The University of Tulsa’s (TU’s) Institute for Information Security (iSec) is a multi-disciplinary program of study and research tackling cyber security issues on a global scale. TU has already established itself as one of the leading schools in the country for information security research and education with more than a decade of experience in the field.
The excellence of iSec’s committed faculty and students has earned the recognition of several government and industry partners. TU has been designated as a NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education, and boasts an array of educational opportunities for undergraduates, graduate students and professionals alike. The information assurance curriculum at TU offers certifications for all six federal information security standards endorsed by the Committee on National Security Systems.
TU is also a designated Center of Excellence in Information Assurance Research. In research, iSec has core concentrations in critical infrastructure protection, security engineering, enterprise security and digital forensics. iSec faculty and students work closely with two congressionally-funded centers: the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism in Oklahoma City and the Institute for Security Technology Studies at Dartmouth College. In addition, the Institute participates in the I3P Consortium, headquartered at Dartmouth College.
Part of iSec’s commitment to the private sector is a dedicated effort to establish Tulsa as a hotbed for information security research and development. By combining the strengths and talents of multiple academic departments across TU, iSec not only possesses the ability to look at all sides of a problem, but also to develop novel solutions with practical applications. Students and professors collaborate on a variety of projects, including SCADA research for the oil and gas and electric power industries, investigating automotive black box technology to reconstruct traffic accidents, and extracting digital evidence from electronic devices.
History
Established in 1996 as the Center for Information Security (CIS), iSec quickly emerged as a leader in information assurance education and research.
First designated as a Center of Excellence in March 2000, the Institute was also one of the first entities to provide doctorate programs specializing in information assurance. iSec also offered a novel interdisciplinary program combining computer science, law, political science, history and economics.
The Institute was the only entity to participate in both the National Science Foundation and Department of Defense programs in 2001 and 2002. And in March 2002, iSec’s curriculum was the first to be certified under all five federal Committee on National Security Systems Standards for information assurance education.
After establishing strong government partnerships through its unparalleled work and accomplishments on sensitive research projects, officials launched the Institute for Information Security in 2007 with an expanded focus to include developing relationships within the private sector.