Cyber Forensics Intelligence Center

July 2021 Newsletter of the Cyber Forensics Intelligence Center


I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. Please find the most recent Cyber Forensics Intelligence Center Newsletter. We hope that you find the content informative and interesting. We are excited about the continued relationships we are forging; please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments.

All the best,
Dr. Wm. Bradley Glisson

HICSS 55

Dr. Brad Glisson, Director of the Cyber Forensics Intelligence Center, will be chairing a mini-track and organizing a workshop at the 2021 Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS).

  • Cyber Operations, Defense and Forensics Mini-track

    Direct Link

    As technology is incorporated into more aspects of daily life, cyber operations, defences and digital forensics solutions continue to evolve and diversify. This results in the need to develop innovative managerial, technological, and strategic solutions. Hence, a variety of responses are needed to address the resulting concerns. There is a need to research a) technology investigations, b) technical integration and solution impact, c) the abuse of technology through attacks along with d) the effective analysis and evaluation of proposed solutions. Identifying and validating technical solutions to secure data from new and emerging technologies, investigating the impact that these solutions have on the industry, and understanding how technologies can be abused is crucial to the viability of commercial, government, and legal communities.

    We welcome new, original ideas from people in academia, industry, government, and law enforcement who are interested in sharing their results, knowledge, and experience. Topics of interest include but are not limited to:
    • Detection and analysis of advanced threat tactics, techniques, and procedures
    • Applying machines learning tools and techniques in terms of cyber operations, defences and forensics
    • Case studies surrounding the application of policy in terms of cyber operations, defences and forensics
    • Approaches related to threat detection and Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)
    • Solutions that secure different types of data stored in different layers of computer networks
    • “Big Data” solutions and investigations – collection, analysis, and visualization of “Big Data” related to cyber operations, defences and forensics
    • Malware analysis and the investigation of targeted attacks
    • Device investigations that assist with the recovery and reconstruction of digital artifacts
    • Digital evidence recovery, storage, preservation, and memory analysis
    • Event reconstruction approaches and techniques
    • Anti-forensics techniques and solutions
    • Investigations related to mobile devices, embedded systems, or Internet of Things (IoT) devices
    • Forensic investigations within emerging domains such as transportation systems, industrial control systems, and SCADA
    • Network investigations – collection, analysis, and visualization of network forensic data
    • Privacy implications related to security incident response and digital forensic investigations
    • Research in security incident management
    • Situational awareness related to security incident response
    • The impact of digital evidence on the legal system

    The above list is suggestive, and authors are encouraged to contact the minitrack chairs to discuss related topics and their suitability for submission to this minitrack.

    Minitrack Co-Chairs:
    William Glisson (Primary Contact)
    Sam Houston State University
    glisson@shsu.edu

    George Grispos
    University of Nebraska at Omaha
    ggrispos@unomaha.edu

    Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo
    University of Texas at San Antonio
    raymond.choo@utsa.edu
  • Call for papers

    More information.

    HICSS papers emphasize advances in research and development activities in several areas of the system sciences. Papers may be theoretical, conceptual, tutorial, or descriptive in nature.

    • All papers must be submitted to a minitrack. Minitracks are part of our 10 larger tracks and an invited track. Make sure you understand the focus of a minitrack before submitting your paper to ensure you are submitting to the best possible fit for your research.
    • HICSS papers must contain original material. They may not be previously published, nor currently submitted elsewhere. You may contact the Minitrack Chair(s) or Track Chair for guidance or verification of content. If you are not sure of the appropriate Minitrack, submit a preliminary abstract to the Minitrack Chair(s) or Track Chair via email for determination.
    • Submit a paper to only one Minitrack. Submissions to more than one minitrack may result in rejection by either minitrack without consultation with author.
    • Do not author or co-author more than 5 papers.

    Acceptance is based on a strict peer review in a double-blind process from June through August of each year. After a careful review by a special committee in each track, Best Paper Awards are presented to the selected paper from each track in recognition of their superior research performance.

Older News

  • HICSS 54: Cyber Operations, Defence and Forensics Mini-track
    As technology is incorporated into more aspects of daily life, cyber operations, defences and digital forensics solutions continue to evolve and diversify. This results in the need to develop innovative managerial, technological, and strategic solutions. Hence, a variety of responses are needed to address the resulting concerns. There is a need to research a) technology investigations, b) technical integration and solution impact, c) the abuse of technology through attacks along with d) the effective analysis and evaluation of proposed solutions. Identifying and validating technical solutions to secure data from new and emerging technologies, investigating the impact that these solutions have on the industry, and understanding how technologies can be abused is crucial to the viability of commercial, government, and legal communities.

