In September, The Citadel took a major leap forward in solidifying itself as a major national player in the quickly emerging field of Intelligence & Security Studies. On September 25 & 26, over three hundred participants took part in the 2018 Citadel Intelligence & Cybersecurity Conference. The conference was held at the Holliday Alumni Center so students, faculty, and staff could benefit from the 18 panels that brought together some of the country’s most acknowledged experts from academe, the US intelligence community (IC), and private industry. Highlights of the conference included keynote presentations from four luminaries in the world of intelligence and cybersecurity:
- The Honorable Dan Coats, Director of National Intelligence. As America’s “Intelligence Czar,” Director Coats oversees all activities of the IC. In addition to giving a keynote address, he met in an informal session with undergraduate and graduate students, led a discussion among Citadel faculty and staff, and had lunch with Cadets;
- Mr. David Bowdich, Deputy Director of the FBI. Mr. Bowdich serves as the #2 administrator for the FBI and oversees the criminal and national security cases worked by Bureau Agents and Analysts;
- LTG Jeff Kimmons, US Army (retired) and current Senior Vice President at Booz, Allen, and Hamilton. LTG Kimmons, a Citadel alum, formerly served as staff director at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and at Department of the Army G2;
- Mr. John LaCour, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of PhishLabs, a Charleston-based company specializing in preventing cyber attacks and protecting businesses from losses due to online fraud.
The second major change in this year’s conference was the inclusion of Citadel students in panels. One panel had students from the Master of Arts (MA) program in Intelligence and Security Studies presenting on topics they had first addressed in class. For example, current MA student Rose Bailey presented on “Lessons Learned:
The Maoist Movement in India” while recent graduate Emily Street discussed the role of “Groupthink” in intelligence analysis fiascoes.
In addition to the graduate panels, Citadel Fellow of Intelligence Mike Brady oversaw two panels made up of South Carolina Corps of Cadet students that also discussed issues they had first considered as part of the Intelligence and Security Studies curriculum. “Having the opportunity to present as undergraduate students in a national venue such as this is quite an accomplishment—it allows them to interact with senior members of the IC and looks great on their resumes,” according to Jensen.
The Citadel’s Department of Intelligence and Security Studies is relatively new; it was established in 2017, at the same time the new Bachelor of Arts degree in Intelligence and Security Studies (ISS) was first offered. Despite its newness, ISS is one of the fastest growing programs at The Citadel. As of December 2018, there were 267 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate ISS degree programs; that number is expected to increase to nearly 500 by the 2020-2021 academic year.
2018 Conference Video Highlights
The Honorable Dan Coats, Director of National Intelligence
Mr. John LaCour, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of PhishLabs
LTG Jeff Kimmons, US Army (retired) and current Senior Vice President at Booz, Allen, and Hamilton
Moderator: Mr. Mark Lester, South Carolina Ports Authority.
Panelists: Mr. Chip Wickenden, Perch Security. Ms. Anna Thies, Maritime Association. Commander Nicholas Wong, USCG Sector Charleston. Mr. Dennis Bradford, USCG Sector Charleston. Mr. Tom Scott, SC Cyber.
Moderator: Dr. Muhammad Fraser-Rahim, The Citadel/Quilliam International.
Panelists: Mr. Mohammed Khalid, Former AQ extremist and the youngest person in US History to be indicted and convicted of a terrorism offense. Imam Talib Shareef, The Nation’s Mosque, Masjid Muhammad.
NSA and Resources for Cybersecurity Curriculum
Panelists: Dr. Blair Taylor, NSA (CON) College of Cyber. Ms. Maureen Turney, Program Director, National Cybersecurity Curriculum Program, NSA.