Hayden presented his work "Comparative Evaluation of Network Vulnerability Scanners: Unveiling Effectiveness and Features" at the BEAR Day. His work provides insights into how effective and easy to use the state-of-the-art vulnerability scanning tools are. His work aims to inform network administrators of the expected challenges and results associated with top-rated network scanners. 

He plans to continue adding more to his work and submit a full research article at a cybersecurity conference soon. 

This paper emphasizes the significance of cyber-threats and vulnerability information analysis in proactively understanding cyber risks and abnormalities in real-time and providing appropriate mitigation strategies. Read more...

I am pleased to share that I've been awarded the Outstanding Dissertation Award for the 2022-23 academic year by the College of Engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). This recognition fills me with immense joy and gratitude. I sincerely thank my supervisor, committee members, and the Computer Science Department at UTEP for their invaluable guidance and support throughout my Ph.D. journey. Your input has been instrumental in shaping my work and making this achievement possible. 

Every semester, the vibrant community of computer science enthusiasts at Mercer University eagerly anticipates the "Pancakes with Professors" event. This cherished gathering serves as a unique platform where students and faculty from the department come together in an informal setting, fostering conversations about their endeavors, achievements, projects, classes, and more, all over a delightful pancake breakfast. This semester, a new and exciting twist was introduced—an airplane contest that added an extra layer of enjoyment to the event. Laughter echoed through the room as both students and professors engaged in friendly competition, showcasing their aeronautical prowess. The innovative addition further strengthened the sense of camaraderie, making this edition of "Pancakes with Professors" a memorable blend of academia and fun.

The cyber awareness student group, Mercer University Cybersecurity (mu_cybersec) recently conducted its second cyber awareness workshop for the Fall season. The session focused on elucidating how adversarial entities leverage socially engineered elements to obtain unauthorized access, discussed the safe usage of public Wi-Fi, elucidated Drive-by attacks, and examined the modus operandi of Trojan horses. Go Bears! more...

Mercer CyBears team was formally established in spring 2022 but has been around in a more unofficial capacity for several years. It was first coached by Computer Systems Manager Jesse Sowell and now is led by computer science faculty Dr. Johnathan Yerby and Dr. Adeel Malik. read full story

CyBears ranking

A student driven cyber awareness initiative at Mercer University is on a mission to empower and educate their fellow students, faculty, and staff about the ever-increasing cybersecurity threats. By providing essential knowledge and practical strategies to defend against recent cyber attacks, they envision to aspire many beyond school boundaries, their aim is to foster a culture of digital safety and resilience in their community. Through a combination of workshops, awareness campaigns, and community engagement, this group strives to create a safer, more digitally aware environment for all. Go Bears! more...