FedEx Institute of Technology Invests in Cybersecurity Research

December 8, 2015 - As part of the University of Memphis' push to develop strong research competencies in cybersecurity, the FedEx Institute of Technology has made research awards totaling $190,000 for 12 interdisciplinary projects in the area. The 21 recipients involved include researchers from 11 academic departments in seven colleges and schools across the University. They include the Herff College of Engineering, College of Arts & Sciences, Fogelman College of Business & Economics, College of Education, School of Public Health, School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy and University College.

The awards address a broad scope of cybersecurity areas such as protecting the power grid, citizen privacy, security apathy, healthcare security and social engineering dimensions of cybersecurity. The projects being supported are:

• Investigation and Testing of Cybersecurity in Protective Relay System of Smart Power Distribution Grid;

• Automated Document Classification with Risk Evaluation of Sensitive Information Disclosure;

• Cloud Computing Security and Privacy Assessment: A Scenario-Based Taxonomical Approach;

• Cognitive Neuroscience Perspectives on Protection Motivations and Security Behaviors in Information Security Contexts;

• Social-Technical Apathy or Technological Loafing? Technology Dependency Perspectives on Cybersecurity Failures;

• Exploring a Data-Centric Approach to Securing Smart Homes;

• Investigating Characteristics of Cyberbullying in Higher Education;

• The Effects of Gamification on Security Compliance Under Conditions of Social Engineering;

• Cybersecurity Employment Pipelines: Identifying Successful Paths to Careers in Cybersecurity for Under-represented Groups;

• Criminology and Cyber Security Dimensions of Public Health in Urban Environments;

• Impact of Privacy Data Events on Retail Consumers and Suppliers; and

• Securing Online Healthcare Communities Against Malicious Users.

Under the program, research leaders are encouraged to collaborate with junior faculty and graduate students to help make the University the focal point for cybersecurity research excellence in the state of Tennessee.

"Interdisciplinary perspectives are central to innovation and sense-making when faced with complex challenges like cybersecurity," said Dr. Jasbir Dhaliwal, the University's chief innovation officer. "This is reflected in the research projects we are seeding today."

The 21 researchers received their awards Dec. 3 at the Cybersecurity Lightning Talks where project leaders presented an overview of their research to the campus community and the public. They were designated as Cybersecurity Research Fellows of the FedEx Institute of Technology.

Contact: Gabrielle Maxey
901.678.2843
gmaxey@memphis.edu