Title: Seminar Course Introduction and MSSI Capstone Overview

Abstract: This session will kick off the semester for the seminar series. It will cover the plan of the seminar course and an overview of the MSSI capstone requirement.

Speakers: Dr. Anton Dahbura is the executive director of the JHU Information Security Institute. Dr. Xiangyang Li is the program director of the Master of Science in Security Informatics program.

Title: "Zenith: Intrusion Tolerant Secret Storage using Blockchain + Threshold Cryptography”
Abstract: In the modern landscape of nation-state cyber-espionage, malicious insiders, and other forms of advanced persistent threats, information systems responsible for securing highly-sensitive digital assets and critical infrastructure must be resilient enough to operate correctly and securely in environments where certain nodes/actors may be untrustworthy or outright malicious.
In this talk we introduce Zenith, a system for providing intrusion-tolerant, cryptographically-secure secret storage and escrow using Blockchain protocols and threshold cryptography.  We will provide a high-level intro to relevant concepts in Blockchain systems and threshold cryptography, and how they can be used in concert to provide security and resiliency for practical, decentralized applications.
Speaker: JR Charles graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a Bachelor's of Science in Computer Engineering and a minor in Computer Science.  As an undergraduate, he worked as a researcher for the Johns Hopkins Distributed Systems and Networks Lab and (separately) as a technology consultant for the United States Department of Defense.  He co-founded Fractal Technology—a startup focused on enterprise mobile security—which was ultimately acquired by Sunayu in 2018.  At Sunayu, JR is an executive partner and has led numerous technological consulting and research projects, primarily in the domains of information security, distributed systems, and applied cryptography.  He is also the CEO of a new company, Curuvar, which was awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2021 for research related to Distributed Ledger (DL) technology and cryptography.

Topic: How to productionize Agentic AI in a highly secured environment.

Abstract: Imagine an AI agent that can autonomously navigate classified networks, synthesize intelligence from multiple sources, and make critical decisions in real-time—all while operating within the fortress-like security requirements of the Department of Defense. This isn't science fiction; it's the rapidly emerging reality of Agentic AI in high-security environments. As large language models evolve beyond simple chatbots into sophisticated autonomous agents capable of tool use, reasoning, and multi-step problem solving, they're simultaneously becoming both the ultimate force multiplier and the ultimate security challenge for organizations handling our nation's most sensitive information.

The convergence of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), Model Context Protocol (MCP), and agentic frameworks has created unprecedented opportunities—and unprecedented risks. While commercial enterprises grapple with data leaks and prompt injections, defense organizations face threats that could compromise national security, from adversarial attacks on training data to sophisticated social engineering attempts targeting AI decision-making processes. Leading security organizations like NIST, MITRE, and OWASP have responded with comprehensive frameworks specifically designed for GenAI workloads, recognizing that traditional cybersecurity approaches are insufficient for this new paradigm. Today, we'll explore how to harness the transformative power of autonomous AI while maintaining the ironclad security posture that mission-critical operations demand.

Speaker: Larry Choun is currently an Innovation Lead at Boeing Intelligence & Analytics and works as part of a multi-disciplinary team that focuses on understanding real user problems & seizing business opportunities, designing, building, prototyping, testing, and iterating to create scalable solutions for the cloud, tactical deployment, or Enterprise Data Center using standards such as Agile, COBIT, TOGAF and ITIL. He establishes standards and best-practice for the BI&A engineering teams to follow. These standards come as playbooks, guidelines, and whitepapers. As an Innovation Lead, Larry works with his customer to upskill developers in emerging tech, rapidly create a Most Lovable Product (MLP), and showcase it to his stakeholders. In his most recent project, Larry helps to enable developers on Generative AI, Agentic AI, and Model Context Protocol to transform them from traditional developers to next-gen developers. This equips them to solve the most challenging problems for our national security.

Title: From Data to Insight: Writing Compelling Technical Reports
Abstract: This talk will highlight the crucial roles of audience analysis and document design in creating effective technical reports. Participants will learn how to identify and understand their target audience, tailoring content to meet their needs and expectations. The session will also explore best practices in document design, emphasizing layout, typography, and visual elements that enhance readability and engagement. Through practical tips and real-world examples, attendees will discover how to combine audience insights with strategic design to produce technical reports that are not only informative but also impactful.
Speaker: Amanda Hilliard received her MA in Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language and PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Birmingham in the UK. She has taught writing and communication courses abroad in South Korea, Vietnam, and Ecuador, and in the U.S. in Georgia, Texas, Arizona, and Maryland. She currently teaches in the Center for Leadership Education and manages the Technical Communication Lab at the Johns Hopkins University.