We use technology every day, but just how safe is our personal information online? At what cost do we use the convenience of the internet? You don’t have to read the news long to see that as a society we are losing the battle in cyberspace. Malicious cyber activity costs our national economy billions of dollars each year. So, how do we protect our citizens? And how do we stop the attacks while protecting the rights of individuals?
The answer: Cybersecurity.
The Cedarville University Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity was created to advance the study of cybersecurity. Cybersecurity, which seeks to protect the rights of individuals and organizations in cyberspace, is now a crucial component to the proper functioning of the U.S. economy and to the safeguarding of our freedoms. Cedarville University’s cyber-trained faculty members; strong cyber academic programs; close proximity to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, a major hub of cybersecurity activity; and our positive reputation among cybersecurity communities in academia, industry, and government position us well to provide leadership in this growing field.
Our Mission and Vision
The Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity at Cedarville University will advance cybersecurity in our nation by developing tomorrow’s cyber leaders in the classroom, shaping cyber education in the academy, and promoting cyber awareness in society.
Developing Cyber Leaders
Shaping Cyber Education
Promoting Cyber Awareness
Partners
Thank you to our sponsors for their generous financial support of our mission to advance cybersecurity.
In the News
Best in the Southwest: Faculty Excellence in the Spotlight
Cedarville MBA Will Offer Three New High-Demand Concentrations
Trustees Affirm 10-Year Master Plan, New Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity
Computer science students present cybersecurity talk
Cybersecurity Adds to Computer Science Offerings
Guardians of the Cyber Galaxy
Speaking at TEDxDaytonSalon, Dr. Seth Hamman, Director of the Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity and Associate Professor of Computer Science, shares some unique insights about the differences between physical space and cyber space and their implications for security. He then explains how this impacts the way we need to educate the next generation of cybersecurity leaders.
Cybersecurity: Our Generation's Cold War
The Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity and Dr. Seth Hamman hosted a panel discussion, "Cybersecurity: Our Generation's Cold War," with guests Dr. Richard Harknett from the University of Cincinnati and Klon Kitchen from the American Enterprise Institute.
Cybersecurity Course Lecture
In a lecture titled "Introduction to Adversarial Thinking for Cybersecurity," Dr. Seth Hamman explains adversarial thinking, why it is important for cybersecurity, and how to improve adversarial thinking skills.
Meet the Director
Seth Hamman, Ph.D. – Director
Dr. Seth Hamman is the inaugural Director of the Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity and serves as Associate Professor of Cyber Operations and Computer Science. Dr. Hamman joined the faculty of Cedarville University’s School of Engineering and Computer Science in 2012, bringing real-world experience to the classroom from having worked in the tech industry, both as an employee of a startup dotcom and as a consultant. As a researcher he is interested in helping shape the young-and-growing discipline of cybersecurity education and integrating the Christian faith and computer science. Dr. Hamman holds a B.A. in religion from Duke University, a M.S. in computer science from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in computer science with an emphasis in cybersecurity from The Air Force Institute of Technology.
Nick Parry, M.S. – Assistant Director
Prof. Nick Parry is the Assistant Director of the Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity and Assistant Professor of Cyber Operations and Computer Science. He joined the faculty at Cedarville University in 2022 after 14 years as a software engineer in the cybersecurity industry. He has been employed at Northrop Grumman Xetron, Tenable Network Security, and CrowdStrike. His focus has been on secure cyber systems for the DoD and other government agencies, as well as commercial tools for vulnerability management and endpoint protection.
Meet the Faculty Fellows
Keith Shomper, Ph.D. - Faculty Fellow
Dr. Keith Shomper earned his PhD in Computer Science from the Ohio State University in 1993. In 2003, after his retirement from the United States Air Force and teaching assignments at the Air Force Institute of Technology and the Air Force Academy, he joined the Cedarville University faculty in the School of Engineering and Computer Science. He continues to serve that School as a Professor of Computer Science and as a Fellow in the Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity. In these roles Dr Shomper assists in the curricular design of Cedarville’s Computer Science (CS) and Cyber Operations (CY) majors. Dr Shomper also teaches a mix of courses for both the CS and CY majors in C++, algorithms, low-level programming, Linux system administration, and software engineering.
Patrick Dudenhofer, M.S. - Faculty Fellow
Patrick Dudenhofer joined the faculty at Cedarville University in 2014 after spending a decade at the Air Force Research Laboratory researching human-computer interfaces for effective supervision of autonomous systems. When not instructing computer science and cyber operation students at Cedarville, Patrick works on his PhD dissertation focused on software reverse engineering automation and spends his summers at a cybersecurity defense contractor in the Miami Valley. His academic interests and research include software reverse engineering, human-computer interaction, cognitive modeling, and cybersecurity.
Meet the Student Fellow
David Reid — 2022–23 Student Fellow
David Reid is a Cyber Operations and Computer Science double major in the Honors program. He hails from Columbus, Ohio but lived his early life in Beavercreek, Ohio. His pursuits at Cedarville include two National Cyber League Competitions and one Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition state title with the cyber team. During high school, he led and participated in several cybersecurity programs, including multiple years of CyberPatriot, a National Youth Cyber Defense Competition. As Student Fellow, David hopes to draw on his extensive experience from Civil Air Patrol to further the cyber center’s capabilities while fostering a Christ-honoring culture within the cyber program. In his spare time, he enjoys reading nonfiction and military history books, watching historical documentaries, and playing racquet sports and card games with friends.
Advisory Council
The School of Engineering and Computer Science Advisory Council provides
valuable industry and government insights and recommendations for our
Cybersecurity Program.
Activities, Resources, and Presentations
Using Technology Safely for Our Advantage
Alumnus and attorney Dino Tsibouris speaks to cybersecurity students about recent trends in information security and privacy laws.
Cyber Competitions
The Cedarville Cyber Team website provides information about competitions available to students, including the Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition and the National Cyber League.
Security Awareness
Cedarville's Information Technology department provides resources and general awareness of cyber security related topics.
Cybersecurity Resources
Cybersecurity-Related Academic Programs at Cedarville
Cedarville University offers several strong cyber-related academic programs, equipping our students for career success.