USCYBERCOM Faculty Cyber Persistence Workshop

On June 23 and 24, the University of Cincinnati Center for Cyber Strategy and Policy hosted the U.S. Cyber Command Academic Engagement Network Faculty Workshop on Cyber Persistence: Theory and Practice. Eleven panelists from academia, government, and the military presented on various topics in cyber persistence to an in-person audience of 20, including one community college educator, and a virtual audience of almost 40, including seven community college educators.

The workshop covered operational approaches of persistence engagement and the theory of cyber persistence, including aspects of policy and law, with the goal of advancing interests in new research, new teaching, and new paths for students. What is cyber persistence? One of the speakers, Admiral Heidi Berg, gave the analogy of our naval ships sailing various areas of the world to keep a persistent presence. Another speaker, Prof. Richard Harknett, noted that the desired outcome of a cyber persistent environment is to preclude or reduce a majority of adversary activity to inconsequential effect.

As more and more community colleges are starting and updating programs in Cybersecurity, keeping up to date with the latest in the field is an important ongoing activity to ensure students are prepared for jobs in this fast-paced field. Participation in academic engagement networks (AENs) can help faculty with professional development and keeping abreast with the latest concepts, strategies, and technologies.

The U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM) created the U.S. CYBERCOM AEN in January of 2022 to engage more closely with academia and support cybersecurity education. The AEN kicked off with 70 universities and 14 community colleges as members.