Author: Peng Warweg

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News

Mason Partner, Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, Invents “IfeMask” against COVID-19

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The World Bank sponsored Africa Centre of Excellence, a technology innovation park of the Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, is leading the way through the production of Nose Mask, a key Personal Protective Equipment as part of the concerted response against COVID-19. The Obafemi Awolowo University became a partner of Mason in 2017.

The Dean, Faculty of Technology, OAU, Professor Adesola Aderounmu, in a message to TechEconomy.ng, said that ‘The IfeMask’, as code named, is a wholly locally designed, developed and produced nose mask by the World Bank sponsored OAU ICT-Driven Knowledge Park (OAK-Park).

According to Prof. Aderounmu, the immediate past president of the Nigeria Computer Society, “The mask is unique. It draws its uniqueness in its durability, reusability and comfortability. The reinforced rubber material and acrylic painted body makes it possible to be washed and decontaminate after each use. The mask does not change shape on reuse and is comfortable to wear”.

Read the original story from www.techeconomgy.ng.

 

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News

CARE – SNL Partnership on Messaging’s Social Effects

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Sandia National Laboratories, the engineering science and technology laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy, has been collaborating with the Cyber Policy Studies at a the Center for Assurance Research and Engineering (CARE) at George Mason University. The intent is to produce capabilities that enable the U.S. government to better understand and anticipate the effect of various forms of messaging on societies. Specifically, this collaboration is intended to develop a research and development effort that exploits academic studies, along with socio-behavioral, economic, and geopolitical data that is coupled with geopolitical computational models to explore such things as how different types of messaging by state and non-state adversarial groups, can influence various populations. This effort also seeks to better understand how different communication domains can ultimately affect behaviors within various societies. This can be applied to hard security, human security / crisis management, and intelligence domains.

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West Virginia Local and State Government Election Security and Cybersecurity Workshop

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When: 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 21st, 2020 (Lunch is included)

Where: Flatwoods Days Inn & Suites and Conference Center, Sutton, WV

Who should attend: State and local government administrators, state and local government election officials, county clerks, IT and cybersecurity managers and personnel, election experts, police and emergency IT managers and personnel.

Hosts and Organizers: West Virginia Office of Technology, State of West Virginia Secretary of State, WVNET, George Mason University, and the National Science Foundation. 

Registration is free, but required at https://wvcyberworkshop.wvnet.edu/

About the Workshop: The objective of the West Virginia Local and State Government Election Security and Cybersecurity Workshop is to further awareness and foster dialog on West Virginia state and local government election administration, as well as planning for the May 12th Primary and November 3rd General 2020 elections.  The workshop will consider the complete election cycle from pre-election, election day to post-election from the perspectives of all stakeholders in the election ecosystem, including citizens, state and local government officials, technical and IT staff, third party technology companies, DHS and CISA, U.S. government agencies and law enforcement.   The workshop will address “who to turn to” in different circumstances and contingencies.  In addition, the workshop will review the recent West Virginia Senate Bill 94 – “Providing persons with physical disabilities ability to vote by electronic absentee ballot”.

Speakers will include Josh Spence, West Virginia Chief Technology Officer; Danielle Cox, West Virginia, Chief Information Security Officer; David Tackett, CIO, Office of West Virginia Secretary of State;  Ben Gilbert, Cybersecurity Advisor – Region III (VA, DC, WV), U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; and Greg Herbold, Director, State/Local Government & Education, Palo Alto Networks.

The Mason-NSF project has co-hosted nine successful local and state government cybersecurity partnership workshops in Virginia and West Virginia and including Kentucky and Ohio between 2017 and 2020.

 

Photo: West Virginia State Capitol Building

Picture Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org

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West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky Local and State Government Cybersecurity Partnering Workshop Agenda

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West Virginia-Ohio-Kentucky Local and State Government Cybersecurity Partnership Workshop

When: 9:30am- 4:00pm, Tuesday, October 29th, 2019 (Lunch is included)

Where: BRAD D. SMITH FOUNDATION HALL – 519 John Marshall Drive – Huntington, WV 25703

Who should attend: State and local government administrators, IT and cybersecurity managers and personnel, public school IT and cybersecurity managers and personnel, police and emergency IT managers and personnel, SCADA systems experts (water, sewer, electricity, etc.)

Hosts and Organizers: West Virginia Office of Technology, WVNET, George Mason University, Marshall University Brad D. Smith School of Business and the National Science Foundation.

