Teaching
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” — Maimonides
About Me
I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology at George Mason University. I serve as the Associate Director of the Center for Secure Information Systems (CSIS), and as the Associate Chair for Research of the Department of Information Sciences and Technology. I received my Ph.D. degree in Computer Science and Engineering in 2005 from the University of Naples Federico II, and joined George Mason University in 2011 after serving as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Maryland, College Park. My research interests are in the area of Information and Network Security, with particular emphasis on Modeling and Detection of Cyber Attacks, Cyber Situational Awareness, Network Hardening, Moving Target Defense, Configuration Security, and Vulnerability Metrics.
As of Spring 2023, I have participated in sponsored research projects totaling $12.5M, with a personal share of $3.5M. I hold a U.S. Patent and has co-authored a book and over 70 publications in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. I am one of the three recipients of the 2014 Mason Emerging Researcher/Scholar/Creator Award, one of the most prestigious honors at Mason. I have served on the technical program committee of numerous conferences and I am a member of the Editorial Board of IEEE Internet of Things Journal, Springer International Journal of Information Security, IET Information Security, and Elsevier Computer & Security.
My Institutional Website-
IT 425: Election Security Spring 2024
Fair and secure elections are essential to democracy. Voting systems are as much a part of our nation’s critical infrastructure as are transportation, energy, and water systems. Thus, the importance of securing state and local voting systems that support both national and local elections cannot be underestimated. This course provides an overview of the historical, cultural, and political significance of voting, the technical issues of securing election processes, and careers in service for public good. The course covers typical election system infrastructures, their operation, and the voting systems security guidelines and locality election security standards set by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Topics include risk assessment of registrar information systems, analysis of system and network documentation for accuracy, software patches, systems updates, configuring and deploying appropriate security software, and ensuring compliance with best practices in securing systems. This course may be taken independently or as the required gateway course for the Virginia Cyber Navigator Internship Program (VA-CNIP).
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IT 425: Election Security Fall 2023
Fair and secure elections are essential to democracy. Voting systems are as much a part of our nation’s critical infrastructure as are transportation, energy, and water systems. Thus, the importance of securing state and local voting systems that support both national and local elections cannot be underestimated. This course provides an overview of the historical, cultural, and political significance of voting, the technical issues of securing election processes, and careers in service for public good. The course covers typical election system infrastructures, their operation, and the voting systems security guidelines and locality election security standards set by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Topics include risk assessment of registrar information systems, analysis of system and network documentation for accuracy, software patches, systems updates, configuring and deploying appropriate security software, and ensuring compliance with best practices in securing systems. This course may be taken independently or as the required gateway course for the Virginia Cyber Navigator Internship Program (VA-CNIP).
Inspirational Quote of the Day
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” — Steve Jobs