EAGER: SaTC-EDU: Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Research and Education at Scale

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The regularity of devastating cyber-attacks has made cybersecurity a significant challenge for society. Artificial intelligence (AI) holds significant promise in sifting through large volumes of cybersecurity data to proactively identify emerging threats with unprecedented efficiency. However, AI and cybersecurity are diverse, complex, and rapidly evolving areas. As a result, there is a lack of a diverse workforce knowledgeable in explainable and trustworthy AI, validation of AI systems, and AI safety (including AI for security and security for AI). In order to proactively foster a vibrant AI for cybersecurity system, the project will leverage interdisciplinary academic and industry leaders to support the development of a novel “AI4Cyber” education and research program that can be delivered at scale to meet the rapidly increasing demand for a large, diverse, and well-trained AI cybersecurity workforce. The project team proposes to integrate traditionally disparate AI tools, data, and resources from industry (e.g., FireEye, Microsoft), nonprofit organizations, and National Science Foundation programs (e.g., Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace, CyberCorps®, and Cybersecurity Innovation for Cyberinfrastructure). AI4Cyber will serve as a resource for the AI for cybersecurity community to facilitate innovative pedagogy and foster interdisciplinary research for five data-rich and ever-evolving cybersecurity applications. These applications include cyber threat intelligence, privacy analytics, disinformation and computational propaganda, security operations centers, and adversarial machine learning. The project will also help to facilitate highly visible competitions and knowledge sharing at professional societies and industry cybersecurity venues. In addition, AI4Cyber will be integrated into the first free AI for Cybersecurity Massively Open Online Course (MOOC) delivered on edX, which is the world’s largest nonprofit MOOC provider. Selected course content will also be integrated into the master’s in cybersecurity programs at the University of Arizona and Indiana University. Because both the University of Arizona and Indiana University are designated as National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense, and the University of Arizona is a Hispanic Serving Institution, not only will the proposed programs be of high quality, but they also have the potential to reach a diverse set of students and increase diversity in the AI-cybersecurity workforce. This project is supported by a special initiative of the Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC) program to foster new, previously unexplored, collaborations between the fields of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and education. The SaTC program aligns with the Federal Cybersecurity Research and Development Strategic Plan and the National Privacy Research Strategy to protect and preserve the growing social and economic benefits of cyber systems while ensuring security and privacy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.