Category Archives: cybersecurity

SteelHacks XII Hackathon

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Unleash Your Inner Innovator at Steelhacks XII!

Get ready to dive into a world of innovation, problem-solving, and collaboration at Steelhacks XII, happening on September 20-21, 2025, at the University of Pittsburgh.

Steelhacks is more than just a coding competition; it’s an opportunity to challenge yourself, learn new skills, and connect with like-minded individuals.

  • 24 hours of coding, creativity, and collaboration
  • Speed Friending with various companies (networking opportunities) and Guest Speakers
  • Prizes for several different tracks
  • Free food and fun activities to keep the energy high

Mark your calendars and get ready to turn your ideas into reality.

Register now: at the Steelhacks website for registration and updates on all the exciting activities and more details as the event approaches!

Dr. Steve Mancini – Best Podcast Host!

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The CIS department is thrilled to extend our warmest congratulations to our very own Dr. Steve Mancini on his recent achievement! Dr. Mancini has been recognized as the Best Podcast Host in the prestigious 2025 Communicator Awards for his engaging and insightful podcast, The Italian Impact.

This well-deserved win highlights Dr. Mancini’s dedication and passion for fostering connections both within our university and the local community. Through The Italian Impact Podcast, he skillfully brings attention to a diverse range of topics that resonate with students and faculty right here on campus, while also reaching out to the vibrant Italian community in Pittsburgh and beyond.

We encourage everyone to tune in and experience the award-winning podcast for themselves! You can find The Italian Impact Podcast on all your favorite listening platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also learn more and explore past episodes on the official website: https://italianimpactweekly.com/.

To see the details of Dr. Mancini’s award and all of the winners, click HERE

Let’s all celebrate Dr. Mancini’s fantastic accomplishment and continue to support his wonderful work with The Italian Impact Podcast! Congratulations, Dr. Mancini!


Dr. Kassa Wins Best Paper Award at ACMSE

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Dr. Yonas Kassa has been honored with the Best Full Paper Award at the 2025 ACM Southeast (ACMSE) Conference, which took place from April 24-26, 2025, at Southeast Missouri State University. As the oldest continuously running annual conference of the ACM, ACMSE serves as a vital platform for students, faculty, researchers, and industry professionals to share their latest research across all facets of computer science.

Dr. Kassa’s award-winning paper, a collaborative effort with four other researchers, is titled “Secure Edge Computing Reference Architecture for Data-driven Structural Health Monitoring: Lessons Learned from Implementation and Benchmarking.” You can access the paper here.

Congratulations to Dr. Kassa and his co-authors on this significant achievement!

The FBI Honors Internship Program

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The FBI Honors Internship Program will be opening Summer 2026 applications starting soon.  This program is ideal for undergraduate students between their junior and senior years, as well as graduate students pursuing a Master’s degree, JD, or Ph.D. This paid internship can be a direct pipeline to full-time employment after college.

The program is highly competitive. You can set up a job alert on the website to be notified when postings open. The link to the website can be found here.

RMU Redesignated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense

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RMU was redesignated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (NCAE-CD) at a special ceremony during the national cybersecurity symposium in Charleston, SC on April 9, 2025.

The redesignation for RMU is based on the BS in Cybersecurity degree program and valid through academic year 2029. The current government sponsors of the NCAE-CD designation are DoD, NSA, CISA, and FBI.

RMU Provost Dr. Joseph Zimmer and NCAE-C Coordinator/PoC Dr. Ping Wang received the NCAE-CD certificate for RMU at the designation ceremony.

Cyber Sentinel Skills Challenge for RMU Students

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Correlation One, a NYC-based workforce development company is reaching out to share an exciting opportunity. They are hosting the Cyber Sentinel Skills Challenge, a cybersecurity competition sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD).

This one-day virtual event is designed to help students and alumni:

  • Connect to valuable job opportunities within the US DoD.
  • Apply and showcase their cybersecurity skills in real-world challenges.
  • Compete for a $15,000 cash prize pool.
  • Apply technical skills to a unique set of challenges that represent real-world, on-the-job tasks.
  • Gain insights into how the DoD can help them accelerate their careers, both within the military and in the civilian sector.  

Winners of the competition will also be eligible for a share of a $15,000 cash prize pool.

  • When: June 14, 2025
  • Where: Online
  • Cost: Free
  • Who: US citizens and permanent residents over the age of 18
  • Prizes: $15,000 prize pool + career opportunities with the DoD

See flyer on how to register.

Reminder: NSF SFS Program Information Session

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The Women in Cybersecurity Club will host a student-run information session on our NSF Cybercorps SFS program. Come learn more about this scholarship from the students in the program!

Wednesday, March 5th @ 4:30pm in Wheatley 114

Interested students can find more information on the web: https://www.rmu.edu/academics/sihss/nsf-cybercorps-sfs-program

March 2025 – ISACA PGH: Student Information Security Day

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Pittsburgh Chapter logo. This will take you to the homepage

The ISACA Pittsburgh Chapter will be hosting the 5th annual Student Information Security Day on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, from 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm. This is a free event for students.

For more information and to register: Virtual Security Awareness Day

The event agenda is currently being designed and topics will be added when selected. 

An outline of the timing is as follows:

  • Intro/Young Professionals Panel: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
  • Break: 2:00 PM – 2:10 PM
  • Speaker 1: 2:10 PM – 3:00 PM
  • Speaker 2: 3:05 PM – 3:55 PM
  • Speaker 3: 3:55 PM – 4:45 PM
  • Closing remarks: 4:45 PM – 5:00 PM

TRISS Scholarship Recipients

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The following students were awarded the Three Rivers Information Security Symposium Scholarship (TRISS) this year!

Kate Shannon (4+1 student)
BS Cybersecurity & Digital Forensics
MS Cyber Investigations & Intelligence

Kelson Bowman(4+1 student)
BS Cybersecurity
MS Cyber Investigations & Intelligence

Sean Miller (4+1 student)
BS Cybersecurity
MS Cyber Investigations & Intelligence

Jon Eggie
BS Cybersecurity 

Pictured from left to right: Jonathan Eggie, Kate Shannon, Sean Miller, Kelson Bowman

Congratulations to RMU NCAE Cyber Games Team!

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RMU team won the 3rd place out of 12 teams in the Northeast Regional competition for the 2025 NCAE Cyber Games sponsored by the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) on Feb 15, 2025.

9 RMU students shown below participated in the competition. Connor Quinn (front center) served as the Team Captain. Dr. Ping Wang served as the RMU Faculty Coach.

Front Row: Jorge Pinzon, Connor Quinn (Captain), James Bonacci

Back Row: Chloe Dzuba, Harlon Baker, Mintas Ivaska, Max Barnes, Grant Carvender, Reese Martin