Mccrary Institute News

‘I lost my sight, but gained vision’: Senior in CSSE named Student of the Year from the Governor's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities

Aidan Anderson works as a research and development engineer at the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security.

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McCrary Institute releases paper to help Americans understand the cyber threat coming from China

Titled, "Code Red: A Guide to Understanding China’s Sophisticated Typhoon Cyber Campaigns," the paper helps succinctly explain recent cyber campaigns carried out against the U.S. and lays out the implications of the sustained, coordinated assault by the PRC to our national security, economic security and public health and safety.

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McCrary Institute brings together cybersecurity leaders to help prevent attacks against water plants

The McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security at Auburn University hosted a first-of-its-kind summit, on Thursday, Sept. 4, aimed at protecting Alabama's water systems from the increasing threat of cyberattacks.

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McCrary Institute welcomes former secretary of homeland security and national security executive to advisory board

As board members, Kirsten Nielsen and Auburn alumnus James Hoskins will serve as senior advisors to the Institute, bringing deep experience from the highest echelons of national security and private-sector leadership.

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Auburn University leads Southeast Region Cybersecurity Center to train the next generation of cybersecurity experts

The Southeast Region Cybersecurity Collaboration Center is dedicated to advancing cybersecurity technologies to protect critical infrastructure from outside threats — and it’s using the expertise of Auburn students to help carry out the mission.

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McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security releases policy brief on the economics of cyber attacks

The report demonstrates the reality that, in the current threat landscape, the economics of cyberattacks favor the attackers and how a smart refocusing of federal cyber policies could tilt this benefit towards the defender.

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McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security announces addition of leading cyber policy experts to senior fellowship cohort

Daniel Kroese, VP of public policy and government affairs at Palo Alto Networks, and Sarah Beth Jansen, partner at Franklin Square Group bring additional depth to McCrary's ongoing policy work.

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Auburn Engineering secures record $117.7 million in new research awards and contracts for FY24

The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering has set a college record for new research awards and contracts for a fiscal year, closing FY24 with $117.7 million.

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Auburn University’s McCrary Institute releases presidential transition task force report on cybersecurity policy amidst rising cyber threats

The McCrary Institute released a report that outlines a series of cyber defense recommendations toward enhancing the nation's cyber resilience while maintaining a competitive edge in an increasingly interconnected world.

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Auburn researchers are on the front lines to help prevent cyberattacks

October marks the 21st Cybersecurity Awareness Month, designated by the federal government for public and private sectors to work together to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity.

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Auburn University’s McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security announces appointment of two senior defense and policy executives

Craig M. Whittinghill, a U.S. Navy veteran of 29 years, was named deputy director for applied research and services and Kyle D. Klein, who served on Capitol Hill in a variety of senior policy roles for 12 years, was named deputy director for policy and partnerships.

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House Homeland Security panel considers establishing standards for cyber insurance

Insidecybersecurity.com | Frank Cilluffo, director of the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure, testified before the House Homeland Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection

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CISA cyber policy vets Todt, Ware join McCrary Institute senior fellows program

Inside Cybersecurity | The McCrary Institute has announced six new senior fellows who will join a distinguished cohort of cyber experts focused on policy issues, including former CISA chief of staff Kiersten Todt and CISA’s inaugural director for cybersecurity Bryan Ware.

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Auburn cyber and critical infrastructure institute adds former congressman, national security experts as senior fellows

Yellowhammer | On Thursday, the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security at Auburn University announced six more senior fellows to its 2024 cohort.

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White House official warns McCrary gathering that cyber threats could get worse; he’s right

AlaDefense.com | Harry Coker Jr. and his all-star cyber team are serving a frontline recon/command mission for American defense, and the intel they are gathering warns we’d better be concerned.

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McCrary Institute at Auburn University adds six new senior fellows

McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security at Auburn University announced it has added six more senior fellows to its 2024 cohort, adding expertise in cybersecurity and national security across government and the private sector.

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David named associate dean for research

Allan David has been named associate dean for research for Auburn University’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, according to an announcement by Dean Mario Eden.

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New Tech Gadgets May Get Warning Labels About Hackability

Inc. Australia | Under the new U.S. Cyber Trust Mark Initiative, manufacturers can affix the label on their products if they meet federal cybersecurity standards.

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White House Touts Cyber Strategy Implementation Successes

GovCIO Media Research | Two weeks after releasing the second version of the National Cybersecurity Strategy Implementation Plan, National Cyber Director Harry Coker touted government agencies’ achieving many of the goals outlined in the first version of the plan.

