The Information Networking Institute (INI)

Have you been thinking about a new career in Artificial Intelligence (AI), networking, cybersecurity or engineering policy? Join us for our next virtual information session and learn how our programs can prepare you for exciting careers in these fields and many more.

Whether you're ready to pursue a master's degree now or are just starting your research, this event will provide you with essential insights into the INI programs and CMU.

If you register and attend this session, we'll waive your application fee ($75)! This waiver will be automatically applied when you start an application.

Virtual Information Session
Thursday, September 12
10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. ET
Register here: https://loom.ly/vAUy-pQ

This week has been exciting as classes have begun and studying has started. Students also had a chance to hear from an INI alum Archie Agrawal about her day-to-day experiences in our "Day In The Life" series.

Thank you to the students who shared pictures from their first few days at the INI:

Ayush Shah
Danielle Wicklund
Prajwal Kumar
Yash Bobde

Our programs pair innovation with deep technical knowledge, rooted in our faculty's passion for learning and wealth of experience.

One of the more recent additions to our faculty, Assistant Teaching Professor Pedro Bustamante, is an expert in information networking and teaches a mix of core courses in our Master of Science in Information Networking (MSIN) and special topics courses. Bustamante has explored various areas of networking, from wired and wireless networks to Software Defined Networking (SDN) and policy. We spoke with Bustamante about his time at the INI and what drives him as an educator.

Read the full interview: https://loom.ly/vCFhK5I

Faculty Spotlight: Professor Pedro Bustamante and Building a Stronger Internet - Information Networking Institute - College of Engineering - Carnegie Mellon University Assistant Teaching Professor Pedro Bustamante is a recent addition to the Information Networking Institute (INI) faculty. Bustamante, located at the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Pittsburgh campus, teaches several courses focused on networking and telecommunications. Pulling from his years of exp...

There are still three days left to submit your application for the Spring 2025 semester! Submit your application by 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, August 30th.

Kick-start your next chapter with an INI degree. Learn from experts in cybersecurity, information networking, AI and IoT, engage with a global network of alumni and gain the technical skills to help turn your dreams into a reality.

Learn more about the application here: https://loom.ly/7WrFCfY

We wrapped up another orientation and started off the semester with a bang on our annual INI Boat Cruise. Students had a chance to see the city of bridges up close, connect with each other and unwind before tackling the semester. We can't wait to see what you will all achieve at the INI!

Orientation Day 2 = done 💪

Today students learned about some of the resources and opportunities available on campus, including:
💼 Daniel Carr, our Director of Career Services, gave some great advice on making the most of career advising at the INI.

🔒 Lorrie Cranor from Carnegie Mellon University CyLab presented about security and privacy research and courses.

🎤 Hanan Hibshi, an assistant teaching professor at the INI *and* INI alum, presented about academic policies.

🤝 A panel of current INI students shared advice for incoming students about life in Pittsburgh, managing coursework and the internship search. Thank you, Dhruv Jain, Aditya Giri, Olivia Wu, Shyamal Vaderia and Jaafar Gharib!

We held the first day of our orientation today. It's always a joy to meet the next class at the start of a new semester! Students were introduced to our staff and each other as they developed their class motto, explored campus and learned about all their resources here at the INI. We look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow!

📆 The countdown is on! Our Spring 2025 application deadline is almost here: Friday, August 30, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET. ⏰

Whether you want to excel as a security engineer or found your own technical startup, our degree programs are customizable and interdisciplinary, allowing you to build your own path. You'll get hands-on mentorship from expert faculty, opportunities for advanced research and projects and access to our global network of alumni.

🔗 Ready to join us? Apply at https://loom.ly/7WrFCfY

We had a great time at the DEFCON Hacking Conference! From workshops and meetups to our annual favorite — the DEF CON Capture the Flag (CTF) competition — we loved connecting with hackers from across the country.

Thank you to all our students who represented the INI:
Sai Sathvik Ruppa
Mohammed Rayyan Shaikh
Kiranbaskar Velumurugan
Natasha Timothy
Rohil Chaudhry
Adam Hunt

A special thanks to INI alums Weijia Yan and Sam Dlinn for organizing the event.

And congratulations to the Plaid Parliament of Pwning (PPP) for their third consecutive win at DEF CON's CTF.

We are thrilled to welcome Honda 99P Labs as a returning sponsor of the INI Practicum! Through Practicum projects, our students work closely with industry professionals, gaining real-world experience and helping to solve complex problems.

This year, students working with 99P labs will build a sandbox environment to learn about and develop countermeasures for machine learning targeted attacks.

