Honors College Senior Thesis Presentations
The Next Threat Landscape: Securing America’s Cyber-Physical Systems
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Cybersecurity and Network Management
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Randall Joyce
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
Our nation's Industrial Control Systems and Operational Technology has been largely forgotten in the push for increased technology security, leaving many of our crucial systems vulnerable to bad actors, be they domestic or foreign. There is a need for security professionals dedicated to protecting the ICS supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) to protect America’s infrastructure. (ie. water treatment plants, power grids, etc.)
The Jones College of Science, Engineering, and Technology at Murray State University took the first step in addressing this when the Telecommunications Systems Management degree underwent a revamp to the new Cybersecurity and Network Management (CNM) degree. Recognized by the National Security Agency as a Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD), the new CNM program is designed to address the nation's growing need for more skilled cybersecurity professionals to protect the Information Technology infrastructure of a connected economy. This new degree track in partnership with the Department of Defense has set a large focus on Information Technology system defense in your typical enterprise environment, but it is lacking in much training for adversarial mindset, methods, and response.
The next step for the Murray State CNM program is to build out a new academic track for Cybersecurity Management and Network students focused on the adversaries to ICS and how to best protect them in a cyber physical environment, doing so through the marriage of Purdue Model instruction with lab gamification through CTF ICS system.
We will be studying how to create cyber physical labs sets to bridge the gap between theory and practice while introducing a gamification component to encourage the right mindset when approaching the ICS security landscape.
Spring Scholars Week 2024 Event
Honors College Senior Thesis Presentations
The Next Threat Landscape: Securing America’s Cyber-Physical Systems
Our nation's Industrial Control Systems and Operational Technology has been largely forgotten in the push for increased technology security, leaving many of our crucial systems vulnerable to bad actors, be they domestic or foreign. There is a need for security professionals dedicated to protecting the ICS supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) to protect America’s infrastructure. (ie. water treatment plants, power grids, etc.)
The Jones College of Science, Engineering, and Technology at Murray State University took the first step in addressing this when the Telecommunications Systems Management degree underwent a revamp to the new Cybersecurity and Network Management (CNM) degree. Recognized by the National Security Agency as a Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD), the new CNM program is designed to address the nation's growing need for more skilled cybersecurity professionals to protect the Information Technology infrastructure of a connected economy. This new degree track in partnership with the Department of Defense has set a large focus on Information Technology system defense in your typical enterprise environment, but it is lacking in much training for adversarial mindset, methods, and response.
The next step for the Murray State CNM program is to build out a new academic track for Cybersecurity Management and Network students focused on the adversaries to ICS and how to best protect them in a cyber physical environment, doing so through the marriage of Purdue Model instruction with lab gamification through CTF ICS system.
We will be studying how to create cyber physical labs sets to bridge the gap between theory and practice while introducing a gamification component to encourage the right mindset when approaching the ICS security landscape.