Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI)

On October 9, 2024, the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative’s Northern Virginia Node accelerator program (CCI+A) culminated in a final pitch competition at Mason Square. 

A team of graduate students in information sciences, psychology, and special education aims to create a more integrated understanding of how different populations, such as individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), are affected by cybercrimes and how they can be better protected.

Doctoral student in electrical and computer engineering Sreenitha Kasarapu presented “Leveraging Explainable AI for Designing Evolvable Malware” at the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative 2024 Symposium in April.  

Two ambitious computer science students from George Mason University, Salem Abdul-Bak and Krishna Purohit, has developed an innovative technology known as Legitima to ensure that consumers can confidently verify the authenticity of their purchases, significantly reducing the risk of buying counterfeit goods.

A team of George Mason University researchers is probing the psychology behind cyberattacks as part of a U.S. intelligence community program aimed at turning the tables on hackers.

The Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Northern Virginia Node (CCI NoVa Node) is preparing for the third iteration of its Cybersecurity Traineeship Program, which offers a seven-week course to Virginia residents interested in pivoting into the cybersecurity sector followed by career support from George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College professionals.

Mason researcher Vijay Shah has joined a $2 million project to develop a system to secure 5G Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) architecture, a collaboration between Mason and Virginia Tech, Penn State University, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Two College of Engineering and Computing faculty members, Kai Zeng and Vijay K. Shah, are part of a project awarded $1.7 million by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund.

The Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) has awarded Gisele Stolz its prestigious Impact Award. Stolz is the senior director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programs at Mason.

As plans for Mason Square progress, the Cyber Security Engineering (CYSE) department, the fastest growing department in the College of Engineering and Computing, is eager to leverage the space.