UMBC collaborates with MxD on cybersecurity curriculum for workers in manufacturing

UMBC researchers will collaborate with the Chicago-based MxD to develop a curriculum and online platform for manufacturing professionals to increase their cybersecurity skills and to protect manufacturing plants from cyber breaches. The work is funded by a $650,000 grant from the Office of Economic Adjustment, under the U.S. Department of Defense. 

MxD is one of 14 federally-supported institutes known collectively as Manufacturing USA. It has awarded millions of dollars to research and development projects across 35 states to advance U.S. manufacturing practices and increase global competitiveness. This UMBC collaboration will be the first initiative focused on increasing manufacturing workers’ knowledge of cybersecurity.

The content of this program is completely new, as there are no existing platforms that focus on the intersection of cybersecurity and manufacturing, says Nilanjan Banerjee, principal investigator on the grant. 

Banerjee, professor of computer science and electrical engineering (CSEE) at UMBC, shares, “The program will accelerate training of practitioners in the manufacturing industry in cybersecurity. It will also expand UMBC’s impact on cybersecurity education in the manufacturing sector.”

Intersection of cyber and manufacturing

Donna Ruginski. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Banerjee will collaborate with a number of colleagues at UMBC to develop a curriculum tailored for people who already work in the manufacturing industry. Project co-PIs include Donna Ruginski, executive director of cybersecurity initiatives at UMBC, and Keith J Bowman, dean of UMBC’s College of Engineering and Information Technology. Alan Sherman, professor of CSEE; Linda Olivia, assistant professor of education; and Megean Garvin, director of research and assessment for the Maryland Center for Computing Education, will assess the curriculum developed to ensure it meets program goals.

Bowman helped establish the connections between UMBC and MxD, and is eager to watch the work develop. “This project fully leverages MxD, UMBC Training Centers, and UMBC assets in cybersecurity, manufacturing, and training,” says Bowman. “I have known MxD team members, including Federico Sciammarella, president and chief technology officer of MxD, ever since its origins, and I look forward to building on this collaboration.”

The first step of the multi-phased project will identify the skills most needed to protect manufacturing facilities from cyberattacks on their computer systems and machinery. UMBC and MxD will create a short-term training program for manufacturing professionals to develop these skills. 

“People will come out of this program with a certification that shows they have the tools to be successful in a cybersecurity role in manufacturing,” said Lizabeth Stuck, senior director of MxD Learn, the institute’s workforce development arm. “This has the dual benefit of upskilling workers who may be sidelined during the COVID-19 crisis and increasing the security of U.S. manufacturers from cyber-attacks.”

Addressing current needs

Banerjee explains that the recent COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased unemployment and a need for more opportunities for workers to quickly expand their skill sets. With this in mind, the program will be designed for workers to complete in less than a year and through a web-based format.

For maximum flexibility, the platform will offer both synchronous and asynchronous material. It will be launched and led by UMBC Training Centers, a not-for-profit owned by UMBC that offers professional and technical training in areas such as cybersecurity, project management, and leadership and innovation. The platform will likely launch in late January 2021. 

“This program will have a direct impact on the Defense Industrial Base Supply Chain,” says Ruginski. “It will create a robust workforce that has the cybersecurity skills required to assist companies in staying secure in the fast-paced cybersecurity manufacturing industry.”

Adapted from a UMBC News article written by Megan Hanks

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Congratulations to Utsav Shashvatt for the first place winner for the first CSAWWA virtual poster competition! 

All three winners are 

1^st Place – Utsav Shashvatt (UMBC, Recovery of Ammonium, Phosphorus, and Potassium from Source-Separated Urine Using Donnan Dialysis)

2nd Place – Liu Jiang (UMD College Park, Understanding the Role of Microbiological Processes in Removing PFAS from Environment)

3rd Place – Xiaojue Chen (UMD College Park, Adaptation and Acclimation of Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation (Anammox) Process to Environmental Conditions and Inhibitors)

Northrop Grumman is hosting its first ever virtual, month-long “CyPi” Software Engineering Competition at UMBC and is seeking undergraduate students eager to compete! The purpose of this competition is to provide an opportunity to learn, network with fellow students as well as Northrop Grumman employees, and to have fun.

After you read about the competition below, you can register here as an individual (we will place you on a team) or register a full team of 4-5 students. 

This competition is limited to five teams and will be filled on a first to register, first served basis. **Individuals and teams must register by Wednesday, July 8, 2020.** 

Dates: Students will be required to virtually attend the following events (blackboard collaborate):

1.      Competition Kick-off (Wednesday, July 15^th 5:00-6:30)

2.      Mid-point review (Wednesday, August 5^th  5:00-6:30)

3.      Finale (Monday, August 17^th 5:00-7:00)

(If students cannot attend due to conflicts, please let Priyanka Ranade know immediately at priyanka.ranade@ngc.com and we will see if we can still accommodate your participation.)

Competition: Students will use a Raspberry Pi (provided) to create an original Cyber Security Application of their choosing. The application must communicate with a back-end system (including database) and have a front-end user interface or website. The application should implement Cyber Security principles and concepts in order to create a security or cyber-focused product (A handful of relevant directions students may investigate are: cryptography, vulnerability scanning, intrusion detection/prevention systems, password protection, software hardening, access control, and network traffic analysis, among many others). Judging will take place at the competition finale where each team will give a 10 minute presentation on their application and a demo to a panel of judges representing both UMBC and Northrop Grumman. Each team’s application will be judged based on the following criteria: user interface interaction, database usage, innovation/creativity, cyber security relevance, and overall presentation.

Teams: Teams will consist of 4-5 people. Diverse teams whose members represent a variety of genders, races, ethnicities, majors, ages, levels of experience, etc. are highly encouraged.  At Northrop Grumman, we emphasize the value of diversity; we aim to celebrate how the varying education, experience, and exposure that these teams will bring to the competition provide such value. Our goal is to support the large number of students whose diverse backgrounds, characteristics, and perspectives will promote innovation and increase productivity for this competition. Upon registering, students can decide to form teams on their own, or request to be placed on a team. Each team will receive 1 raspberry pi, 1 case, 1 Noobs SD card, and 1 power cable. Each team will be assigned at least one Northrop Grumman mentor who will help them throughout the competition.

Prizes:

·        1^st place: Monitors/NG Swag

·        2^nd place: Gaming Keyboards

·        Everyone: Will receive a frame worthy certificate!

[information provided by CWIT]