Over the past 35 years, we've hit a lot of milestones:

💪 Founded with a unique graduate program integrating computer science and communications engineering
🔒 Launched one of the nation's first graduate programs in information security
🗺️ Established CMU's first international degree program in Athens, Greece
📍 Built international programs in Portugal and Japan
🤖 Designed the first AI engineering degree to focus on information security
🎓 Graduated over 2,800 engineers ready to make a difference in the world ... and still counting

We're grateful to everyone who's been part of the journey!

INI alum and co-founder of oak9, Aakash Shah is working to make security easier by building it into the software development process. With the acquisition of oak9 by Drata earlier this year, he is leading the integration of oak9 into the Drata platform, creating a new capability that integrates automated security with compliance. We spoke with Shah about his experience as a security startup founder and his advice for aspiring security entrepreneurs.

Read about the acquisition and Shah's journey at the INI: https://loom.ly/8eH_0Qg

With Drata Acquisition, oak9 Founder and INI Alum Aakash Shah Welcomes a New Era of Security Automation - Information Networking Institute - College of Engineering - Carnegie Mellon University Information Networking Institute (INI) alum Aakash Shah is on a mission to make security engineering easier. With the recent acquisition of his startup oak9 by Drata, a compliance automation platform, that mission just got bigger.

There's still time to submit your application for Spring 2025! If you're ready to kickstart a career in as a Security Engineer, Software Developer, Threat Analyst, technical entrepreneur and more, remember to submit your application before 11:59 p.m. Friday, August 30, 2024.

Learn more about the application here: https://www.cmu.edu/ini/admissions/howtoapply.html

From cybersecurity and entrepreneurship to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ethics, our faculty have deep technical knowledge built from years of experience.

Professor David Varodayan joined the INI in 2020 on the CMU Silicon Valley campus. Varodayan is passionate about AI and teaches core courses in the INI's first-of-its-kind AI engineering security degree, the MS in AI Engineering - Information Security. We spoke with Varodayan to learn more about his journey, passion for AI and what he sees for the future of the field.

Read the full interview: https://loom.ly/1lbShVU

Faculty Spotlight: Professor David Varodayan and the Future of Artificial Intelligence - Information Networking Institute - College of Engineering - Carnegie Mellon University Since 2020, David Varodayan has been an Associate Teaching Professor at the Information Networking Institute (INI) at the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Silicon Valley campus. He teaches several courses from introductory courses in computer systems to Artificial Intelligence (AI) application use i...

We are proud to sponsor 2024 SquadCon, powered by Blackgirlshack! SquadCon brings together diverse perspectives to address the issues facing women, girls and LGBTQ+ people in the cybersecurity field.

SquadCon will be at the Industrial in Las Vegas from August 6-8, 2024.

Register today: https://loom.ly/1AHgNLI

Our alumni community is passionate about encouraging the next generation of leaders, so we've gathered some of their best advice on entering the workplace and finding success.

Our 2024 Diploma Ceremony keynote speaker, Samuel Edoho-Eket, has a wealth of experience in cybersecurity he gained while working in the public and private sectors. Edoho-Eket served as a technical director with the Department of Defense (DoD) before founding his company PrismSix Technologies. Thinking back on his experience as a student, Edoho-Eket shared his insight on what's important in life.

Applications for Spring 2025 are due on August 30! Do you have questions about our unique degree programs or preparing a strong application? Join our admissions team for a virtual session with essential insights into the INI programs and life at CMU.

If you register and attend this session, we'll waive your application fee ($75)! This waiver will be automatically applied when you start an application.

Virtual Information Session
Thursday, August 15
10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. ET
Register here: https://loom.ly/-oIYMtw

picoCTF: High School Hacking Competition is making cybersecurity education more accessible to everyone. Helmed by Carnegie Mellon University CyLab's Megan Kearns, with the INI's own Hanan Hibshi as a faculty advisor, the program has grown steadily since its inception in 2013.

Beyond the hacking competition that invites participants with all levels of experience to practice their cybersecurity skills, they developed a new initiative designed to give teachers the tools to educate their students on cybersecurity fundamentals. GenCyber is in its second year and recently wrapped up another successful camp.

Read more about picoCTF: https://loom.ly/2LKt1YU

CMU’s picoCTF Seeks To Make Cybersecurity Education More Accessible Eleven years after its inception, the picoCTF Capture The Flag (CTF) has expanded beyond the range of a simple hacking competition and now serves as an educational platform for various concepts in cybersecurity.

We had a great time connecting with everyone at Bsidespgh! It's exciting to see this security conference based in our hometown continue to grow 💪

We are proud to sponsor The Diana Initiative 2024 conference. With a mission dedicated to uplifting underrepresented people in information security, The Diana Initiative is an important partner in the effort to diversify the security field. Join us at the The Westin Las Vegas Hotel & Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada on Monday, August 5. We can't wait to see you there!

Do you have a passion for cybersecurity, information networking and engineering? The Information Networking Institute can help you develop the skills to follow your passions. Join us for our next virtual information session and learn about how our programs can prepare you for an exciting career.

