Connect and collaborate with experts as the Cyber Fusion Innovation Center (CFIC) facilitates virtual events in this series. Webinars take place quarterly and provide presentations to a wide range of audience members on various topics, including technology, cybersecurity, future-proofing efforts, and more. Throughout the hour-long virtual event, the audience can learn together, and they will have an opportunity to ask questions during a Q&A segment.
Previous Events:
We enjoyed hosting Ed Skoudis! Please see the video on the historical background of defining cyberspace as a domain for military engagement, Cyber Persistence Theory, and information dominance and AI!
Ed Skoudis
Founder of Counter Hack, Fellow at SANS Institute
EDUCATION
B.S. Electrical Engineering, University of Michigan, 1992
Ed Skoudis is a highly regarded cybersecurity expert and the founder of Counter Hack, a company that designs and conducts cybersecurity simulations and challenges. He is also a Fellow at the SANS Institute, where he leads the penetration testing and ethical hacking curriculum.
With over 25 years of experience in information security, Ed has contributed to advancing cybersecurity through his teaching, research, and real-world experience. His expertise includes penetration testing, incident response, and malware analysis. Ed is known for breaking down complex cybersecurity concepts into understandable and actionable insights, making him a sought-after speaker and instructor in the field.
Ed has authored numerous articles and books on cybersecurity, including Counter Hack Reloaded, which professionals and organizations widely use as a resource to strengthen their security posture. He also leads the SANS Holiday Hack Challenge, an annual event that provides hands-on learning experiences to thousands of participants worldwide.
Ed has received several awards for his contributions to cybersecurity, including the "Most Valuable Industry Contributor" award from SC Magazine.
We enjoyed hosting Dr. Lubjana Beshaj! Please see the video on the latest advances in cryptography and zero trust architecture below!
Lubjana Beshaj, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Cyber Fellow of Mathematics, Army Cyber Institute
EDUCATION
Ph.D. Mathematics, Oakland University, 2016
M.S. Mathematics, University of Vlora, 2010
B.S. Mathematics and Physics, University of Vlora, 2008
Dr. Lubjana Beshaj is a Cyber Fellow of Mathematics at the Army Cyber Institute and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at West Point. She is a member of the American Mathematical Society and Women in Mathematics. Her research interests include cryptography, elliptic and hyperelliptic curve cryptography, post-quantum cryptography more specifically isogeny based cryptography, Jacobian varieties, and arithmetic of algebraic curves.
She has co-edited two books:
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Algebraic curves and their applications, edited by L. Beshaj and T. Shaska, Contemporary Math. American Math. Soc. volume 724, 2019
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Advances on Superelliptic Curves and Their Applications edited by T.Shaska, E.Zhupa, L.Beshaj, NATO Science for Peace and Security Series D: Information and Communication Security, IOS Press, Amsterdam 2015
We enjoyed hosting Dr. Herb Lin! Please see the video of emerging technology presentation below if you missed it!
Dr. Herb Lin is senior research scholar for cyber policy and security at the Center for International Security and Cooperation and Hank J. Holland Fellow in Cyber Policy and Security at the Hoover Institution, both at Stanford University. His research interests relate broadly to policy-related dimensions of cybersecurity and cyberspace, and he is particularly interested in the use of offensive operations in cyberspace as instruments of national policy and in the security dimensions of information warfare and influence operations on national security. In addition to his positions at Stanford University, he is Chief Scientist, Emeritus for the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board, National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies, where he served from 1990 through 2014 as study director of major projects on public policy and information technology, and Adjunct Senior Research Scholar and Senior Fellow in Cybersecurity (not in residence) at the Saltzman Institute for War and Peace Studies in the School for International and Public Affairs at Columbia University; and a member of the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. In 2016, he served on President Obama’s Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity. Prior to his NRC service, he was a professional staff member and staff scientist for the House Armed Services Committee (1986-1990), where his portfolio included defense policy and arms control issues. He received his doctorate in physics from MIT.
Avocationally, he is a longtime folk and swing dancer and a lousy magician. Apart from his work on cyberspace and cybersecurity, he is published in cognitive science, science education, biophysics, and arms control and defense policy. He also consults on K-12 math and science education.
We enjoyed hearing Dr. Ravi Starzl's talk on the Potential of AI in the Military Context!
Dr. Ravi Starzl
AI Researcher and Consultant
EDUCATION
Ph.D. Artificial Intelligence, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 2007
M.S. Computer Science, Stanford University, 2003
B.S. Computer Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 2001
Dr. Ravi Starzl is a leading researcher and consultant in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), with a specific focus on its applications within military contexts. With a Ph.D. from MIT, Dr. Starzl has spent over a decade exploring the intersection of AI and national defense, emphasizing the ethical and strategic implications of AI in warfare and security operations.
In his recent talk, Dr. Starzl discussed the transformative potential of AI technologies in enhancing decision-making, operational efficiency, and predictive capabilities in military operations. He highlighted the ongoing advancements in autonomous systems, machine learning, and data analytics that could redefine future combat strategies and defense mechanisms.
Dr. Starzl is also a proponent of ensuring the responsible development and deployment of AI in military settings, advocating for robust ethical frameworks and international cooperation to address the challenges posed by AI in this domain. His insights have made significant contributions to policy discussions and research agendas aimed at balancing technological innovation with global security concerns.
Dr. Starzl’s work has been widely published in academic journals and he regularly collaborates with defense agencies and research institutions to drive forward the understanding and application of AI in military contexts.
