UVA Professor Co-Hosts Regional Cybersecurity Workshop
Assistant Professor Wajih Ul Hassan, who holds a dual appointment in the School of Data Science and the Department of Computer Science at the University of Virginia, helped bring together more than 70 researchers, students, and faculty from across Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia for the DMV Security Workshop 2025 — a one-day, in-person event focused on future-focused cybersecurity collaboration.
Unlike traditional academic conferences, the DMV Security Workshop prioritizes idea exchange, feedback, and networking over polished results. This year’s in-person event included speed advising sessions, lightning talks by faculty and students, themed breakout discussions, and a student poster session — all designed to promote cross-institutional mentorship and collaboration.
Keynote speaker Giuseppe Ateniese from George Mason University opened the day with insights into the future of privacy and security challenges. Faculty presenters from UVA, GMU, Virginia Tech, VCU, and GWU shared emerging ideas through quickfire lightning talks, highlighting a wide range of topics from secure computation to policy-informed cybersecurity research.
One of the day’s standout features was the NSF office hour with Program Director Dr. Karen Karavanic, offering participants valuable guidance on federal research funding trends and proposal strategies. For students, the speed advising component proved particularly impactful, offering one-on-one time with mentors from outside their home institutions.
The event was completely free and open to all researchers in the region, a deliberate decision to lower barriers for student and early-career researcher participation.
Organized with support from the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI), the workshop aligns with broader efforts across the state — including at institutions like UVA — to lead in cybersecurity innovation, research, and workforce development.
For more information, visit the workshop site: dmv-sec-workshop.github.io