    We welcome new, original ideas from people in academia, industry, government, and law enforcement who are interested in sharing their results, knowledge, and experience. Topics of interest include but are not limited to:
    • Detection and analysis of advanced threat tactics, techniques, and procedures
    • Applying machines learning tools and techniques in terms of cyber operations, defences and forensics
    • Case studies surrounding the application of policy in terms of cyber operations, defences and forensics
    • Approaches related to threat detection and Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)
    • Solutions that secure different types of data stored in different layers of computer networks
    • “Big Data” solutions and investigations – collection, analysis, and visualization of “Big Data” related to cyber operations, defences and forensics
    • Malware analysis and the investigation of targeted attacks
    • Device investigations that assist with the recovery and reconstruction of digital artifacts
    • Digital evidence recovery, storage, preservation, and memory analysis
    • Event reconstruction approaches and techniques
    • Anti-forensics techniques and solutions
    • Investigations related to mobile devices, embedded systems, or Internet of Things (IoT) devices
    • Forensic investigations within emerging domains such as transportation systems, industrial control systems, and SCADA
    • Network investigations – collection, analysis, and visualization of network forensic data
    • Privacy implications related to security incident response and digital forensic investigations
    • Research in security incident management
    • Situational awareness related to security incident response
    • The impact of digital evidence on the legal system

    The above list is suggestive, and authors are encouraged to contact the minitrack chairs to discuss related topics and their suitability for submission to this minitrack.

    Minitrack Co-Chairs:
    William Glisson (Primary Contact)
    Sam Houston State University
    glisson@shsu.edu

    George Grispos
    University of Nebraska at Omaha
    ggrispos@unomaha.edu

    Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo
    University of Texas at San Antonio
    raymond.choo@utsa.edu
  • HICSS 53

    HICSS 53 (January 7-10, 2020) will be here before you know it! Start thinking about your papers for the Cybersecurity Investigations and Digital Forensics Mini-track within the Software Technology Track. Please contact the Mini-track Chair, Dr. Brad Glisson with any questions @ glisson@shsu.edu.

    As technology is incorporated into more aspects of daily life, cybersecurity and digital forensics evolve and diversify. This results in the need to develop innovative managerial, technological and strategic solutions. Hence, a variety of responses are needed to address the resulting concerns. There is a need to research a) technology investigations, b) technical integration and solution impact, c) the abuse of technology through attacks along with d) the effective analysis and evaluation of proposed solutions. Identifying and validating technical solutions to access data from new technologies, investigating the impact that these solutions have on the industry, and understanding how technologies can be abused is crucial to the viability of commercial, government, and legal communities.

    We welcome new, original ideas from people in academia, industry, government, and law enforcement who are interested in sharing their results, knowledge, and experience. Topics of interest include but are not limited to:
    • Anti-forensics techniques and solutions
    • “Big Data” investigations – collection, analysis, and visualization of “Big Data” related to security incident and digital forensic investigations
    • Data/information dissemination about threats, attacks, and incidents resulting from security incident investigations
    • Device investigations that assist with the recovery and reconstruction of digital artifacts
    • Digital evidence recovery, storage, preservation, and memory analysis
    • Event reconstruction approaches and techniques
    • Forensic investigations involving cloud and virtualized environments
    • Forensic investigations within emerging domains such as transportation systems, industrial control systems, and SCADA
    • Investigations related to mobile devices, embedded systems, or Internet of Things (IoT) devices
    • Malware analysis and the investigation of targeted attacks
    • Network investigations – collection, analysis, and visualization of network forensic data
    • Privacy implications related to security incident response and digital forensic investigations
    • Research in security incident management
    • Situational awareness related to security incident response
    • The impact of digital evidence on the legal system


    The above list is suggestive, and authors are encouraged to contact the minitrack chairs to discuss related topics and their suitability for submission to this minitrack.

    Minitrack Co-Chairs:
    William Glisson (Primary Contact)
    Sam Houston State University
    glisson@shsu.edu

    George Grispos
    University of Nebraska at Omaha
    ggrispos@unomaha.edu

    Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo
    University of Texas at San Antonio
    raymond.choo@utsa.edu
  • Cyber Fast Track

    Texas' Cyber Fast Track


    Governor Greg Abbott recently issued a press release about Texas’ partnership with the SANS Institute on an exciting program called Cyber Fast Track. Cyber Fast Track is a free and unique three-stage program that will help college students discover if they have what it takes to make a difference in cybersecurity. This all-inclusive program, which starts in April 2019, will provide students with everything they need to build their knowledge of the foundations of cybersecurity. Once they have proven excellence in those foundations, they can move on to master forensics, intrusion detection, security operations, system and network penetration testing and application penetration testing. Designed by world-leaders in the field of cybersecurity, this program provides an unprecedented opportunity for students to fast track their career in cybersecurity.

    Students who excel in all aspects of the program will be awarded scholarships to advanced cybersecurity courses and industry-respected certifications from the SANS Institute, a leader in cybersecurity education and research. Students who score well but do not win full scholarships will be included in a drawing for 200 scholarships of $500 each to use at their colleges.

  • Fall '18 Robotics Workshop


    November 16, 2018

    The Department of Computer Science at SHSU periodically supports Robotic Workshops for middle school students. The first workshop took place in 2015. These workshops strive to initiate interest in computer science concepts at an early age. Dr. Li-Jen Lester organizes and supports this initiative in the Department of Computer Science. The most recent workshop took place in November 2018.

    Dr. Li-Jen Lester recruited six seniors in her COSC4349, Professionalism and Ethics class, to be trained as instructors and mentors. These students helped to deliver the robotics hardware aspects of the curriculum. The assistance helps guide the middle schoolers when they are building their team vehicle. This workshop focused on the hardware aspects of building a robot. The middle schoolers have already inquired about coming back again next semester to continue developing their robots through software development.

    The impact of this workshop is not only to motivate middle schooler desires from a technology perspective but also to encourage our college students to make a difference in the community. These mentors fulfilled the motto of SHSU: "The measure of a life is its service!"