Whether you're ready to pursue a Master's degree or are just starting your research, this event will provide you with essential insights into the INI programs.

If you register and attend this session, we'll waive your application fee ($75)! This waiver will be automatically applied when you start an application.

INI Virtual Guide to Applying Session
Wednesday, July 17
10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. ET
Register Here: https://loom.ly/-oIYMtw

We're proud to see that Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) took the #1 spot in the CodeSignal 2024 University Ranking Report! Used by many companies to test potential hires' coding skills, CodeSignal rates CMU alumni top of the list.

Check out the list: https://loom.ly/Sl9Nf_I

Our alumni are leaders in their fields and have a wealth of knowledge built on years of experience. We've gathered some of the best advice they've shared with our students on entering the workplace and finding success.

Siddharth Dhar is the Vice President of Product Management at Innowatts, a data analytics company, and recent winner of the Amplitude 's Most Innovative People in Product award. Dhar shared his thoughts on how to succeed in the transition into the workforce.

Applications are now open for Spring 2025!

Do you dream of a career solving complex problems and engineering creative solutions? The INI offers programs in information networking, cybersecurity, IoT engineering and more to help you develop deep technical knowledge and gain hands-on experience to excel in the field. Take the next step in your career today and join us.

Learn how to prepare your application: https://loom.ly/7WrFCfY

Applications for Spring 2025 are due August 30.

This semester, five students graduating from our MS in Information Security (MSIS) program successfully defended a Master's thesis, with topics from mapping the lunar surface and video encryption to firmware analysis.

Aditya Desai: PITMAGIC - Lunar Pit Morphology and Geomechanics Investigation via Circumnavigation
Nandankumar Desai: App Attestation Service: A Runtime Remote Attestation for User-mode Processes on Windows
Sri Harish Govinda: Efficient Garbled RAM
Madeline Tasker-Fernandes: Side Channel Analysis of Encrypted Video Streaming Traffic
Matthew Woo: EFIdra: A Tool for Conducting Holistic Analysis of UEFI Firmware

Explore all student thesis projects: https://www.cmu.edu/ini/news/2024/2024-thesis-projects.html

INI alum Sears Schultz received third place at the President's Cup Cybersecurity Competition, hosted by Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. An active participant in cybersecurity competitions, Schultz shared his experience and how students can get involved with competitions in recent interview covering his time at the INI and his experience in cyber challenges.

Read more: https://www.cmu.edu/ini/news/2024/sears-schulz-cyber-competition.html

INI Alum Sears Schulz Places Third in President’s Cup Cybersecurity Competition - Information Networking Institute - College of Engineering - Carnegie Mellon University Information Networking Institute (INI) alum Sears Schulz (’22) has secured a third-place finish in the fifth President’s Cup Cybersecurity Competition. Hosted by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the President’s Cup highlights and awards the technical prowess of the ...

Are you interested in Artificial Intelligence (AI), networking, cybersecurity and policy? Join us for our next virtual information session and learn about how our programs can prepare you for exciting careers in these fields and many more.

Whether you're ready to pursue a master's degree now or are just starting your research, this event will provide you with essential insights into the INI programs and CMU.

If you register and attend this session, we'll waive your application fee ($75)! This waiver will be automatically applied when you start an application.

Virtual Information Session
Thursday, June 27
10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. ET
Register here: https://www.cmu.edu/ini/admissions/index.html

The skills INI graduates learn during their studies provide a strong foundation for a variety of career journeys. Siddharth Dhar, a Masters of Science in Information Networking (MSIN) alum, built on the deep technical knowledge he gained at the INI and created a thriving career in product management. This year, Dhar was named Amplitude's Most Innovative People in Product for his work with the startup Innowatts.

Read more about Dhar's journey: https://www.cmu.edu/ini/news/2024/siddharth_dhar_product50.html

INI Alumnus Siddharth Dhar Receives Top Honors for His Startup Leadership - Information Networking Institute - College of Engineering - Carnegie Mellon University Information Networking Institute (INI) alumnus Siddharth Dhar has been named one of Amplitude’s Most Innovative People in Product for 2024. Amplitude is a digital analytics platform that acknowledges leaders in product innovation with their annual Product50 awards. Dhar was named Best Product ...

This semester, three students graduating from our MS in Mobile and IoT Engineering (MSMITE) successfully defended a Master's thesis, with topics from training neural networks to tracking human activity with radio frequency data.

Amit Chahal: RESTful API Inference
Maansa Krovvidi: Activity Detection Using RF and Sensor Data Fusion
Zhiyi Shi: Color Diffuser: Photo-Realistic Image Colorization via Diffusion Feature Extractor

Explore all student thesis projects : https://www.cmu.edu/ini/news/2024/2024-thesis-projects.html