Steady progress in the areas of computing, communication and networking over the last fifty years, has resulted in revolutionary changes in information technology. Aided by global changes in the political arena, novel information technologies allow for free flow of information, global accessibility of advanced knowledge, and unrestricted international collaboration stimulating further advancements in science, industry and education. At the same time, global accessibility of computer and communication network resources created new vulnerabilities of the national infrastructure and necessitated research efforts in the area of network security. In response to these realities, to foster academic and research activities of Binghamton University’s faculty and students in the areas relevant to information security/assurance and global computer/communication networks, the Center for Advanced Information Technologies (CAIT) was created on July 1, 2005.

Specific areas of CAIT specialization include:

The Center’s mission is to aid individuals and research teams in identifying new contacts with the federal and commercial sectors, exploration of new funding opportunities, and the organization of seminars, conferences, and presentations, thus achieving visibility and fostering long-term research projects.  The Center will participate in regional research alliances and pursue research opportunities at the state and federal levels. Ultimately, the Center will promote research, advance curricula, and provide service to the professional community.

To promote research, the Center tracks trends, opportunities, and new directions, and in consultation with the Center’s technical advisory board and faculty, recommends “rapid retargeting” of research efforts to address new opportunities and directions to undertake. It assists individuals and research teams in identifying new contacts with the federal and commercial sectors, exploration of new funding opportunities, and the organization of seminars, conferences and presentations.

          The Center is interested in:

To advance academic curricula, the Center facilitates the incorporation of research into the engineering curricula that allows for assuring high quality of undergraduate and graduate programs and professional success of graduating engineers and professionals.  Bringing elements of research to the classroom and to student laboratories allows students to develop research skills, enhances quality of education, stimulates students’ interest in pursuing advanced degrees, and ultimately attracts the best students to participate in the Center’s activities. One of the CAIT functions is to foster the development of new courses in the area of Information Assurance, ultimately seeking the designation as a Center for Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by the National Security Agency.

Providing service to government and commercial sectors is an important function of CAIT, consistent with the missions of both the University and the Watson School.  The Center intends to maintain close contact with and provide its personnel, expertise, and facilities to regional industries, including small companies, thus stimulating economic development in the Southern Tier region.  The Center will utilize its personnel, expertise, and facilities for organizing regional and international conferences, assisting the AFRL in publishing technical periodicals, and disseminating developed dual-use technologies. The Center will utilize the system of distance learning and non-credit education and training that could be utilized by various government and commercial organizations by presentation of various seminars, certificate programs, etc. in the areas of information assurance. Finally, the Center can provide an “unclassified buffer zone” where the Air Force researchers could freely interact with their international collaborators.

We envision sustaining growth of the Center activities both in terms of the total volume of funding of the Center participants and the number of government and commercial sponsors. We expect that the Center will become a self-sustaining organization that will impact various aspect of the university life, from student recruitment to faculty hiring, from updating relevant curricula to the choice of new research directions.

The governing body of the Center includes Director, Professor Victor Skormin, Deputy Director, Assistant Professor Scott Craver, and Administrative Assistant, Dorothy Weir. The members of the Center’s technical advisory board are: