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McCrary Institute for Cyber & Critical Infrastructure Security

Harnessing America’s cyber experts to safeguard our nation.

Auburn University’s McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security seeks practical solutions to real-world problems, underpinned by research and scholarship. Founded in 2015 through a generous donation from the Alabama Power Foundation in honor of its retiring CEO and Auburn alumnus Charles D. McCrary, the Institute fuses theory with practice, and policy with technology, to protect and advance U.S. interests in the areas of cyber and critical infrastructure security.

The McCrary Institute is a nonpartisan think tank located at Auburn University, and is the leading group of public/private sector cyber experts providing unique end-to-end cyber capabilities from R&D, cybersecurity education/training, policy-relevant analysis, to future technology research.

As a top-tier research university, designated a Carnegie R1 institution, over 200 of Auburn’s on-campus faculty members conduct defense, cyber, and homeland security research for the Department of Defense, NASA, and other federal agencies.

All Episodes

Responding Effectively to Foreign Propaganda with Gavin Wilde

Gavin Wilde helped create the formal U.S. assessment of Russia's foreign influence campaigns in 2016 and 2020. Now a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, he's asking whether the drive to thwart those efforts in damaging our democracy. In today's episode, Gavin shares with Frank Cilluffo why he is pushing back on assumptions about those campaigns, and the real dangers of believing they are effective.

https://tnsr.org/2024/03/from-panic-to-policy-the-limits-of-foreign-propaganda-and-the-foundations-of-an-effective-response/
https://carnegieendowment.org/experts/2183

Listen: Episode 15

NIST's Cyber Framework 2.0 with Cheri Pascoe

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently updated its widely used Cybersecurity Framework. Cheri Pascoe, Director of the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE), joins us for this episode to talk about the new 2.0 edition of the framework, and why it's better equipped to respond to the current challenges cybersecurity professionals face.

Find the CSF 2.0 here.

Listen: Episode 14

Revealing Cyber News with Reuters' Chris Bing

As an investigative cyber reporter for Reuters, Chris Bing spends his days uncovering the facts behind the world's biggest cyber stories. In this episode he shares with Frank what it's like to break news on cyber criminal activities, including the ransomware attack on Change Healthcare wrecking havoc on the industry's payment processes. Chris also shares insights into how governments are cracking down.

https://www.reuters.com/authors/christopher-bing/

Listen: Episode 13

Recent News

Biden puts his stamp on DOE’s grid security role

ENERGYWIRE | A new national security memorandum signed Tuesday by President Joe Biden updates the government’s decade-old strategy for defending U.S. infrastructure against natural disasters, cyberattacks and physical assaults.

5/1/24 7:05 AM

Auburn’s McCrary Institute and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to partner on first regional cybersecurity center to protect the nation’s electricity grid

Auburn University’s McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security was awarded a $10 million Department of Energy grant in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to create a pilot regional cybersecurity research and operations center to protect the electric power grid against cyber attacks.

4/18/24 10:00 AM

Cyber Focus- Bill Evanina

Former FBI and National Counterintelligence and Security Center director Bill Evanina joins Cyber Focus to discuss his career fighting terrorism, espionage, and cyber threats. Evanina outlines the counterintelligence landscape, especially regarding China, and stresses the importance of supply chain security and preparing infrastructure for cyber attacks. He emphasizes the need to secure emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing from theft. On disinformation, Evanina says we need an independent entity to verify content He advises individuals to have emergency plans, like meeting spots, in case of cyber incidents that disrupt communications.

4/1/24 7:00 AM

The New National Cybersecurity Strategy-A Strategic Step Forward

This article by Frank J. Cilluffo, director of Auburn University's McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security, discusses the recently released National Cybersecurity Strategy. The strategy outlines five key pillars, with the first two - defending critical infrastructure and disrupting threat actors - being foundational. The article highlights the importance of public-private collaboration, the need to strengthen federal operational capabilities, and the strategy's ambitious goal of creating a more resilient system of networks. Overall, the new strategy aims to elevate cybersecurity as a mainstream national security priority.

4/1/24 7:00 AM

Senate Confirms Navy, NSA Veteran Coker as National Cyber Director

Harry Coker, Jr., a former Navy veteran and third-in-command at the National Security Agency and McCrary Institute Senior Fellow, has been confirmed as the national cyber director. In his role heading the Office of the National Cyber Director, Coker will oversee the implementation of the Biden administration's cybersecurity strategy and work on shaping AI and cybersecurity policies. He stressed the importance of partnering with industry and diversifying the IT talent pool in government recruitment efforts. Coker will also serve on the White House's AI Council.

1/2/24 10:00 AM

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Applied Research, Development, & Commercialization

The McCrary Institute’s experts work to safeguard America as an applied research, development, and commercialization partner supporting government, military, national labs and industry clients. We focus our work on critical infrastructure sectors including energy & water, space & defense, transportation, rural industries, and more. By leveraging a world class Southeast Cybersecurity Operations Center and classified labs, we help solve some of America’s greatest threats and challenges.

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