Advancing Information Security Expertise

More than any other nation, America is increasingly reliant upon its cyberspace. As observed by the President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection, this rapid growth has created a "new dimension of vulnerability, which, when combined with an emerging constellation of threats, poses unprecedented national risks." To swiftly minimize America's potential vulnerabilities, a genuine partnership and a closely coordinated effort among industry, government, and academia are required.

Located in Virginia, the Commonwealth Information Security Center (CISC) is a collaborative effort that includes several Virginia universities including James Madison University, George Mason University, Hampton University, Virginia Tech, along with industry and government partners. The center was formed in July 2001 by a competitive grant from Commonwealth Technology Research Fund.

The mission of the CISC is to enhance information security responsibly by conducting technology and policy research; educating the public, policy makers, and a new generation of professionals; and, facilitating technology transfer among governments, businesses, and universities

CISC Research

CISC Research focuses on four research areas and is comprised of a federation of researchers from across the Commonwealth of Virginia spanning multiple disciplines including Computer Science, Business Administration, Social Sciences, Political Sciences, and Law.