Cybersecurity

Data Anonymization: From Compliance Theater to Engineered Privacy.

Assistant Professor Ningshi Yao received a five-year $628K NSF CAREER Award, funded by the Energy, Power, Control, and Learning (EPCL) program. The grant will support her research on ensuring the safety, reliability, and efficiency of interconnected real-time control systems.

George Mason University’s Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) Northern Virginia (NoVa) Node recently received a $150,793 grant from the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority for “CCI Scholars – High School Experiential Learning Program FY26,” a seven-week high school summer internship program for rising seniors and recent graduates of Northern Virginia public high schools.

They train, compete, and perform at the highest levels—only their arena is cybersecurity. Like top athletes, George Mason’s cyber-focused students prove themselves when the pressure is on.

Knifey, a nature-inspired blimp based on the knifefish’s movement (with an added ferocious glare), is just one of junior Alexia De Costa’s projects combining art and robotics. “I love any way to get people interested in tech and also understand complicated things visually,” she says.

Guided by experts, students from George Mason and Howard University are delivering tailored cybersecurity solutions to the organizations that need them most—while shaping their own futures.

Mason Competitive Cyber teamwon first place at the ninth annual Commonwealth Cyber Fusion and Virginia Cyber Cup. The high‑intensity, four‑hour capture‑the‑flag competition showcased their skill, teamwork, and growing leadership in Virginia’s cybersecurity community.

Funded by a $3.9 million grant, the Scholarship for Service program supports students who commit to working in government cybersecurity roles after graduation.

George Mason graduate student Kevin Landry turned his passion for honeypots into a hands-on classroom project, leading his team to build a customized cyber trap that attracted real-world attackers and gave students an eye-opening look at cloud security.

Members of George Mason University’s Cyber Security Engineering Department joined industry and government leaders at the Northern Virginia Technology Council Cyber Summit & Cyber50 Awards.