Summary

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About

George Mason University is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C). It is one of the National Security Agency’s original Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAE-IAE), later rebranded as CAE in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD).  In 2008, NSA established a new designation, the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Research (CAE-R), later rebranded as CAE in Cyber Research, a designation that Mason earned for the cutting-edge research being conducted at CSIS.  Mason is designated for both CAE-CD and CAE-R through 2021, and is currently undergoing redesignation.

The NACE-C validated cybersecurity Program of Study (PoS) offered by Mason is the BS in Information Technology (BS IT) with concentration in Cyber Security. The program is offered by the Department of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), and is regularly updated based on recommendations from the IST Industry Advisory Board.

National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C)

George Mason University is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C). It is one of the National Security Agency’s original Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAE-IAE), later rebranded as CAE in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD).  In 2008, NSA established a new designation, the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Research (CAE-R), later rebranded as CAE in Cyber Research, a designation that Mason earned for the cutting-edge research being conducted at CSIS.  Mason is designated for both CAE-CD and CAE-R through 2021, and is currently undergoing redesignation.

The NACE-C validated cybersecurity Program of Study (PoS) offered by Mason is the BS in Information Technology (BS IT) with concentration in Cyber Security. The program is offered by the Department of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), and is regularly updated based on recommendations from the IST Industry Advisory Board.

Security Resources at Mason

The IT Security Office provides computer users and system administrators with the tools and information they need to secure their systems.

• IT Security Standards
• Security Best Practices
• Phishing
• Security Liaisons
• System Admin Resources
• Highly Sensitive Data
• Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT)
• System Administrator Leadership Team (SALT)
• Computers & Software

Student Competitions

Mason holds multiple competitions that provide opportunities for students and alumni in various disciplines, including cyber security, to gain firsthand experience in the world of entrepreneurship. A list of current competitions managed by the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation can be found at https://startup.gmu.edu/competitions. Mason also runs a Three-Minute Thesis competition to help students distill research into short, accessible pitches and various hackathons.

Government Sponsors

Army Research Office	Air force Office of Scientific Research	Air Force Research Laboratory
National Science Foundation	National Security Agency	IARPA
DARPA	National Institute of Standards and Technology	Office of Naval Research

Corporate Sponsors

MITRE Corporation	Northrop Grumman Corporation	MBL Technologies

DoD Cybersecurity Scholarship Program

DoD Cybersecurity Scholarship Program

The Center for Secure Information System and the Department of Information Sciences and Technology are soliciting applications for the 2023-2024 Department of Defense (DoD) Cyber Scholarship Program (CySP). The Department of Defense will provide students selected as Cyber Scholars with a full-ride scholarship including the following benefits:

• Full cost of tuition and books
• Required fees (including health care for PhD students)
• A laptop, which the student can keep upon termination of the scholarship period
• A stipend of $27,000 for undergraduate students and $32,000 for graduate (Master’s abd PhD) students
• Internship opportunities and guaranteed employment with a DoD agency upon graduation

Students falling into one of the following categories may apply:

• Juniors, Seniors pursuing a Bachelor’s degree (Sophomores promoting to a Junior in Fall 2023 are eligible to apply)
• Students in their first or second year of a Master’s degree
• Students pursuing doctoral degrees

Applicants must meet the following requirements to be eligible:

• Must be 18 years of age or older
• Must be a citizen of the United States at the time of application
• Must be enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) at George Mason University for the 2023-2024 academic year
• Must be pursuing a course of study and/or have a declared major in one of the scientific, technical, or managerial disciplines related to cyber or with a concentration in cybersecurity
• Must have a 3.2 GPA (undergraduate) or a 3.5 GPA (graduate), or an analogous rank based on a comparable scale
• Must be able to obtain a security clearance (but not required to obtain security clearance before applying)
• Must agree to work for the DoD, after graduation, as a civilian employee for one calendar year for each academic year for which financial assistance (scholarship) is received

Student Application Preparation Instructions

New Students and Returning Students who Applied Online in 2022

• Students who are applying to CySP for the first time are considered New Recruitment Students and must use the new DoD CySP online application tool. Returning DoD CySP Scholars who applied through the tool in 2022 will log-in to their original account and upload the required documents.
  • See the DoD Cyber Scholarship Application Quick Start Guide
• Applications missing any required documents will automatically be disqualified.
• Students who are currently receiving funds from another scholarship program or who have a service obligation upon graduation are not eligible to apply for the DoD CySP.
• Anticipated Final Graduation Date is for the degree program you are applying for scholarship support. Any applications that indicates a graduation date of January through September of the current year will not be eligible.
• Transcripts. An official transcript is the institution’s certified statement of the student’s academic record. The official paper transcript is printed on security sensitive paper and contains the intuition’s seal as well as a signature of the institution’s registrar. An official electronic transcript is a PDF secured by a digital signature, which is displayed at the top of the transcript; sometimes they will include a blue ribbon.
• Students should not attach copies or pictures of social security cards, driver’s licenses, passports, military identification, credit cards, degrees, certificates, and any other type of personally identifiable information.
• Letters of Recommendation should be a PDF copy of the original version uploaded through the new application tool. Letters should be on official company/institution letterhead, include the contact information to confirm the letter is valid (full name, mailing address, phone number, email address) and must be signed by the author. Applicants should instruct the author to save the letter as a PDF with the file name CySP2023_STUDENT LAST NAME_George Mason University (e.g., CySP2023_SMITH_George Mason University). Recommendations written in the body of an email or emailed by the applicant will not be accepted. The author will email the letter directly to the DoD CySP Program Office at AskCySP@nsa.gov. One letter must be from a current faculty member who is fully knowledgeable of the applicant’s potential for successful learning, knowledge, and ability. Applicants will provide the contact information for the author of the letter. New students must be submit two letters. The second letter can be from either a current or former faculty member, or a current or former supervisor. Returning students need to submit only one letter.
• Traditional resumes will not be submitted. The new DoD CySP application tool will prompt students to fill in the required resume information. Students will be asked to provide the following:
  • Education: degrees, institution, location, date of graduation (or expected date of graduation), major/minor fields, GPA.
  • Experience: jobs, internships, and/or volunteer work, including: (i) name of company, position, and dates employed; (ii) at least three important tasks, accomplishments, or skills gained at each job; (iii) any clearance level held; (iv) number of hours per week worked.
  • Skills: computer systems, software, foreign languages, certifications, clearance levels held, any other relevant skill.
• Paper applications for new students will not be accepted.
• Students are responsible for submitting a complete application through the new application tool by 11:59 PM EST on February 1, 2023. Students will not have access to the application on February 2, 2023.