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White House seeks critical cyber assistance for water utilities, healthcare

Cybersecurity Dive | National Cyber Director Harry Coker Jr. said the administration is taking new actions to strengthen key critical infrastructure sectors, including healthcare and water utilities, and will pursue additional steps to fight ransomware and boost resilience, in a keynote speech Wednesday at Auburn University’s McCrary Institute in Washington, D.C.

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National cyber director discusses National Cybersecurity Strategy Implementation Plan at McCrary Institute event

Transparent, accountable and evolving. That’s how White House National Cyber Director Harry Coker Jr. described the National Cybersecurity Strategy Implementation Plan at a special forum Wednesday in Washington, D.C., hosted by Auburn University’s McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security.

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National Cyber Director Coker Remarks at the McCrary Institute at Auburn University

The White House | Harry Coker remarks on National Cybersecurity Strategy

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Cybersecurity labeling for smart devices aims to help people choose items less likely to be hacked

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Chinese hacking threat puts focus on protecting critical infrastructure, Biden adviser says

Cyberscoop | National Cyber Director Harry Coker said he doubts the U.S. public realizes the full scope of the cybersecurity threat facing the United States.

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National cyber director part of special livestreamed event hosted Wednesday by McCrary Institute

White House National Cyber Director Harry Coker Jr., will discuss the National Cybersecurity Strategy Implementation Plan on a special livestreamed event Wednesday, May 22, 9:30 a.m. CDT, presented by Auburn University’s McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security.

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Unpacking the National Cyber Director’s Posture Report

The Cipher Brief | The 2024 Report on the Cybersecurity Posture of the United States, released by the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD), represents a groundbreaking effort to assess the nation’s cyber readiness across various sectors.

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How to fine-tune the White House’s new critical infrastructure directive

CyberScoop | It’s been more than a decade since the United States last revised the key policy document that describes the federal government’s role in protecting U.S. critical infrastructure, but this week the Biden administration finally took a significant step to update these authorities. With the release of National Security Memorandum 22 (NSM-22), the White House has issued a much-needed update to Presidential Policy Directive 21 (PPD-21), which was issued in 2013 and has become outdated in the face of a rapidly changing threat landscape.

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Biden puts his stamp on DOE’s grid security role

ENERGYWIRE | A new national security memorandum signed Tuesday by President Joe Biden updates the government’s decade-old strategy for defending U.S. infrastructure against natural disasters, cyberattacks and physical assaults.

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Auburn’s McCrary Institute and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to partner on first regional cybersecurity center to protect the nation’s electricity grid

Auburn University’s McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security was awarded a $10 million Department of Energy grant in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to create a pilot regional cybersecurity research and operations center to protect the electric power grid against cyber attacks.

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Cyber Focus - Mark Montgomery

On this week's episode of Cyber Focus we have Mark Montgomery, former executive director of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission. Frank and Mark discuss the commission's major achievements in legislating protections for critical infrastructure, as well as unfinished business like reorganizing Congressional oversight. Montgomery provides a candid assessment of the preparedness levels across different sectors, highlighting concerns around water and healthcare systems. He also analyzes the evolving cyber threat landscape, dominated by nation-state actors like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. Looking ahead, Montgomery advocates for establishing an independent cyber force within the military to improve cyber workforce recruiting and training. It's a wide-ranging conversation that covers policy, threats, budgets and the need for new models to enhance national cybersecurity.

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Cyber Focus- Bill Evanina

Former FBI and National Counterintelligence and Security Center director Bill Evanina joins Cyber Focus to discuss his career fighting terrorism, espionage, and cyber threats. Evanina outlines the counterintelligence landscape, especially regarding China, and stresses the importance of supply chain security and preparing infrastructure for cyber attacks. He emphasizes the need to secure emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing from theft. On disinformation, Evanina says we need an independent entity to verify content He advises individuals to have emergency plans, like meeting spots, in case of cyber incidents that disrupt communications.

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The New National Cybersecurity Strategy-A Strategic Step Forward

This article by Frank J. Cilluffo, director of Auburn University's McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security, discusses the recently released National Cybersecurity Strategy. The strategy outlines five key pillars, with the first two - defending critical infrastructure and disrupting threat actors - being foundational. The article highlights the importance of public-private collaboration, the need to strengthen federal operational capabilities, and the strategy's ambitious goal of creating a more resilient system of networks. Overall, the new strategy aims to elevate cybersecurity as a mainstream national security priority.

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McCrary Institute at Auburn University announces new podcast

The McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security announced today the rollout of a new podcast, part of the institute’s new strategic plan to make the research institute a destination for all things related to cybersecurity.

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