REU Site: Cybersecurity in Emerging Technologies

About This Grant

Mississippi State University will establish a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site focusing on Cybersecurity in Emerging Technologies, an essential area addressing the growing threats to modern technological systems. This program will allow undergraduate students to engage in impactful research projects that address real-world cybersecurity challenges in areas such as wireless communication security, privacy-preserving spectrum sharing, AI robotic systems security, explainable malware detection, and advanced network defense mechanisms. Students will work on cutting-edge topics like mitigating jamming attacks in wireless networks, designing explainable AI-based malware intrusion detection systems, and implementing dynamic IP mutation strategies to secure modern infrastructures. This REU site aims to recruit and mentor students from underrepresented groups, including those from community colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs). Through this initiative, students will gain hands-on research experience, technical skills, and critical thinking abilities, preparing them for impactful careers in cybersecurity and STEM fields. The program aligns with national priorities to secure digital ecosystems and promote diversity in STEM, ensuring that underrepresented groups play a vital role in addressing critical cybersecurity challenges. This REU site will host ten undergraduate students each summer for a ten-week research program centered on advancing cybersecurity knowledge and skills. Students will participate in a series of challenging research projects designed to develop innovative solutions for emerging threats in various domains. For example, students working on wireless network security will investigate jamming-resistant medium access control protocols, leveraging MATLAB simulations to analyze the effectiveness of these algorithms under different attack scenarios. Those focusing on spectrum sharing will develop machine-learning models to detect interfering and anomalous signals while ensuring privacy through homomorphic encryption techniques. Other projects will explore defenses against adversarial attacks on vision-language navigation systems in robotic platforms, equipping students with expertise in tools such as ROS and PyTorch. Additionally, students will work on explainable malware intrusion detection systems using artificial immune system theories, enhancing cybersecurity technologies and AI model explainability. Another critical area of research will involve dynamic IP mutation strategies to defend networks against cyber-attacks, with experiments conducted in software-defined networking environments using Mininet and Ryu controllers. Students will develop essential research skills throughout the program, including experimental design, data analysis, programming, and scientific communication. Mentorship by experienced faculty members and collaborative team projects will ensure students receive comprehensive training. The program also promotes professional development through weekly seminars, technical presentations, and training in responsible research practices. This REU site will prepare students to contribute to national security and economic prosperity by focusing on emerging technologies and addressing pressing cybersecurity challenges. The program aims to inspire and support students from underrepresented groups, fostering the next generation of leaders in cybersecurity research and innovation. This project is jointly funded by the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.