Returning Students who Applied via Paper Forms in 2022

• Current DoD CySP Scholars who used paper applications in 2022 and are reapplying for additional years of support will continue to use the paper copy application form provided by the DoD CySP Program Office.
• The application will consist of
  • DoD CySP Returning Student Application Form (5 pages)
  • Official Transcripts
  • Resume
  • One Letter of Reference
• Current DoD CySP Scholars should save their application as a single PDF (no PDF portfolios) including all documents in the order specified above and provide it to Dr. Albanese (malbanes@gmu.edu) by February 1, 2023. Students should use the following naming structure to save their PDF: LASTNAME_FirstName_George_Mason_University_Returning.PDF. Applicants must deliver original paper transcripts in their sealed envelopes to the Department of Information Science Technology, 5400 Nguyen Engineering Building, MS 1G8, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, (Attn. Dr. Albanese) either by mail or in person. The Department of Defense needs to verify that the transcripts are not counterfeit. We recommend that applicants obtain multiple copies of their transcripts. They can deliver a sealed copy to us, and use another copy to scan it for inclusion in the PDF document.

We encourage students to submit their applications as early as possible and to contact us to receive feedback as they assemble their application materials.

For additional information, see the Attachment C: DoD CySP Application Background and Requirements.

Virginia Cyber Navigator Internship Program

Information about the Program

The Virginia Cyber Navigator Internship Program (VA-CNIP) is managed by a coalition of Commonwealth of Virginia Universities and Colleges partnering with the Virginia Department of Elections and industry to educate students about protecting critical infrastructure including our election and voting systems. The university network is led by the University of Virginia and includes George Mason University, Norfolk State University, Old Dominion University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Virginia Tech.

VA-CNIP interns provide cybersecurity support services to local election offices in Virginia during a 10-week paid internship. The program was estabilished in the 2021-2022 Academic Year and the first cohort of VA-CNIP interns supported 14 Virginia localities in Summer 2022.The program includes a 2-day kickoff meeting at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and 10 weeks of hybrid in-person and remote activities during the summer.

It is expected that students will be able to work remotely, however we do expect students to have occasional face-to-face meetings with their assigned locality supervisor. Students will also be assigned academic mentors to facilitate their learning experience.

VA-CNIP interns will receive an $8,000 stipend for a 10-week, 30 hours per week engagement with a Virginia local election office, plus additional $1,000 for travel-related expenses.

Requirements

• You must have completed IT 425 Election Security with a grade of A- or better. If you are enrolled in IT 425 at the time of application but have not yet completed the course, you may receive a provisional acceptance decision, contingent to successful completion of IT 425. The course will be offered in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023.
• You must be able to legally work for the University, but U.S. citizenship is not required.
• You must possess strong written and verbal communication skills, as you will be interacting with local election officials.

How to Apply

Complete the application form and submit the following documents:

• Resume: include details about any prior internships.
• Cover Letter with Statement of Interest: explain why you are interested in this internship program.
• Unofficial Mason Transcripts: if transferred from another institution, also include transcripts from that institution.

We will accept applications on a rolling basis, but priority will be given to applications received by January 31, 2023. For questions, please contact Dr. Massimiliano Albanese.

Internship and Scholarship Opportunities

Future Computing Summer Internship at the National Security Agency

Launching for the first time in the summer of 2022, the Advanced Computing Systems Research Program (ACS) in the NSA Research Directorate is partnering with their counterparts in the High Performance Computing and Operations organizations to provide a select number of students a tremendous internship opportunity. ACS is part of the Laboratory for Physical Sciences, and is located in the Research Park building complex next to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).

Working with technical peers from other universities as part of a small team, interns will conduct hands on technical work on projects important to NSA computing experts. Under their mentorship, and using the same HPC systems as ACS researchers, interns will learn about these projects and HPC by collaborating on a specific exploration. At the end of the internship, the students will present the results of their work, and write a technical paper documenting their results.

The internship experience will include valuable training to prepare students for the summer project, seminars on current NSA research projects, ‘living the HPC life’ at NSA, and field trips to a variety of labs and other facilities. Along the way, interns will learn about the NSA mission and career opportunities, with ample time to engage with their peers, mentors and a diverse set of speakers and attendees.

This internship experience is designed for students who will be completing their junior year (Spring 2023 graduates), and is well-suited for math, computer science, and computer engineering students. However, others are welcome to apply (please note, only US citizens are eligible to participate).

For more information and to apply, visit https://www.lps.umd.edu/future-computing-summer-internship/

Publications

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