Registration is free, but required at https://wvcyberworkshop.wvnet.edu/ .    

 

Meeting Agenda:

  1. Louisville Metro Government
  2. Welcome and Introductions
  3. Commonwealth of Kentucky Cybersecurity Initiatives, Charles Grindle, CIO, Commonwealth of Kentucky
  4. State of West Virginia Cybersecurity Initiatives – Josh Spence, CTO, State of West Virginia
  5. Local Government Technology Innovation, Smart Cities and Cybersecurity Programs – Chris Seidt, CIO, Louisville Metro Government and James Meece, CISO,Department of Homeland Security cybersecurity programs for local governments – Ben Gilbert, Cybersecurity Advisor – Region III (VA, DC, WV), U.S. DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Lunch Break

  1. Local Government Cybersecurity Strategies and Challenges – Mark Conrad, Information Technology Director, Fairfield County, Ohio; Garrett Bradlyn, IT Director, City of Parkersburg, West Virginia
  2. Cybersecurity, State Infrastructure and Resources and WVNET, Ron Hamilton, CISO, WVNET
  3. Future Local Government Cybersecurity Platform Discussion – Greg Herbold, Director, State/Local Government & Education, Palo Alto Networks
  4. Local Government Ransomware Scenario Exercise – J.P. Auffret, George Mason and Ben Gilbert, Cybersecurity Advisor – Region III (VA, DC, WV), U.S. DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
  5. Closing and Next Steps

About the Workshop: The objective of the West Virginia-Ohio-Kentucky workshop is to develop specific recommendations to strengthen local and state government cybersecurity governance and to facilitate cybersecurity partnering between local and state governments. The workshop is part of the George Mason-National Science Foundation Cybersecurity City and County Cross Jurisdictional Collaboration project, having the goal of furthering U.S. city and county cybersecurity efforts by developing foundations and policies that enable and foster city and county cybersecurity partnerships.

The workshop will also include talks by Josh Spence, West Virginia Chief Technology Officer; Ben Gilbert, Cybersecurity Advisor – Region III (VA, DC, WV), U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; Greg Herbold, Director, State/Local Government & Education, Palo Alto Networks; Ron Hamilton, CISO and Eric Burgy, Manager from WVNet.

The Mason-NSF project has co-hosted seven successful local government cybersecurity partnership workshops in Virginia and West Virginia between 2017 and 2019.

Click here to read more about the Project

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Current Projects

Student Career in Cyber

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CARE’s partner Sandia National Lab currently offers the following studying and internships for Mason students. If interested, please contact care at care@gmu.edu or Sandia National Lab directly.

https://www.sandia.gov/careers/students_postdocs/index.html

 

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Current Projects

Central African Republic Technology Entrepreneurship Accelerator

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The Central African Republic (CAR) Technology Entrepreneurship and ICT Leadership Accelerator for start-up and early stage technology company founders and managers in the Bangui region has the goals of assisting and mentoring early stage company founders and managers to increase their potential for building successful and viable businesses and furthering their overall ICT leadership capacity.   In addition, the Accelerator’s goals include contributing to fostering a culture of entrepreneurship in Bangui and Central African Republic and developing a network of technology entrepreneurs.

Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the project partners are George Mason University, the University of Bangui and recent Humphrey Fellow and Central African Republic technology executive Serge Adouaka. Mr. Adouaka was a Humphrey Fellow in 2018 – 2019 studying at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and then doing his professional affiliation with us at George Mason and focusing his study on ICT for Development and the Central African Republic.

The initial pilot will be comprised of two classes of 20 to 25 technology related business founders and managers with an initial one to two day kickoff at the University of Bangui and then subsequent weekly virtual engagement over the course of three months during the spring and summer of 2021.   The curricula is based upon best practices in CIO and technology leadership programs and experiences of Africa based technology accelerators.

