Securing Our Nation Through Cybersecurity
By developing high-tech security solutions that identify risks and safeguard data, UCF scholars are conducting advanced research to defend against cyber attacks — keeping us all safer.
UCF is on the cutting edge of data protection by not only understanding and exploring existing ways to stay secure but also inventing new ones. Our cybersecurity faculty researchers are leading scholars and innovators. They bring years of real-world industry experience to help tackle today’s toughest cyber challenges and keep us safe.
The university’s Cyber Security and Privacy Cluster — composed of interdisciplinary experts — examines the social implications that new technology has on our daily lives. This provides the critical knowledge needed to develop innovative solutions for security and privacy issues that arise in business and in life.
By thinking outside the box and crossing disciplinary lines, UCF is bringing together computer scientists, engineers, educators and practitioners to make a greater collective impact on our nation’s cybersecurity efforts.
Recognized Leader in Cybersecurity
Recognized as National Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education
No. 1 supplier of graduates to the aerospace and defense industries for six consecutive years
Aviation Week Network
Collegiate cybersecurity team has been the national champion for an unprecedented 5 years
Orlando Cybersecurity Research Facilities
As a hub for cybersecurity research and innovation, UCF has many facilities on and around campus that further develop new groundbreaking technologies. They also provide students with the hands-on experience needed to help defend and protect our society for generations to come.
Lockheed Martin Cyber Innovation Lab
The Lockheed Martin Cyber Innovation Lab at UCF serves as a learning hub, classroom and the practice center for Hack@UCF, the university’s cyberdefense club. It’s also a great high-tech space where students interested in cybersecurity can go to develop their skills, grow through academic excellence, and meet others.
Meet Yan Solihin
“What I saw [at UCF] is a future powerhouse university in the cybersecurity field. I wanted to be a part of realizing it. What we have is a 20-year history of well-trained students going into cybersecurity careers. It’s a success that separates UCF.”
Yan Solihin, PhD
Professor and Director of Cyber Security & Privacy Cluster
Yan Solihin has dedicated his career to the cyber race — people with good intentions trying to stay two steps ahead of “the other people.” Whenever a new smart device is introduced to the marketplace, Solihin sees it as another potential cyber gap. His research works to defend against looming cyber attacks, such as ransomware and phishing. You can set up a computer with antivirus software and a firewall,” says Solihin, “but now a smart refrigerator could be the vulnerable point for an attacker to target.”
Prior to joining UCF, Solihin worked as the program director of the Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC) program at the National Science Foundation (NSF). It was there that he realized his drive to help ramp up cybersecurity capabilities across the nation — specifically, creating a strong pipeline of talent for industry leaders. He came to UCF because of its reputation as a powerhouse university in the cybersecurity field. From advanced cybersecurity research and academics to the national success of the university’s cyberdefense competition team, Solihin enjoys having the opportunity to make a difference on the next generation of cybersecurity leaders. He also played a role in helping the university launch a master’s in cybersecurity and privacy which addresses the nation’s urgent workforce shortage in the field.
Education:
- Ph.D., Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- MASc in Computer Engineering, Nanyang Technological University Singapore
- BS in Computer Science, Institut Teknologi Bandung
- BS in Mathematics, Universitas Terbuka
Research Areas:
Secure Execution Environment
- Trustworthy cloud, enclaves
- Side channels (microarchitecture, timing, caches, etc.)
- Memory encryption and integrity verification
Computer Architecture
- Parallel and multicore architecture
- Memory hierarchy and memory systems
- Persistent memory
Meet David Mohaisen
“What motivates my work [at UCF] is the need for a better security for systems like IoT softwares, blockchains networks, social media platforms and machine learning systems.”
David Mohaisen
Associate Professor & Associate Director, Cybersecurity and Privacy Cluster
David Mohaisen currently plays an instrumental role in the development of a new online master’s in cybersecurity at privacy at UCF — funded through President Alexander N. Cartwright’s 2021-22 Strategic Investment Program. By producing and delivering high-quality online course content, the program will prepare workforce-ready graduates who will not only work in the field but lead it. This will help meet the exceedingly growing demands of cybersecurity professionals throughout our nation.
Mohaiseen is also a co-principal investigator on a grant that will recruit high-quality students into cybersecurity learning and research and help them find internships and career jobs in a federal, state, local, or tribal government organization after their graduation. The $2.9 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation focuses its efforts on providing cybersecurity scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students. The federal investments will help UCF faculty — like Mohaisen — train the next generation of cyber professionals right here in Central Florida. This will lead to creating jobs in our community and helping defend our nation against dangerous cyber threats.
In addition to helping fuel the next generation of cybersecurity leaders, Mohaisen conducts research in systems, security and privacy. His recent research addressed various questions related to machine learning and artificial intelligence, software systems, web systems, Internet of Things, wearables and blockchains.
Education:
- Ph.D. in Computer Science, University of Minnesota
- MS in Computer Science, University of Minnesota
Research Areas:
- Networks security and measurements
- Blockchain systems and their security
- Adversarial machine learning
- Security intelligence and analytics:
- Malware analysis, detection and classification
- DDoS analysis and defenses
- Mobile systems abuse and defenses
- Web threat analysis and attribution
Cybersecurity and Engineering News
