Cybersecurity research at two schools gets boost from AT&T Foundation

Black Issues in Higher Education, July 1, 2004 by Ronald Roach

WASHINGTON

The AT&T Foundation announced two grant awards totaling $100,000 to support cybersecurity research at the University of Texas at Dallas and Syracuse University. Both universities are leaders in the field of cybersecurity and have been designated as Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by the National Security Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The grants are part of the AT&T Foundation's technology and innovation portfolio, which supports research in emerging technology issues.

"Networking and computer security are critical to governments, companies and individuals that depend on consistent and secure communications in their everyday business," said Ed Amoroso, AT&T chief security officer. "The AT&T Foundation is supporting two of the national leaders in this area of research."

The University of Texas at Dallas grant will support research efforts to develop innovative hardware and software methods for achieving highly secure and attack-resilient network systems. More than 20 faculty members in the university's Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science are actively engaged in these research efforts. The Syracuse University grant will support computer security research efforts at the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism within the university's College of Law. The institute is dedicated to promoting interdisciplinary research, teaching, and public service concerning national security and counterterrorism.