About the Center for Cybersecurity and AI

Vision

The Fordham Center for Cybersecurity and AI (FCCAI) builds on Fordham’s distinguished role as host of the International Conference on Cyber Security (ICCS) to create an epicenter for cybersecurity and artificial intelligence research and education in the New York area. As AI transforms how organizations defend against cyber threats, and as AI systems become new targets for attack, the FCCAI prepares professionals who are fluent in both fields and in the places where they meet. Through community outreach, cyber and AI awareness, and industry partnerships, the FCCAI answers the national and international demand for professionals and trainers who can secure the digital world with AI and secure AI itself.

Mission

To graduate qualified professionals in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, and to provide experts in Cyber Investigation, Digital Forensics, Secure Software Development, Healthcare Security, Data Security Analysis, Security Policy Development, AI-Driven Threat Detection, and Security of AI Systems.
To equip our graduates with rigorous knowledge and hands-on skills to apply AI to cybersecurity challenges and to protect AI systems throughout their lifecycle, preparing them for key roles in local, state, federal, and international organizations and in private-sector healthcare, industry, finance, education, and other fields.
To promote the ethical, responsible, and secure development and use of AI, ensuring our students understand the governance, legal, and societal implications of AI in cybersecurity.
To sponsor and participate in cyber defense and AI security exercises and competitions.
To organize and host cybersecurity and AI conferences and workshops, providing a venue for research activities and endeavors for students, professionals, and peers.
To provide professionals who can conduct interdisciplinary research and outreach in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
To disseminate research outcomes and share evidence-driven data through research venues with interdisciplinary national and international peers, organizations, and stakeholders in healthcare, education, government, and industry.
To increase knowledge and awareness of cybersecurity threats, AI-enabled attacks, and safe AI use among local schools, senior centers, adult education centers, and first responders.

Goals

Establish well-designed undergraduate and graduate programs that integrate cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. These programs will teach students how modern cyber threats and attacks work, how AI can detect and mitigate those threats, and how to secure AI models, data, and pipelines against adversarial attacks.
Provide pedagogical and practical experiences for students by expert educators in academia, government, and industry. These include hands-on labs where students apply machine learning to security problems and test the robustness of AI systems.
Recruit students and faculty members interested in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and their convergence.
Promote Fordham’s cybersecurity and AI programs at the local, national, and international levels.
Design and execute interdisciplinary research projects in cybersecurity and AI that produce data-driven outcomes and attract external funding.
Foster a culture of responsible AI, so that every graduate understands the ethical and security considerations of building and deploying AI systems.