The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) is hiring a Bulk Power System Cybersecurity Specialist to join a team working with industry to help advance the concepts of a cyber-physical system and integration of cyber and physical security into conventional grid planning, operations, design, and restoration activities.
The position requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university.
Download more information about the position here.
Visit the NERC Career Opportunities webpage here.
Position Summary
The Bulk Power System Cybersecurity Specialist is responsible for providing cyber and physical security subject matter expertise in support of the Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) Enterprise evaluation and management of risks to reliability, security, and resilience of the bulk power system (BPS). This role will assist, lead, and manage various projects related to supporting industry integration of cyber and physical security into all aspects of system planning, operations, and restoration. It will also help industry with integrating new technologies and addressing emerging reliability and security issues. The role will coordinate with other departments within NERC as well as with the E-ISAC. This position reports to the Senior Manager of Bulk Power System Security and Grid Transformation.
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) is a not-for-profit international regulatory authority whose mission is to assure the effective and efficient reduction of risks to the reliability and security of the grid. NERC develops and enforces Reliability Standards; annually assesses seasonal and long‐term reliability; monitors the bulk power system through system awareness; and educates, trains, and certifies industry personnel.
On May 18, 2021, Dr. Guy Hembroff, Applied Computing, presented an invited talk at a meeting of Michigan’s Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS). Dr. Hembroff discussed his work developing a trusted framework architecture designed to improve population health management and patient engagement.
The talk demonstrated his team’s work in the development of accurate geo-tagged pandemic prediction algorithms, which are used to help coordinate medical supply chains to care for patients most vulnerable to COVID-19, an innovation that can be extended to help improve general population health management.
The framework of the pandemic prediction architecture, which aggregates longitudinal patient health data, including patient generated health data and social determinants of health, is a holistic and secure mHealth community model. The model can help Michigan residents overcome significant barriers in healthcare, while providing healthcare agencies with improved and coordinated population management and pandemic prediction.
The architecture’s machine learning algorithms strategically connect residents to community resources, providing customized health education aimed to increase the health literacy, empowerment and self-management of patients. The security of the architecture includes development of unique health identifiers and touch-less biometrics capable of large-scale identity management.
Dr. Guy Hembroff is an associate professor in the Applied Computing department of the Michigan Tech College of Computing, and director of the Health Informatics graduate program. His areas of expertise are network engineering, medical/health informatics, biometric development, intelligent medical devices, data analytics, and cybersecurity.
The event was sponsored by HIMSS and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM).
A mission-driven non-profit, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, Inc. (HIMSS) is a global advisor and thought leader supporting the transformation of the health ecosystem through information and technology, according to the organization’s website.
Dr. Guy Hembroff presented a talk to representatives of a number of digital health startup companies May 20, 2021, as part of an event hosted by the the HealthSpark program of 20 Fathoms, an entrepreneurial-focused member organization in Traverse City, Michigan.
The startup companies, in many U.S. locations, are being mentored by 20 Fathoms members.
Dr. Hembroff is an Associate Professor of Applied Computing and director of the Health Informatics Master of Science degree program at Michigan Tech.
Dr. Hembroff’s talk, “Cybersecurity and Privacy + X: Best Practices for Health Startups,” was designed to help startup companies gain awareness of and plan strategically for the cybersecurity and privacy elements of their company, affiliations with vendors, and the rights and protections of consumers.
Talk topics included an overview of data security and privacy, web security, scams and fraud detection and protection, mobile device security, network security, incident response, digital health data integration and interoperability, and protection from ransomware attacks.
The HealthSpark program is Traverse City’s digital health accelerator. The organization advances innovation and facilitates solutions that will resolve today’s challenges in rural healthcare. A community-focused initiative, HealthSpark work sto bring world-class healthcare solutions to rural patients through the advancement of digital technology.
20Fathoms is a membership organization for entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, tech professionals, creatives, and other innovators in the the Traverse City, Michigan, region.
Led by a team of experts who have walked-the-walk, we provide services, resources, support, and a robust network to help our members accelerate both their careers and businesses, according to the 20Fathoms website.
