"S&T Hackathon Addresses Emerging Threats to Critical Infrastructure"

The US Homeland Security Department's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a warning in late March that critical US infrastructure sectors could be targeted by Russian cyberattacks. The rapid development of new information and communication technologies, as well as their inevitable integration with critical infrastructure, has increased the risk of digital attacks and other new challenges, thus calling for more preparation. The Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently collaborated with the Center for Accelerating Operational Efficiency (CAOE), a DHS Center of Excellence (COE) led by Arizona State University, in an effort to help the country prevent possible cyberattacks. The effort brought Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and students from four other university-led DHS Centers of Excellence (COEs) together to address real-life problem scenarios and identify practical solutions to current critical infrastructure risks and emerging threats. The third annual Grand Challenge Hackathon, held both in-person and virtually in late February, paired students with homeland security, critical infrastructure, criminal investigations, cybersecurity, and counterterrorism professionals, providing them with a specialized learning environment and allowing them to explore and solve real-life homeland security problem sets. Through this, the students were encouraged to consider pursuing careers in the homeland security science and engineering fields. S&T Program Manager Eleanore Hajian said these hackathons are unique because they allow students to develop their skills in critical research, communication, and team building while simultaneously learning more about the Department of Homeland Security's goals and operations. A total of 73 undergraduate and graduate-level students from across the five COEs and their affiliated universities participated in the hackathon, with students forming their own teams. This article continues to discuss the goals and winning solutions of the S&T Hackathon. 

DHS reports "S&T Hackathon Addresses Emerging Threats to Critical Infrastructure"