RIT ESL Global Cybersecurity Institute

04/14/2026

Dr. Billy Brumley, Kevin O'Sullivan Professor in the department of cybersecurity and director of research for the ESL Global Cybersecurity Institute, is running his third iteration of CSEC 635 - Open Source Software Security this spring.

Students in the course have to submit code changes to OpenSSL, a critical open-source cryptography and security library. Their edits have included bug fixes and contributions to documentation and regression testing.

In a gesture of support for community-driven development, the Openssl Corporation sent the class shirts, mugs, and other OpenSSL swag. This partnership underscores the company's commitment to empowering the developers who will shape the future of secure, open-sourced software.

03/11/2026

We are proud to recognize Eaton Corporation as the recipient of the 2026 Corporate Partner Award for their exceptional commitment to innovation, student success, and industry-academic collaboration.

Eaton has supported RIT in profound ways—from sponsoring student club RITSEC to contributing significantly to the ESL Global Cybersecurity Institute and engaging students through hackathons, mentorship, and interdisciplinary project partnerships. Their sustained collaboration has empowered students across computing and engineering to gain hands-on experience and access meaningful pathways into industry careers.

03/03/2026

Don’t miss the next Provost Speaker Series talk this Friday! Dr. Matthew Wright, Chair of the Department of Cybersecurity, will be presenting “Towards an All-in-One Media Forensics Tool”.

Join Dr. Wright as he explains how his team’s research explores the requirements for deepfake detection tools and explainability features, argues the need for an all-in-one tool for media forensics, and proposes an ontology-based approach to creating a navigable user interface for such a tool.

Stay for the question-and-answer session after the presentation with Matt and members of his team.

🗓️March 6, 2026
🕐 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
🖥️ Zoom only - register to attend: https://brnw.ch/21x0qia

📸: Scott Hamilton // RIT

02/06/2026

We’re thrilled to recognize Arthur J. Deane ’08, with our college's 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award! 🎉

Arthur has spent nearly 20 years shaping the future of cybersecurity — leading major initiatives at Google, Amazon, PwC, U.S. government agencies, and now serving as VP & CISO for Discover Financial Services at Capital One. He has impacted the cybersecurity industry both as a practicing professional and as author of CCSP for Dummies and co-author of The Official (ISC)2 CISSP CBK Reference, 6th Edition.

Arthur’s connection to RIT runs deep. As a member of the GCCIS National Council, mentor, and COMS supporter, he gives generously of his time and expertise. His philanthropy — including the Deane Endowed Scholarship Fund in Cybersecurity — is also opening doors for underrepresented students pursuing tech careers.

Please join us in congratulating Arthur 🧡🐯

🔗https://brnw.ch/21wZJi4

12/08/2025

Since launching in 2023, 189 students have assisted 47 organizations with cybersecurity assessments, pe*******on testing, and enhancing security postures as part of our Cybersecurity Clinic at RIT! 🛡️

This semester, the clinic is helping Geva Theatre, Refugees Helping Refugees, and the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council, among other organizations who applied to take part in the program.

“Working with the RIT team has been excellent,” says James Haskins, Executive Director of Geva Theatre. “Their approach is very professional—carefully planned, rigorously executed, and well documented, with full consideration of our schedules so as not to impact performances and other theater activities." 🗣️

Interested in learning more or applying for future pro bono services from our students? Check out https://brnw.ch/21wYbvk

Photos:
1: Working with Geva Theatre, students Mitchell Windahl, left, Jack Tumulty, Caden Wright, and Phillip Johnson got to see the stage for the play “Sancocho.”
2: Working with Refugess Helping Refugees were students Aarthi Kosaraju, right; Cambria Kinkelaar, second from right; and Jaden Moore, fifth from right.

11/20/2025

Tonight! Don't miss Built Different: The RIT Founders Who Went All In!

RIT has always been home to bold makers and these founders prove it. Austin McChord ’08 turned a basement idea into a billion-dollar company. Jake Stevens ’20 and Mohammad Eshan ’24 just left Y Combinator with multi-million-dollar backing. Together, they’ll share how they carved their own paths, the failures and breakthroughs along the way, and what it takes for the next generation of RIT founders to do the same.

This is an incredible opportunity to learn from recent alums making huge impacts in tech, cybersecurity, and beyond!

🗓️November 20, 2025
🕐 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
🏢 Max Lowenthal Hall
👋 Room/Location: Gueldenpfennig Auditorium, Room 1050
FREE! (just swing by!)

