Cybersecurity at the University of Arizona: Regents' Professor Hsinchun Chen Featured on Arizona Public Media

April 25, 2016
Hsinchun Chen

 

A special thanks to AZ Public Media and Lorraine Rivera, Producer and Host of Arizona Week for this video. The video is part of Arizona Week’s episode #265 titled “Post-Snowden: More Conversations About Privacy, Cyber Security Innovation at The University of Arizona.”

Researchers and students at the University of Arizona are trying to shift the approach to cybersecurity from one of reaction to an analysis the people behind the attacks.

“We have the potential to do something good by understanding the intent, the motivation, the ecosystem,” said UA UA Regents' Professor of MIS and Artificial Intelligence Lab Director Hsinchun Chen.

The University of Arizona’s Artificial Intelligence Lab was established in 1990. Artificial Intelligence is a science that requires an understanding of human intelligence, math, data mining and algorithm development.
“In the simplest form, you are trying to teach a computer to do things humans are good at,” Chen said of artificial intelligence.

The possibility of applying this mindset to cybersecurity attracted Ph.D student Sagar Samtani to the lab. As part of the AZSecure Cybersecurity Fellowship Program he will eventually go on to work for a government service. “The area of work that we’re in right now has a lot of potential for societal impact,” Samtani said.

About the AZSecure Cybersecurity Fellowship Program. With funding from the National Science Foundation, the AZSecure Cybersecurity Fellowship Program offers full scholarships to qualified U.S. students in exchange for government service. The program is intended primarily for MIS Masters students, who receive two years of full funding. In exchange for the funding, the students serve a qualifying, paid summer internship and also commit to working in government service in a qualified agency for two years following graduation.

About Arizona Week. Arizona Week is a part of the Arizona Public Media. Each Friday, Arizona Week explores in-depth the top statewide news stories, through interviews with newsmakers, public policy experts, analysts and real people. Produced and hosted by Lorraine Rivera, the weekly public affairs program focuses on the topics of greatest importance to Arizonans. Its mission is to bring perspective, depth and understanding of the issues to our audience.