Center for Cyber Security

Welcome to the University of the Cumberlands' Center for Cyber Security!

The Superheroes of our Cyber Society

Welcome to the University of the Cumberlands Center for Cyber Security! Every place that technology exists is at risk for cyber-attacks, and technology is everywhere. At UC, we will train you to spot and correct cyber vulnerabilities and combat cyber threats with the efficiency of a professional. As a member of the National CyberWatch Center, Cumberlands students participate in competitions across the country in order to refine their skills and become the best line of defense against any attacks. The Center of Cyber Security is devoted to stopping cyber security threats and spreading knowledge. Where will your talents take you?

Cyber Center's Mission

The mission of the Center for Cyber Security is to provide a collaborative hub of information security expertise, resources, and communications to all those interested in pursuing knowledge in the dynamic, complex field of information assurance. 

The Center strives to uphold our mission by serving students in our Master of Science in Information Security System (MSISS) program, as well as complementary undergraduate and graduate programs, both contemporary and forthcoming in nature as we grow. We seek to benefit communities across the state and country that are often vulnerable to cyber-attacks, creating environments that promote and improve information safety. From governmental bodies to small businesses, UC’s Center for Cyber Security is equipped to advance our mission through valuable learning opportunities and courses taught by professionals within the field and hands-on experience. 

Cyber Center Resources

  • (ISC)²  - An international nonprofit membership association focused on inspiring a safe and secure cyber world.
  • NSA - The National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) leads the U.S. Government in cryptology that encompasses both Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) and Information Assurance (IA) products and services, and enables Computer Network Operations (CNO) in order to gain a decision advantage for the Nation and our allies under all circumstances.
  • US-CERT - Alerts from States Computer Emergency Readiness Team
  • Krebs on Security - Former Washington Post staffer Brian Krebs writes on cyber crime and other Internet security topics.
  • Infosec Island - Internet and Enterprise Security News, Insight & Analysis

Cyber Center Board of Advisors

Kara Bradley

Director of Third-Party Risk Management, United Community Bank

Brian Chaney

Supervisor of Dispatch, Business Processes and Technical Services, Cumberland Valley Electric

Brian Logan

Information Technology Educator, Whitley County School System

Jeff Thurmond

IT Director of Field Services, Service Desk, and Technical Services, Baptist Health

Cyber Club

The University of the Cumberlands Cyber Club is a student run organization based in the School of Computer and Information Sciences. The purpose is to develop and encourage cyber security awareness and application by providing students with the tools and education needed to advance their cyber security careers. To accomplish this goal, the club organizes community outreach programs about security related topics, host tech talks and guest speakers and participates in security related conferences.

Interested in joining us? We look forward to seeing you at our next weekly meeting at the Cordell house! You can find us there every Tuesday at 6 pm. 

Shall we play a game? If so, we encourage you to compete on the Cyber Team that participates in competitions against other universities from around the world. The Team meets throughout the academic year, and competes annually in collegiate cyber competitions. These competitions ask student teams to assume administrative and protective duties for resources designed to emulate various scenarios. Teams are scored on their ability to detect and respond to outside threats, maintain services, crack passwords, and perform forensic investigations on a previous attack.  While having fun, team members develop skills that will prepare them for future careers.

Two men in glasses sitting behind a row of computers.
  • Dylan Bargo
  • Andrew Farthing
  • Daniel Ruiz Ramis
  • Hannah Tan

Center for Cyber Security News

The world of cyber security is ever-evolving. Use our news resources below to stay ahead of this innovative field and make the most of your experiences in the industry.

Information Security Specialist Working on Laptop
Blog
What Is Information Security? How Earning a Degree Keeps Everyone Safe
Person Working on Technology
Blog
Discover the Truth With Digital Forensics
Cyber Engineer at Work
Blog
What Is Cyber Engineering?

Upcoming Events

A welcome competition where we invite local students from the tri-county area to participate in cyber-security awareness and concepts. 

Codebreaker Challenge consists of a series of tasks that are worth various point values based on their difficulty. Schools will be ranked according to the total number of points accumulated by their students. Solutions may be submitted at any time for the duration of the Challenge. The initial tasks are divided into two sequences which can be solved independently. Later tasks may rely on the results of earlier tasks. While not required, we recommend you solve tasks in order, since they flow with the storyline and may, in fact, be unsolvable without the information recovered from previous tasks.

he National Cyber League, powered by Cyber Skyline, is a virtual, learning-centered cybersecurity competition designed to bridge the gap from curriculum to careers!

Past Events

National Cyber League (NCL) is a virtual learning competition for college and high school students centered around hacking, reverse engineering, and capture the flag challenges. Students sign up through their school to participate in the weekend-long individual and team competitions

National Cyber League (NCL) is a virtual learning competition for college and high school students centered around hacking, reverse engineering, and capture the flag challenges. Students sign up through their school to participate in the weekend-long individual and team competitions.

NSA Codebreakers offers students the chance to test their skills against various cybersecurity challenges.

National Cyber League (NCL) is a virtual learning competition for college and high school students centered around hacking, reverse engineering, and capture the flag challenges. Students sign up through their school to participate in the weekend-long individual and team competitions.

National Cyber League (NCL) is a virtual learning competition for college and high school students centered around hacking, reverse engineering, and capture the flag challenges. Students sign up through their school to participate in the weekend-long individual and team competitions.

National Cyber League (NCL) is a virtual learning competition for college and high school students centered around hacking, reverse engineering, and capture the flag challenges. Students sign up through their school to participate in the weekend-long individual and team competitions.

Male student sitting on a brick wall outside, holding a laptop.

Cyber Center Education

Dr. Raed Sbeit

Dr. Raed Sbeit

Associate Professor
School of Computer Information Sciences
Information Systems Security

Dr. Raed Sbeit

Contact Information

raed.sbeit [at] ucumberlands.edu
Brad Tipton

Brad Tipton

Database Administrator and Software Development
Information Systems Security
Information Technology

Brad Tipton

Contact Information

606-539-4197
brad.tipton [at] ucumberlands.edu
NKY Campus

Contact Us

Email: cybercenter [at] ucumberlands.edu (cybercenter[at]ucumberlands[dot]edu) 
Phone: 606.539.5506

Cyber Center Project Lead
Machica McClain
Email: machica.mcclain [at] ucumberlands.edu (machica[dot]mcclain[at]ucumberlands[dot]edu)

For more info or to schedule an event:
Seth Gilliam
Phone: 606.539.5506
Email: seth.gilliam [at] ucumberlands.edu (seth[dot]gilliam[at]ucumberlands[dot]edu)