FIU's Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy recently entered into a formal agreement with the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB), a part of the Organization of American States, to provide research, education and internship opportunities in cybersecurity for FIU students.
The agreement, formally signed by Dean John F. Stack Jr. of the Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs, along with representatives from IADB and the Inter-American Defense Foundation (IADF), is a major step for the Gordon Institute, which leads Cybersecurity@FIU, an emerging preeminent program at FIU.
“It was an honor to host Brigadier General Stephen LaCroix, and other leadership of the IADB at FIU,” said Brian Fonseca, director of the Gordon Institute, which invited the IADB to participate in its Summer Institute on National Security Studies, sponsored by the Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence (IC-CAE) program. “I am proud of our assistant director, Randy Pestana, for building this partnership and forging this agreement.''
Created in 1942 by foreign ministers of 21 states, the IADB is now the oldest existing defense organization in the world. Its purpose is to provide the OAS and its members with technical and educational advice on military and defense issues in the Western Hemisphere.
Under the agreement with FIU, IADB will provide students with research opportunities on matters of mutual interest to IADB and the university, including cybersecurity and cyber defense. Students will present the results of their work to IADB leadership during the Gordon Institute's annual Intelligence Fellowship spring break trip to Washington, D.C.
FIU students will also receive more opportunities for internships and training through the IADB and IADF. In addition, FIU students will participate in tabletop exercises during the IADB's 2020 Cyber Defense Conference, which will list FIU as a co-sponsor and include an FIU representative as a speaker or panelist. Finally, FIU will host an IADB event on cybersecurity threats in the Western Hemisphere for students.
Cybersecurity@FIU – a recently-launched partnership at FIU between the Gordon Institute, College of Engineering & Computing, College of Business, College of Law and the Division of IT – focuses on digital defense and protection issues that impact the global cyber landscape and examines complex human and social questions related to privacy policies and trust.
The initiative combines technical cybersecurity strength in areas such as cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things, cloud computing and storage with complementary expertise in international and public affairs, business and law.