Fighting cyber crime

In an increasingly digital world, the need to build cybersecurity resilience and enable public- private collaboration is more critical than ever. RIT’s ESL Global Cybersecurity Institute (GCI) is bringing that together as a nexus of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) research and education.

The 52,000-square-foot institute that opened in 2020 adjoins the university’s computing college and features state-of-the-art computer labs, teaching spaces, and a conference center. It also runs a world-class lab known as the Cyber Range, which allows experts to simulate network cyberattacks and problem-solving scenarios. Industry partners—ranging from Fortune 100 companies to municipalities and school districts—work with RIT’s Cyber Range to bolster their cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity student Meghana Chagarlamudi took a master’s degree-level seminar in social engineering in the Cyber Range. That hands-on curriculum prepared her for an internship as a cloud security engineer at ServiceNow in Santa Clara, Calif. After she finished school in December, she transitioned into a full-time role at ServiceNow.

“I’m incredibly grateful to RIT for equipping me with the skills and confidence needed to achieve this milestone,” said Chagarlamudi.

At the GCI, about 100 faculty and graduate student researchers are developing novel cybersecurity solutions and tackling the toughest security problems in AI.

RIT researchers are developing better ways to detect and prevent cyberattacks against critical infrastructure with funding from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense. RIT experts are also improving cybersecurity education and creating technologies that make the digital world safer.