Secure Channels Blending Academic Theory and Practical Experience by Partnering with Georgetown University’s Technology Management Graduate Program  

Program Headed by Dr. Maria F. Trujillo Brings Together Graduate Students and Secure Channels Executives to Work on Dynamic Cybersecurity Problems

Secure Channels Inc., a provider of innovative security solutions has entered into an academic partnership with Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies’ Technology Management (TM) and Systems Engineering Management (SEM) graduate programs. Students in these programs will work with Secure Channels to explore an innovative security technology solution from the perspectives of technology management and systems engineering management. The outcomes of these explorations will be captured in the students’ Capstone projects, which are the culmination of their graduate programs at Georgetown. The company and Georgetown are also developing plans to conduct a “Cryptosystem Capture the Flag” event in late spring 2019.

Capstone projects are the means by which students in the Technology Management and Systems Engineering Management graduate programs demonstrate mastery of concepts learned throughout their course of study. The academic partnership between Georgetown and Secure Channels will enable the students to apply the skills and knowledge acquired in the academic environment to a real-world setting. This partnership will foster productive communication between students and corporate partners.

TM and SEM Capstone program students will work with senior Secure Channels executives including Adam Firestone, Chief Engineering Officer, and Hilary MacMillan, Executive Vice President for Solutions Architecture, to explore real-world applications of their skills. Mr. Firestone and Ms. MacMillan are, in addition to their duties at Secure Channels, adjunct professors at Georgetown University, where they teach graduate courses in systems engineering, technology management, and cryptography.

The initial capstone project will focus on the use of User and Entity Behavioral Analytics (UEBA) within an enhanced enterprise cryptosystem to identify and thwart insider threats. Students will explore and define solutions that involve technologies including encryption, key management, pattern and event recognition, data protection, and several others. The project will culminate with the creation of a technology development plan that details the necessary requirements and technical approach. It will also include a detailed roadmap, targeted platforms, resourcing plans and schedules, and a complete guide for taking the developed solution to market.

The partnership is spearheaded by Maria F. Trujillo, Ph.D., Faculty Director and Associate Professor of the Practice of the MPS in Technology Management and MPS in Systems Engineering Management at Georgetown University. “We’re thrilled to partner with Secure Channels and are eager to have our students carry out their capstone with direct exposure to cutting-edge, relevant, and important technology,” said Dr. Trujillo. “Technology evolves rapidly, so it’s vital we provide students with access to innovative industry partners who are creating the next generation of critical technologies such as encryption and insider threat management. The UEBA sponsored capstone gives our students an opportunity to showcase the skills they’ve developed at Georgetown and apply them to real-world technologies in a collaborative environment.”

“We need fresh sets of eyes to look at the world’s most pressing cybersecurity problems, and bright students have great perspectives on ways to improve and invent technology,” said Richard Blech, Chief Executive Officer of Secure Channels Inc. “Capstones are a wonderful way to help students ask the right questions and to prepare them for life after graduation. We’re excited to partner with Georgetown and the TM and SEM programs. We welcome these students with open arms as this represents a great way to blend our technology with applied professional studies to create better solutions.”

Maria F. Trujillo has more than 30 years of experience in solving problems using technology, education and knowledge. Her main areas of expertise include capacity development, knowledge and project management, including information audits, curriculum development, and systems analysis. She has taught Global Innovation—the Silicon Valley effect, ICT4D, Ethics for Technology Managers, Capstone, and Managing Diverse Organizations in a Flat World at the graduate level. She holds a Ph.D. in International Development and Technology Transfer from Tulane University, an M.S. in Artificial Intelligence in Knowledge Based Systems from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the Universidad del Valle in Colombia.

For more information about Secure Channels’ solutions, visit www.securechannels.com.

About Secure Channels Inc.
Secure Channels Inc. offers innovative, agile security solutions designed to seamlessly integrate with organizations’ existing solutions. Agnostic by nature, solutions customize to user environments without compromising protection. Our mission is to help organizations make the most of their active security tools used for authentication and data protection, while providing a cost and performance effective solution to address the ever-increasing security challenges organizations face today. For more information, visit www.securechannels.com.

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