Marché Banguissois

Start-up aimed at facilitating all industrial, commercial, financial, agricultural, movable and immovable operations.  Launched on Facebook in February 2021, the Banguissois market page was created […]

Satcom Consulting

Service and consulting company in New Information and Communication Technologies. Founded in 2020 by Salim BADAMASSY, information systems engineer, Satcom Consulting is supported by a […]

Ong MAMBOKO

The digital incubator was created in 2015 to offer digital solutions to the Central African population, the government and development partners. It is a physical […]

ISTECH

   iSTech’s Company description   iSTech stands for intelligent Products or services manufacturer / provider, relaying on Science & Technological principles, is a company created in […]

Harvey & Co

A single-member limited liability company, was created in 2015 to fight unemployment and promote digital transformation. It aims to support local companies to outsource certain […]

FORMATECH

Forever Management Technology (FORMATECH – SURL) is a one-person limited liability company. It is specialized in the provision of services, training, studies and realization in […]

GETEX AGRI

GETEX AGRI was created on July 1, 2020 by Ursula Marlène Makoua GERVIL-YAMBALA, passionate and self-taught about agriculture. GETEX AGRI is part of GETEX GROUP […]

SAUVONS LA VIE  – Lucas MOUKPIDIE

 Areas of intervention:   Promote entrepreneurship (income-generating activities)   Promote capacity building of women and youth through vocational training   Promote the protection of human rights […]

MOTIBI 

Company Description, Overview and History  Created in 2019 by several entrepreneurs whose objective is to innovate the agricultural system and meet the need for food […]

Ets BAWA

The company – including its overview / Company history and founders  Founded in 2018 by Bachir MOUSSA BAWA serial entrepreneur, with the aim of providing […]

ALERTES HUMANITAIRES

In the Central African Republic (CAR), successive conflicts have weakened the health system. Health indicators are among the worst in the world. The situation of […]

During the three months the founders and managers will develop plans to strengthen their businesses and further their individual technology leadership abilities.  The program will conclude with a final day of presentations and discussion at the University of Bangui. The weekly engagement during the three months of the program between the launch and the conclusion will be SMS based.

A key element of the Technology Entrepreneurship Accelerator will be 15 - 20 technology business mentors in both the Central African Republic and in the U.S.  The Central African Republic and U.S. mentors will provide insight and guidance to the business founders and managers as well as form a cohort themselves providing for exchange on U.S. and Central African Republic business policy and culture.

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Accélérateur d’entrepreneuriat technologique et leadership des TIC en République centrafricaine

L’accélérateur d'entrepreneuriat technologique et de leadership des TIC en République centrafricaine (RCA) pour les fondateurs et les dirigeants d'entreprises technologiques en début de carrière dans la région de Bangui a pour objectif d’aider et d’encadrer ces fondateurs et dirigeants d’entreprises afin d’accroître leur potentiel de création d’entreprises prospères et viables, de renforcer leur capacité globale de leadership en matière des TIC. En outre, les objectifs de l’accélérateur consistent à contribuer à la promotion d’une culture de l’esprit d’entreprise à Bangui et en République centrafricaine et à développer un réseau d’entrepreneurs technologiques.

Financé par le Département d’État des États-Unis, les partenaires de ce projet sont l’Université George Mason, l’Université de Bangui et le récent boursier Humphrey de la République centrafricaine et cadre de la technologie Serge Adouaka. M. Adouaka a été boursier Humphrey en 2018 – 2019, étudiant à l’école Maxwell de l’Université de Syracuse, puis a fait son affiliation professionnelle avec nous à George Mason en concentrant son étude sur les TIC pour le développement et la République centrafricaine.

Le projet pilote initial sera composé de deux classes de 20 à 25 fondateurs et dirigeants d’entreprises liées à la technologie avec un premier coup d’envoi d’un à deux jours au sein de l’Université de Bangui, puis un engagement virtuel hebdomadaire ultérieur sur une période de trois mois. Les programmes d’études sont basés sur les meilleures pratiques des responsables et leader en informatique et les expériences des accélérateurs technologiques basés en Afrique.

Au cours de ces trois mois, les fondateurs et dirigeants développeront des plans pour renforcer leurs entreprises et développer leurs capacités individuelles de leadership technologique. Le programme se terminera par une dernière journée de présentations et de discussions à l'Université de Bangui. L'engagement hebdomadaire pendant les trois mois du programme entre le lancement et la conclusion sera basé sur le potentiel technologique du SMS.

L’élément clé de l'accélérateur d'entrepreneuriat technologique sera constitué de 15 à 20 mentors en business technologique de la République centrafricaine et des États-Unis. Les mentors de la République centrafricaine et des États-Unis fourniront des informations essentielles et conseils aux fondateurs et dirigeants des entreprises. Aussi bien, ils formeront eux-mêmes une cohorte permettant d'échanger sur la politique et la culture commerciales des États-Unis et de la République centrafricaine.