Apply now for Michigan Tech’s 2021-22 cohort of Cybersecurity Scholars and jumpstart your cybersecurity career!
The deadline to apply is June 1, 2021.
This generous scholarship opportunity provides up to three years of tuition and annual stipend.
Then, following completion of your degree, you’ll work in a cybersecurity-related position for a federal, state, local, or tribal agency for up to three years– a period equal to the length of your scholarship.
See full guidelines, requirements, and application information on the SFS website: mtu.edu/sfs.
Eligible Degree Programs
- BS in Cybersecurity (CyS)
- BS in Computer Network and System Administration (CNSA)
- BS in Computer Science (CS)
- BS in Software Engineering (SE)
- BS in Computer Engineering (CpE)
- BS in Electrical Engineering (EE)
- BS in Management Information Systems (MIS)
- MS in Cybersecurity
Ready to apply? Visit mtu.edu/sfs
Questions? Email sfs@mtu.edu
Or Contact: Project PI Profesor Yu Cai, or any key faculty member: Professor Jean Mayo, Professor Todd O. Arney, Professor Bo Chen, Professor Chee-Wooi Ten, Professor Kedmon N. Hungwe, and Dr. Laura Kasson Fiss.
The Michigan Tech SFS Program
The SFS program at Michigan Tech involves multiple programs and departments, including the College of Computing and its departments of Applied Computing and Computer Science; the College of Engineering’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; and the College of Business’s Management Information Systems B.S. program.
“The U.S. is facing a significant shortage of well-trained and well-prepared cybersecurity professionals,” said Dr. Yu Cai, professor of applied computing and the principal investigator of the grant. “This new scholarship will continue to develop Michigan Tech’s national and international reputation as a leader and innovator in cybersecurity education, research and outreach activities.”
The five-year, $3.3 million NSF grant provides up to three years of full scholarship support for 20 Michigan Tech undergraduate and graduate students.
About the NSF Scholarship
Protecting worldwide digital infrastructure has become an urgent focus of industry and government. And employment in this sector is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years.
In response, the National Science Foundation CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service (SFS) program was introduced as a nationwide program to recruit and train the next generation of information technology professionals, industrial control system security professionals, and security managers.
Sidike Paheding (AC/ICC) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $19,037 research and development grant from Purdue University. The two-year project is titled, “Cybersecurity Modules Aligned with Undergraduate Computer Science and Engineering Curricula.”
The project aims to serve the national interest by improving how cybersecurity concepts are taught in undergraduate computing curricula.
The grant is a sub-award of a $159,417 Purdue University NSF project . View that project here.
Abstract
This project aims to serve the national interest by improving how cybersecurity concepts are taught in undergraduate computing curricula. The need to design and maintain cyber-secure computing systems is increasingly important. As a result, the future technology workforce must be trained to have a security mindset, so that they consider cybersecurity during rather than after system design. This project aims to achieve this goal by building plug-and-play, hands-on cybersecurity modules for core courses in Computer Engineering, and Computer Science and Engineering. The modules will align with the curricula recommended by the Association for Computing Machinery and will be designed for easy adoption into computing programs nationwide. Modules will be designed for integration into both introductory and advanced courses, thus helping students develop in-depth understanding of cybersecurity as they progress through their computing curriculum. It is expected that the project will encourage more students to pursue careers or higher degrees in the field of cybersecurity.
The project will examine how the modules may be best integrated into existing curricula and the effects of the modules on student learning and interest in cybersecurity. Assessment will leverage several methods including (a) a task load index to quantify rigor, (b) surveys to gain insight into the development of students’ security mindset and perceptions of cybersecurity, and (c) analysis of learning using analytical course rubrics. Deliverables of this project will include a suite of plug-and-play cybersecurity modules for Computer Engineering and Computer Science and Engineering courses that span from introductory to advanced levels and that meet standards for content breadth and depth. The results will be disseminated through publications, presentations, press releases, and social media to ensure that project outcomes are shared widely. The NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education and Human Resources Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.