-interviews/michael-ruth/

In honor of Diversity Month, the topic for today’s show is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Cybersecurity.

Our guest for the show is Dr. Thaier Hayajneh, the founder and director of the Fordham Center for Cybersecurity, University Professor of Computer Science, and director of cybersecurity programs at Fordham University. Dr. Hayajneh is also a co-chair for the Center for Academic Excellence’s Cybersecurity Education Diversity Initiative.

Paul Warner is an assistant professor of information technology at Rowan College at Burlington County. Paul teaches at the Mount Laurel Campus in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.

Learn more and get a full transcript of this interview on Cybersecurity Guide.

Dr. Doug Jacobson, is a professor at Iowa State University College of Engineering and the director of the ISU Center for Cybersecurity Innovation and Outreach. He received his PhD in computer engineering, an MS in electrical engineering, and a BS in computer engineering, all from Iowa State University.

Get a full transcript of the episode on cybersecurityguide.org.

Dr. Stephen Torri, associate professor in The Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Mississippi State University and Mary Lyn and Niles Moseley Endowed Chair of Cybersecurity.

A complete transcript of this interview is available on cybersecurityguide.org.

Dr. Alex Bardas is an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science and the Institute for Information Sciences at the University of Kansas. He received his PhD from Kansas State University. Find the full transcript of this interview at on cybersecurityguide.org. 

Neil is a professor in the Department of Computer Science at the Naval Postgraduate School, a public graduate school operated by the United States Navy and located in Monterey, California.

Check out cybersecurityguide.org for a complete transcript of the interview.

Christopher Mitchiner is the executive director of the Cyber Institute at the University of North Georgia. Find the full transcript of this interview at https://cybersecurityguide.org/expert-interviews/chris-mitchiner/

Dr. Terence Soule is a Professor and Chair of the Computer Science Department at the University of Idaho.

We will discuss educational opportunities for cybersecurity students at the University of Idaho.

Find a full transcript of the interview, along with links to some of the resources mentioned at cybersecurityguide.org.

As an assistant professor in the Department of Information Technology at MGA, Dr. Stines teaches cybersecurity for fintech, web development, database principles, web programming, web application development, ethical hacking, and advanced web development.

He earned a PhD in Cyber Operations from Dakota State University, a Master of Science degree in Applied Computer Science from Columbus State University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology from Macon State College.

Alan is the Director of the Cyber Center of Education and Applied Research and Coordinator of the Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense.

Find the full transcript of the interview at cybersecurityguide.org.

Dr. Cliff Zou is the Program Coordinator of the Master of Science in Cyber Security and Privacy program at the University of Central Florida. He is also the Program Coordinator of the Master of Science in Digital Forensics, the Director of the UCF Alliance for Cybersecurity, and a Member of the UCF Cybersecurity and Privacy Cluster.

Dr. Zou has a PhD in Electrical & Computer Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and MS and BS degrees in Automation from the University of Science & Technology of China (USTC).

Read the full transcript of the episode on Cybersecurity Guide.

Or check out the free cybersecurity resources section mentioned in the interview.

Dr. Tony Coulson is the executive director of the Cybersecurity Center and full professor of Information and Decision Sciences in the Jack H. Brown College at California State University, San Bernardino. During his tenure at CSUSB, Tony has led more than 20 grant-funded cybersecurity projects totaling over $75 million. Dr. Coulson also led the establishment of a nationally acclaimed cybersecurity program that spans business, computer science, national security studies, criminal justice, and public administration. The program is designated as a Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security.

A full transcript of the podcast is available at cybersecurityguide.org. 

Luis Rivera is an IT professional teaching networking, cybersecurity, Windows and UNIX admin, and wireless courses at the University of New Haven as a lecturer. He has many years of IT industry experience in network and security technologies and has performed a number of IT roles.

Dr. Garrett Whelan earned an Educational Doctorate in Community College Leadership from Cal State Fullerton, a Master of Science Degree in Computer Science from Michigan Technological University, and is an Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP). He taught at ITT Technical Institute before joining Long Beach City College where he is a a full-time assistant security professor.

Dr. Indrakshi Ray is a professor at Colorado State University working in the general area of cybersecurity. Her research includes data and application security, software security, network and operating systems security, and cyber-physical systems security. She is the director of the Colorado Center for Cybersecurity and she’s the site director of the National Science Foundation’s Industry University Cooperative Research Centers Program, Center for Cybersecurity Analytics and Automation.

Find the full transcript of this interview at cybersecurityguide.org.