Cybersecurity More Important Than Ever 

CU Denver leading research and training of the next Generation of Cybersecurity Leaders 

We’ve all seen the headlines about data breaches that can shut down corporations or government offices.  Many of us have had our own digital identity or credit card hacked at least once. Keeping data secure is a national priority. At CU Denver, we’re developing technology to safeguard data and train the next generation of cybersecurity leaders who will be able to stay ahead of hackers. 

Research 

Some of our College of Engineering, Design and Computing faculty are working on cutting-edge research that shows promise in revolutionizing how we safeguard information. 

Assistant Professor Haadi Jafarian’s team is focusing on enhancing the resilience of cyber infrastructures by obscuring key components of the system from attackers through Attack Surface Obfuscation (ASO). 

“This involves combining cyber agility—shifting attack surfaces—and deception techniques to mislead adversaries and complicate their targeting process,” Jafarian said. “ By integrating these strategies, I aim to create systems that are harder to penetrate and more resilient against advanced threats.” 

He and his team of undergraduate and graduate students in the Active Cyber Infrastructure Defense (ACID) lab work on various aspects of cyber defense, including securing network infrastructure, services, and users, utilizing AI-driven methods and formal techniques to strengthen defenses.  

Because cybersecurity is not just an engineering concern, Jafarian was happy to partner with Dr. Ersin Dincelli in the Business School. Dincelli founded the Transamerica Cyber club to give students hands-on learning opportunities in cybersecurity. The professors serve as co-advisors to the 120 students who host regular events such as guest speakers from industry and government agencies to the very popular and capture-the-flag competitions that pit our students against those from universities around the nation. Many of these competitions are sponsored by the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and private companies with a big stake in keeping their work protected. 

Assistant Professor, Zhengxiong Li focuses his research on addressing cybersecurity challenges in interconnected smart systems (IoT) with a special focus on mobile health domains.  

“I lead the Mobile, Emerging Technologies & Applications (META) Lab at CU Denver, where we work on securing advanced sensing technologies like millimeter-wave (mmWave) sensing and biometrics, as well as ensuring the privacy and security of autonomous systems, including robots and drones,” he said. “We are also exploring the use of AI to enhance mobile and IoT device security, focusing on backdoor attacks, side-channel attacks, and privacy-preserving machine learning techniques.”  

National Recognition 

Our college dedication to offering the highest level of academic and real-world education has already received  national recognition. 

The National Security Agency and DHS awarded the college a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education designation in February 2023 for its Master’s Cyber Defense certificate program. This competitive recognition signifies that our program not only adheres to the highest educational standards but also contributes significantly to the development of the nation’s cybersecurity workforce. The designation also enhances our students’ career prospects by aligning our program with industry and government standards, offering them a competitive edge in the cybersecurity field. Further information about the CAE-CDE click here https://www.ucdenver.edu/cyber 

The core aspects that distinguish our cybersecurity programs include:  

• A focus on emerging technologies: We integrate cybersecurity with cutting-edge research areas like IoT, autonomous systems, and wearable health technologies. Our students not only learn foundational cybersecurity concepts but also apply them to future technologies such as AI-driven systems, robotics, and mobile health security. 

• A diverse and inclusive environment: Our program is committed to inclusivity, actively recruiting and supporting underrepresented students in cybersecurity. We offer mentoring and collaboration opportunities to ensure diverse perspectives are brought into cybersecurity problem-solving. 

• Hands-on learning: We emphasize experiential learning, with opportunities for students to work on real-world projects that tackle current cybersecurity challenges. Our Mobile and IoT Security course, for example, involves practical assignments in adversarial attacks, anomaly detection, and biometric security. 

Ready to apply to our Cybersecurity programs?  https://engineering.ucdenver.edu/undergraduate-programs-in-computer-science/cybersecurity