Research and Training Center for Enterprise Computing Security
| Initiative: | Research and Training Center for Enterprise Computing Security |
| University: | UH, College of Technology |
| Focus: | Homeland Security |
Program Description
The National Security Agency (NSA) has identified terrorism, cybercrime, identity theft, computer hacking, and radical political activism as increasing threats to our national security and has made improving research and training in computer security a top priority. The Houston metropolitan area is at elevated risk from these threats because it is home to the Texas Medical Center, NASA's Johnson Space Center, and several vast oil and petrochemical refining complexes along the Gulf Coast, all of which have critical needs for high levels of computer and information security.
To support the goal of improving computer and information security, NSA has funded more than 50 "Centers of Excellence" at universities across the nation to conduct research and develop education on computer security, including three centers in Texas: Dallas, San Antonio, and Bryan/College Station. While these centers of excellence focus on research and education on prevention of security threats, they do not adequately address how to respond to computer security disasters once they actually occur.
The College of Technology and the Department of Computer Science propose to collaborate on the formation of an Enterprise Computer Security Research and Training Center that will combine applied research on computer security issues, with hands-on training in rapid incident response. The center will create a state-of-the-art Incident Response Training Lab that will be capable of quickly identifying and analyzing new forms of attack, as well as rapid development of training for students and the business community in appropriate responses to these attacks. The center would serve the needs of educational, business, industrial, and governmental organizations throughout the Houston metropolitan area.
Funding Request
$2 million over three years
