The College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC) under the University of Albany, New York, has inaugurated two new laboratories focused on open source intelligence (OSINT) and smart device security.
The Open Source Intelligence Laboratory (OSI Lab), led by associate professor Stephen Coulthart, will be a national focal point for advanced research on open-source techniques and tools in a wide variety of applications such as social media monitoring, digital forensics and geospatial analysis.
The lab will focus on promoting “OSINT for good.”
“One does not need to look far to see how the explosion in open source information is changing how we think about security,” said Coulthart, who is part of CEHC’s Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. “Look at the recent news about the Pentagon document leaks. It showed how quickly journalists using open source searching could track down the leaker. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has illustrated the usefulness of OSINT as well.”
“The purpose of this lab is to develop and share best practices around open source intelligence and to prepare the next generation of homeland security professionals.”
Outside of working with CEHC faculty and students, Coulthart also plans to host professional development seminars and produce open-source intelligence products for external stakeholders.
The Hack-IoT (Internet of Things) Laboratory is led by Assistant Professor Benjamin Yankson and is focused on security vulnerabilities in a wide variety of smart devices that are available for consumer purchase.
Through the Hack-IoT Lab, Yankson, and his team of student interns, are investigating and assessing IoT hardware, software and the all-important nexus between them, with a focus on identifying and mitigating security vulnerabilities.
“We are focused on any small-scale IoT device that can be connected to your home,” said Yankson, who is part of CEHC’s Cybersecurity Department. “Can this device be used by a cyber criminal to collect private information about you? We want to both help consumers understand the privacy risks and work with companies to make their devices more secure.”
The new labs add to a half dozen research entities operated by CEHC professors inside of UAlbany’s ETEC research and development complex — with more scheduled for launch in the near future.
Image source: albany.edu
