University of New Haven to Unveil New Cybersecurity Center

With global threats of cyberattacks and hacks in the news on a daily basis as the backdrop, the University of New Haven is strengthening its national leadership in cybersecurity, digital forensics, and computer science education and research by inaugurating its Samuel S. Bergami Cybersecurity Center.

National and local cybersecurity experts and leaders will gather at the University on Tuesday, February 11, at 12:30 p.m. for a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony to launch the Samuel S. Bergami Jr. Cybersecurity Center in Maxcy Hall on the University’s main campus.

Joining University of New Haven leadership and Mr. Bergami at the ceremony will be

• Ibrahim (Abe) Baggili, Ph.D., Elder Family Endowed Chair, Assistant Dean of the Tagliatela College of Engineering, and Associate Professor of Computer Science, University of New Haven
• Diane M. Janosek, Esq., Commandant, National Security Agency’s National Cryptologic School and President, Mid-Atlantic Regional Affiliate of Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS)
• Brigadier General Gerald E. McDonald, Assistant Adjutant General-Air, Connecticut National Guard
• Sam Visner, Director, National Cybersecurity Federally Funded Research Center, The MITRE Corporation
• Greg Sweeney, Senior Manager, Cyber, Lockheed Martin
• Chris Cochran, Threat Intelligence and Operations Lead, Netflix
• Rick Fontana ’99, ’06 M.S., Director of Emergency Management Operations, City of New Haven
• Mark Loepker, Senior Advisor and Academic Lead, National Cryptologic Museum Foundation, Cyber Center for Education & Innovation
• George Mathanool, Managing Partner, COVE (Connecticut Overseas Ventures & Enterprises)
• Aimee Barricelli, SVP, Chief Information Security Officer, Webster Bank

The University of New Haven is a national leader in cybersecurity. Key components of the Cybersecurity Center include:

Internationally recognized experts

• Ibrahim (Abe) Baggili, Ph.D., Elder Family Endowed Chair, Assistant Dean of the Tagliatela College of Engineering, Associate Professor of Computer Science, and an internationally recognized expert in cyber security and digital forensics. He is the founder and executive director of the University of New Haven’s Cyber Forensics Research and Education Group, which has received international attention for, among other discoveries, uncovering vulnerabilities that were addressed in the messaging application WhatsApp, identifying vulnerabilities in a popular virtual reality application, and creating the Artifact Genome Project that is being supported by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Homeland Security.

National recognition

• Designated by the National Security Agency (NSA) as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations, making the University one of only two in New England and – 21 nationally – to earn this prestigious distinction.
• Received a $4 million National Science Foundation grant to establish Connecticut’s first CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service program to prepare students to work with federal, state, or local government organizations to prevent cyberattacks.
• Established the first Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) chapter in Connecticut.
• Excelled at regional, national and international student “hacking” competitions, beating institutions including Carnegie Mellon, Drexel, RPI, Florida State and the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Groundbreaking research

• Research by University of New Haven students that uncovered security vulnerabilities in social media applications that affect 1.5 billion people worldwide.
• Creation of the Artifact Genome Project (AGP), which boasts over 170 organizations from over 17 countries worldwide.
• Home to the only cyber forensics research laboratory in Connecticut.

The Bergami Cybersecurity Center is named in honor of the generosity of Samuel S. Bergami, president and CEO of Alinabal, a Milford-based diversified manufacturer. Mr. Bergami has spent nearly 50 years at Alinabal, Inc., moving up the ranks from a tool-and-die apprentice to leading the company that employs 400 people.

A distinguished graduate of the University of New Haven’s Executive MBA program, Sam, and his wife, Lois, are among the university’s most devoted supporters. The University’s Bergami Center for Science, Technology, and Innovation, which will open in the spring of 2020, and the Bergami and Pompea Graduate Center are named in their honor. A member of the university’s Board of Governors, Mr. Bergami served as chair from 2006 to 2012.

“Our goal is to secure the future of our nation and to enable students of all backgrounds – with a passion for protecting our citizens in a digital world – to pursue an education and career in cybersecurity, computer science, or artificial intelligence,” said Baggili. “I am grateful for Mr. and Mrs. Bergami’s support of and investment in our work.”