11/18/2025

👀 We’re seeking Ph.D. students to work on a range of computing research topics at RIT! *All of our Ph.D. students receive full scholarships with tuition, stipend, and medical insurance!*

🛡️You can find the research topics and professors with open positions, along with their contacts, at this link: https://brnw.ch/21wXB8l

📺 To learn more about the benefits of a Ph.D. at RIT, including videos with current international and domestic Ph.D. students discussing their cybersecurity research and why they chose RIT, you can visit https://brnw.ch/21wXB8m. An application link is at the bottom of the page.

Benefits include working with top researchers in their field on government and industry collaborations and dedicated research facilities like our new ESL Global Cybersecurity Institute which features specialized labs like our Wireless and IoT Lab and Airgap Lab, as well as a state-of-the-art Cyber Range.

Please feel free to follow up directly or put your students in touch, and we would be happy to help answer any questions and/or connect you with researchers in different areas. And if you can please share this opportunity within your relevant networks it would be greatly appreciated! https://brnw.ch/21wXB8l

The following research opportunities are available for prospective Ph.D. students. To apply for one of these positions please visit the Ph.D. in Computing and Information Sciences program page or, for Electrical Engineering positions, visit the Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering program page. Learn mor...

09/18/2025

October = Cybersecurity Awareness Month 🛡️🗓️ and our own Dr. Matthew Wright, Kevin O' Sullivan Professor and Chair of Cybersecurity at RIT, will be a featured speaker at the Rochester Cloud Connect Summit Oct. 2nd at the George Eastman Museum!

Dr. Wright's presentation,“DeFaking Deepfakes: Challenges for Real-World Mitigation of Manipulated Media," will discuss his team's research and how it helps journalists and intelligence analysts figure out what is real and what is fake. 🕵🏻‍♂️ Their work, called the DeFake Project, has more than $2 million in funding from the National Science Foundation and Knight Foundation.

Head to the Cloud Connect Summit for the inside scoop on all things cybersecurity, AI, and cloud tech from national experts from U.S. Space Systems Command, Veeam, RIT, and more.

🙋‍♀️Friends of RIT can waive the registration fee by using code “RIT” at checkout. Register at: https://brnw.ch/21wVSZA.

07/30/2025

Ersin Uzun, Katherine Johnson Endowed Executive Director of RIT's ESL Global Cybersecurity Institute, co-authored the new book The AI Advantage: Thriving Within Civilization's Next Big Disruption. In its first week of release, the book became the No. 1 bestseller in Amazon's Business Technology Innovation category in the United States. Gathering insights from more than 30 global AI experts, the book offers readers a practical guide to understanding and using AI in a world that is rapidly transforming.

Grab a copy today!
https://brnw.ch/21wUy2S

06/18/2025

Is your non-profit, local government, school, or small business struggling with cybersecurity needs on a tight budget? RIT's Cybersecurity Clinic, supported by Google, is offering FREE cybersecurity support services this Fall semester!

Our students, supervised by faculty advisors, will work directly with your organization to tackle your cybersecurity challenges. This is a fantastic opportunity to enhance your defenses at no cost, while also providing valuable real-world experience to future cybersecurity professionals.

Why apply?

🤝Pro-bono services: Get expert support without the expense.
🛡️Boost your defenses: Strengthen your organization against cyber threats.
👩‍🎓Support local talent: Help students gain practical experience.

*Applications close July 18, 2025.* Don't miss this chance to secure your organization!
➡️ Apply now: https://brnw.ch/21wTvyB

06/12/2025

The rise of AI assistants and specialized LLMs claiming security knowledge has begged a critical question: how do we really know if they're up to the task? 🕵

At RIT's AI4SEC Research Lab, ESL GCI researcher and assistant professor Nidhi Rastogi and her team have developed CTIBench. This comprehensive suite of benchmarking tasks and datasets is designed to rigorously test and assess LLMs in Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) – a crucial process for proactive defense against evolving cyber threats.

And the industry is taking notice. Google is leveraging CTIBench to evaluate its new experimental cybersecurity model, Sec-Gemini v1. Cisco and Trend Micro are also utilizing CTIBench to evaluate cybersecurity applications within their own LLMs.

As Rastogi explains, "Since there was no reliable benchmark for CTI, we felt it was the right time to build one. We’re not blindly following AI but smartly integrating it into our lives." Learn more: https://brnw.ch/21wTlG5

03/06/2025

Hundreds of students from across the country gathered at RIT this past weekend for ISTS - a national cybersecurity competition! 👩‍💻

This RIT student-run event features Red vs. Blue-style competitions in which participants protect networked infrastructure from an attacking team of industry experts. 🔒

Students also participate in various other cybersecurity challenges, simulating the real-world tasks of cybersecurity professionals. 💼

📰 For more details, check out the full feature at the link below!

📸: ISTS 2025 group photo // RITSEC
🔗: 13wham.com/news/local/cybersecurity-students-compete-in-national-contest-at-rit