VCU College of Engineering hosts HSI Cyber Crimes Center and CINA, a DHS Center of Excellence to advance security research
On June 13, 2024, the VCU College of Engineering hosted representatives from the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cyber Crimes Center and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Center of Excellence, the Criminal Investigations and Network Analysis (CINA) center.
During the visit, Irfan Ahmed, Ph.D., associate professor in VCU Engineering’s Department of Computer Science, presented his research currently administered under CINA and funded by the DHS. From utilizing modern data science tools to streamline analysis of forensic data, to improving security measures in industrial tools systems, Ahmed’s research highlights the important work being done to support the mission of the DHS.
The Department of Homeland Security funds Centers of Excellence led by universities across the United States, conducting research on target areas to support the mission of the DHS. As part of this network, the CINA Center at George Mason University partners with VCU and other universities and researchers to pursue multidisciplinary approaches that address the disruption of criminal activities across physical and cyber spaces.
“CINA awards principal investigators, such as Ahmed, to advance cutting edge research, addressing DHS mission capability gaps,” Elizabeth Newman, M.A., CINA center project manager, said. “We believe Ahmed’s research will be useful in providing real world solutions to the challenges faced by DHS component, Homeland Security Investigations.”
In addition to Ahmed’s research, there were presentations given by HSI Cyber Crimes Center Section Chief Daniel Donahue and CINA Center director, Brook Hefright, Ph.D.
The visit concluded with a discussion led by CINA Center Transition Manager, Stephen Self, on identifying capability gaps. This dialogue emphasized potential collaborations where CINA and VCU Engineering could better support HSI’s operational needs.
The VCU College of Engineering offers innovative undergraduate and graduate degree programs tailored to meet the demands of the rapidly evolving engineering field. As part of a premier research university, students are given the opportunity to perform real-world research in our state-of-the-art facilities as soon as they enroll. Browse videos and recent news to discover how the College of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University prepares the next generation of scientists and engineers for the challenges of the future.
Categories Computer Science