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What's New

Dr. Angelos Stavrou Gave a Plenary Session Keynote on “Blockchain and IoT” at the IEEE Blockchain Summit held in Seoul, Korea on June 7th and 8th, 2018.

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For more information, please go to http://sites.ieee.org/bcsummitkorea-2018/about/.

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What's New

Dr. J.P. Auffret organized and moderated a workshop on “Cybersecurity Leadership, Governance, Polices and Strategy: How Are Governments Addressing the Cybersecurity Challenge” and chaired the “Cybersecurity, Privacy and Ethics” track at the 11th U.N. International Conference on the Theory and Practice of eGovernance” (ICEGOV) held in Galway, Ireland on April 3rd to April 6th, 2018.

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For more information, please go to http://2018.icegov.org/track/workshop-6/.

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Current Projects Research Projects

Cybersecurity on Enterprise Risk and Mobile Security

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This NSA granted curriculum development project focuses on two security areas: Enterprise Risk and Mobile Security.

Motivation and Background
With the rapidly increasing role of technology in society and the  increasing cybersecurity threat,  industry and government have a great need to scale cybersecurity leadership and governance.  In turn, there is a great need for educators to scale cybersecurity leadership and governance education and training.

Design
The courses are multidisciplinary, covering leadership and management, technical and engineering and policy.

 

Course I: Enterprise Risk Management and Cybersecurity Governance

The course provides an introduction and overview of the changing nature of cybersecurity risk management and cybersecurity governance.

Main Topics

  • Technology Innovation, Adoption and the Changing Nature of Cybersecurity Risk
  • Enterprise Risk Management, Cybersecurity Governance and Cybersecurity Strategy
  • Legal and Compliance Landscape
  • Roles of Boards and CISOs
  • Benchmarking, Information Asset Classification and Developing a Consensus of Cybersecurity Risks
  • Developing a Cybersecurity Strategy and Risk Mitigation Program
  • Enterprise Risk and Cybersecurity Frameworks
  • Role and Considerations for Cybersecurity Insurance

Learning Outcomes

  • Describe the cybersecurity risks resulting from new and rapidly developing technologies such as IoT, Cloud and mobile and analyze and describe the changing nature of the cybersecurity threat
  • Explain the complementary roles of enterprise risk management, cybersecurity governance and cybersecurity strategy
  • Discuss the evolving role of Boards and executive committees in enterprise risk management and cybersecurity and the evolving role of the CISO
  • Analyze cybersecurity governance in recent major cybersecurity compromises such as OPM
  • Apply cybersecurity lifecycle and the elements of identify, protect, detect, respond and recover
  • Outline the process and considerations for developing a cybersecurity strategy and risk mitigation program including benchmarking and information asset classification

Course II: Mobile Cybersecurity Management

This course provides an introduction and overview of the rapidly changing enterprise mobility environment, associated cybersecurity risks and approaches for developing a mobile cybersecurity strategy.

Main Topics

  • Mobility and Organization Strategy
  • The Changing Landscape of Mobile Technologies -from Smart Phones and Tablets to IoT
  • Mobile Policies and BYOD
  • Leadership and Governance for Mobile Security
  • Rapidly Evolving Mobile Device Management Technologies
  • Mobile Life Cycle Management
  • Cybersecurity Risk Framework and Mobile

Learning Outcomes

  • Understand the evolving nature and capability of mobile technologies
  • Understand mobile security risk including endpoint, network and process/policy
  • Evaluate mobile cybersecurity policy and BYOD alternatives in light of organization’s cyber strategy
  • Understand and evaluate new mobile device management technologies
  • Understand and apply the mobile device life cycle to mobile strategy
  • Outline the process and considerations and apply to developing a mobile cybersecurity strategy

 

Contacts

Dr. J.P. Auffret

jauffret@gmu.edu

703-993-5641                            

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Cybersecurity Innovation Forum at George Mason University

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Cybersecurity Innovation Forum at George Mason University, is a local Meetup group sponsored by CARE and School of Business. The group meet several times a year and feature a series of 15-minute case study presentations by cybersecurity experts and technology innovators followed by a panel discussion and questions. The focus of the meetings is on cybersecurity innovation including innovation rationale and motivation, technology, metrics and lessons learned.

Sign up our Meetup Group and check out the next event here- https://www.meetup.com/Cybersecurity-Innovation-Forum/