News & Events

 

October 14, 2009- University receives National Science Foundation grant to train students for cyber defense

The National Science Foundation has awarded Cal State San Bernardino's Information Assurance and Security Management Center a four-year, $2 million grant to train future protectors of the national information systems.

The grant will establish a scholarship at CSUSB for the Federal Service Cyber Corps program (aka Scholarship for Service), which was designed to increase and strengthen the cadre of federal information assurance and security professionals who protect the government's critical digital information infrastructure.

"To have this program at California State San Bernardino provides an extraordinarily unique opportunity for students, said Karen Dill Bowerman, dean of the university's College of Business and Public Administration.

"This program, since its inception just three years ago by Dr. Tony Coulson, has been gaining excellence at every juncture. First we received the designation by the Department of Homeland Security as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education. We were then awarded certification by the Committee on National Security Systems, and we are now a Scholarship for Service Cyber Corps site," Bowerman said. "With these designations, we are one of a very few in the nation to offer what we can offer to students."

"The cyber infrastructure is as important to the economy as roads and bridges," said Coulson, a professor of Information & Decision Sciences and director of the Information Assurance and Security Management Center. "As a matter of fact, 90 percent of all financial commerce is conducted electronically. Any disruption of the public or private infrastructure could wreck the financial computer networks and have a calamitous effect on the nation's economy."

Qualified students will receive scholarship funds in exchange for paid service in the federal government for a period equivalent to the length of their scholarship.

The CSUSB Information Assurance and Security Management Center was created to promote the study and application of information security management, computer forensics and other related information assurance topics, Coulson said.

"Our center will bring together Cal State San Bernardino faculty from related disciplines with government and industry leaders for the purposes of research, curriculum development, training and awareness," Coulson said.

The Scholarship for Service Cyber Corps program provides scholarships that fully fund the typical costs that students pay for books, tuition, and room and board while attending an approved institution of higher learning. Additionally, participants receive stipends of up to $8,000 for undergraduate and $12,000 for graduate students. The scholarships are funded through grants awarded by the National Science Foundation.

For more information on the CSUSB Information Assurance and Security Management Center, visit its Web site at http://iasm.csusb.edu or e-mail ids@csusb.edu.

 

April, 2009 – CSUSB Team Takes 1st Place in Information Technology Competition for 2nd Year in a Row

On Saturday, April 25, 2009, Cal State San Bernardino's Business Systems Analysis team won first place in the 13th annual Information Technology Competition hosted by Cal Poly Pomona. This "win" is the second year in a row that a team from Cal State San Bernardino has taken first place in this competition. 

This advanced skills competition featured teams from throughout California and was judged by Information Technology professionals from industry.  Cal State Northridge placed 2nd, Sacramento State 3rd of 5 teams.

Teams were required to document and communicate the business needs of clients into an effective enterprise solution. They used skills in finance, accounting, marketing, and information technology to put together a winning information technology architechure and policies. Team members Ajay Sharma, Alfredo "Freddy" Gonzales, and Michelle Behne, all from the Information Management and the Information Assurance & Security Management programs in the College of Business and Public Administration will divide a $1,000 cash prize.

Each year CSUSB's Information Assurance and Security Management Center sponsors a number of student teams in different information technology competitions. This past year CSUSB students have participated in business systems, computer forensics and cyber defense competitions.

 

New Concentration in Information Assurance & Security Management  (IASM) prepares students to  “harden” computer networks and servers, improve security management, and assure an organization’s information accuracy.  Graduates from this program will help meet the increasing demand for IT security and assurance professionals in businesses and government agencies.

The assurance and security management curriculum was recently certified by the National Security Telecommunications and Information Systems Security Committee.  With this certification, IASM students are eligible for scholarships and government internships.  Andrew, a CSUSB student, recently interned with the National Security Agency (NSA).

 

Laptop Computers are Now Mandatory in the Information Management and the Information Assurance & Security Management concentrations.  Students in these programs are required to bring a laptop to their information management courses.   As part of each course, students download the free or discounted software they will use. 

“They take the tools of their trade with them.  And it enhances their group projects,”  says Professor Tony Coulson.  He was impressed with the podcasts his students recently produced and presented as an assignment in one of his courses.

Faculty are using their laptop computers to improve their presentations and learning activities.  With a $27,000 grant INFO faculty received a new laptop and training in how to use their enhanced media production capabilities.

 

SAP Added to the Supply Chain Management Curriculum.  SAP is the premier enterprise resource planning computer system, used by organizations in their accounting, finance, human resource, purchasing, inventory management, and project planning functions.  Students now learn both the supply chain management principles and methods and the technology that organizations use to help manage organizational operations and their supply chain.