CyLab hosts industry leaders at the 2024 Partners Conference

CyLab's focus on institutional and corporate collaboration was on full display at its annual Partners Conference.

The conference, held September 24-25 at Carnegie Mellon University, highlighted the latest research in security and privacy with an interactive forum between faculty, students, industry, and government.

“We are in our 21st year as a research institute, and during our two-plus decades, we’ve helped spearhead many changes in best practices for security and privacy via a strategic, cross-disciplinary research approach,” said Lorrie Cranor, Cylab director, during opening remarks.

The hybrid event included two student poster sessions and a forum featuring more than 40 faculty and student presentations that focused on various aspects of seven topic areas, including:

• Partnerships and initiatives

• Software security

• Privacy

• Human factors and usability

• Generative AI and ML

• Crypto and blockchain

• System and hardware security

The CyLab Partners Conference also featured participants from the new CyLab Venture Network, which launched in June with the goal of nurturing cybersecurity startups and engaging investors to help maximize their potential impact through CMU’s research, innovation, and talent in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

We love seeing our partners engaging deeply with the research and people at CyLab.

Jason Griess, Associate Director of Partnerships, CyLab

During the forum, Alina Oprea, professor in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University, was officially recognized as CyLab's 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award winner. Oprea presented her research on the security and privacy of generative AI and received the award from Vyas Sekar, her former CyLab classmate and now Tan family professor in CMU's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

“I would like to thank my many CyLab colleagues and friends for making this a fun place to be and for keeping in touch over the years,” Oprea said during her presentation.

In addition to the forum, participants had the opportunity to connect with colleagues and CyLab faculty members during network sessions and a Tuesday night dinner at the Carnegie Museum of Art’s Hall of Architecture.

“The CyLab Partners Conference is the largest single opportunity for our partners to interact with faculty and students, and many of them leave the conference with tons of new ideas to drive value to their businesses,” said Jason Griess, CyLab associate director of partnerships. “We love seeing the partners engaging deeply with the research and people at CyLab, and we get the opportunity to learn more about what’s top of mind to them as well.”

Bridging the gap between academia and industry, the CyLab Partners Program aims to drive advancements in cybersecurity, enhance the preparedness of the cybersecurity workforce, and contribute to the development of effective and scalable security technologies.

CyLab’s partners include a diverse group of businesses and institutions, ranging from industry-leading corporations to innovative startups, as well as government agencies in the U.S. and international partner countries.

Through their participation in the CyLab Partners Program, organizations gain a comprehensive set of benefits that enhance their cybersecurity capabilities, strategic positioning, and overall business success. This collaborative approach not only helps partner institutions stay ahead of emerging threats, but also ensures that the research conducted at CyLab has real-world applications and impact.

To learn more about partnering with the Carnegie Mellon CyLab Security and Privacy Institute, contact Michael Lisanti, senior director of partnerships, at mlisanti@cmu.edu or 412-268-1870.