Cyber Corps

CIS is a lead institution in the Cyber Corps initiative, which trains elite squadrons of computer security experts -- America's "Cyber Corps" -- to form the country's first line of defense against global cyber threats. In 2001-02, CIS was the only entity to participate in the NSF and DoD programs, and it has consistently fielded the largest student body, e.g., 40 NSF and 15 DoD students in Fall 2003.

As of Spring 2004, 61 NSF students have been supported: 54 graduates and 7 undergraduates, including 21 non-traditional students, 15 members of underrepresented groups and 5 veterans (one disabled veteran). The DoD program at TU has supported 6 graduate students and 10 undergraduates, including 2 members of underrepresented groups.

CIS conceived and organized the first Cyber Corps Symposium at the University of Tulsa (TU) in July 2002, and it will host the next symposium in Summer 2004. TU Cyber Corps Program Coordinator, Dr. Sujeet Shenoi, serves as the national faculty representative on the Interagency Cyber Corps Committee.

The Cyber Corps Program is open to college students in their junior year or first-year graduate students. The program covers each student's tuition for two years, room and board, travel to conferences, and provides a stipend of approximately $1,000 per month.

After one year of training, students complete a summer internship in a federal agency, learning first-hand about computer security issues and putting into practice what they've learned. By the end of their second year, undergraduates earn a Bachelor's degree in computer science, and graduate students hold a Master's degree in computer science -- and all will have multiple federal-level computer security certificates as endorsed by the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS).

TU is one of a handful of universities to offer all five federal certificates: Information Security Professional (INFOSEC), Designated Approving Authority (DAA) and System Administrator (SA), Information Systems Security Officer (ISSO) and System Certifier (SC). The curriculum integrates information security and computer science, and emphasizes computer law and policy issues

During their training, students can conduct research, often in collaboration with federal scientists, which is directed toward a senior project or a master's thesis. Student participants work in cohorts -- teams of two undergraduates and one graduate student. In addtion, TU Cyber Corps students conduct outreach activities, such as developing information technology ethics courses for middle and high school students.

Guidance for the TU Cyber Corps program comes from an advisory board that includes: Gen. Dennis Reimer (Chief of Staff, U.S. Army, Retd.); James Hearn (Deputy Director, NSA, Retd.), Louis Blair (Executive Secretary, Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, and Former Official, Office of Science & Technology Policy, The White House); Hon. Ross Swimmer (Director, Office of Indian Trusts, Department of the Interior and Former Principal Chief, The Cherokee Nation); and Ellen Adelson (Trustee, Cornell University). Hon. Swimmer is a former member and Mrs. Adelson is a current member of the University of Tulsa Board of Trustees.

Press Releases

NSF Scholarship for Service Awards Announced at Information Security Colloquium
     Local Copy -- NSF Scholarship for Service Awards Announced at Information Security Colloquium

TU gets grant to train against cyber terrorism

Applications

Cyber Corps Application -- A password is required