West Virginia State University

Cybersecurity Innovation Center

Innovate · Educate · Collaborate

Welcome to the CIC

The Cybersecurity Innovation Center (CIC) at West Virginia State University advances cybersecurity education, research, and real-world innovation through hands-on labs, collaborative projects, and student-centered learning.

Its work emphasizes critical infrastructure protection, especially in agriculture and other essential sectors, while helping position WVSU as a leader in cybersecurity among HBCUs.

Dr. Ali's Bio

Student UPDATES

Newsletters, Events, and Magazines

Monthly Newsletter

August Recap: A New Instructor, a Hackathon Team, and WV's First Humanoid Robot

Aug 26 · CIC Newsletter

New instructor, new hackathon team, new tech. A fresh start for the CIC!

Click a page to open it full size.

CIC Magazine · Threat Watch

Adobe & WSO2 Vulnerabilities Exploited

CIC Analysis · Based on reporting by The Hacker News, Sep 25, 2026

Two critical vulnerabilities affecting WSO2 products and Adobe Commerce/Magento have been added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog after evidence of active exploitation. The flaws could allow attackers to achieve remote code execution in WSO2 environments, or gain unauthorized access to sensitive customer information in Adobe Commerce and Magento systems.

WSO2

File upload flaw that can lead to remote code execution.

Adobe Commerce / Magento

Lets attackers reach another customer's account and private information.

Why does it matter?

These are not merely theoretical weaknesses: there is evidence that attackers are already attempting to exploit them. The WSO2 vulnerability could allow an attacker to upload files and potentially achieve remote code execution, while the Adobe Commerce/Magento vulnerability could allow attackers to access another customer's account and private information. Because both are being actively targeted, organizations using the affected products face an increased risk of unauthorized access, data exposure, or compromise of their systems.

What needs to be done?

Check exposure: identify whether your WSO2, Adobe Commerce, or Magento systems are vulnerable.
Patch now: apply the security updates provided by the vendors as soon as possible.
Hunt for signs of attack: monitor affected systems and review relevant logs and authentication activity.
Prioritize: move both flaws to the top of your vulnerability-management queue, since they are now in CISA's KEV catalog.

Deadline: Federal Civilian Executive Branch agencies must apply the fixes by September 27, 2026.

Original Report on The Hacker News

Events & Archive

Upcoming Events!

Nothing on the calendar just yet

Workshops, talks, and competitions will appear here as soon as they are scheduled. In the meantime, catch up on previous articles.

Past Event

Dr. Ali Al-Sinayyid Spoke at the STEM Speaker Series

Event flier: Dr. Ali Al-Sinayyid at the STEM Speaker Series

Past Newsletter · Spring 26'

CIC Newsletter (March 2026)

MSCC Hackathon Coming to State April 3rd!

Read the March Newsletter

Hands-On Infrastructure

Labs

Select a lab you’re interested in learning more about.

CyberHive

Kite

Robotics

CyberCity

HoneyNet

Focus Areas

Research

Apply to be an RA

Research through the CIC connects cybersecurity, AI, and computer science to the protection of critical infrastructure while giving students direct pathways into publishable, applied work.

Published Research

29 publications · newest first · scroll for more

2026
Comparing Machine Learning Algorithms for Detection and Prevention of Cyber-Attacks on IoT Devices: A Literature Review
J. Gilliland, A. Al-Sinayyid, R. Castellanos, N. Chiwele, E. Dhiramo, et al.
Leadership, Business and Management in STEM, 94–104 (Springer)
2026
Analytical Study for DDoS Detection Algorithms in Cloud Computing
A. Higginbotham, A. Al-Sinayyid, R. Castellanos, E. Dhiramo, J. Gilliland, et al.
Leadership, Business and Management in STEM, 58–68 (Springer)
2026
Real-Time Detection of Time-Based Blind SQL Injection Using Machine Learning for Critical Infrastructure
V. Mannuru, A. Al-Sinayyid, S. Kadiyala, R.R. Battula
Leadership, Business and Management in STEM, 38–57 (Springer)
2026
Blockchain-Based Security Algorithms Evaluation for SCADA/ICS Systems
E. Dhiramo, A. Al-Sinayyid
Leadership, Business and Management in STEM, 82–93 (Springer)
2026
Artificial Intelligence-Driven Solutions for Phishing Detection: A Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning Models
R. Castellanos, A. Al-Sinayyid, E. Valencia, J. Gilliland, E. Dhiramo, et al.
Leadership, Business and Management in STEM, 116–129 (Springer)
2026
Comparative Study of Defense Algorithms Against Denial of Service and Distributed Denial of Service Attacks
N. Chiwele, A. Al-Sinayyid
Leadership, Business and Management in STEM, 105–115 (Springer)
2026
Logistic Regression-Driven Framework for Securing IoT Networks Against Protocol-Based Threats
S. Kadiyala, A. Al-Sinayyid, V. Mannuru, R.R. Battula
Leadership, Business and Management in STEM, 6–21 (Springer)
2026
A Hybrid IDS for APT Detection Using BI-LSTM Ensemble Learning
R. Battula, A. Al-Sinayyid, S. Kadiyala, V. Mannuru
Leadership, Business and Management in STEM (Springer)
2026
Evaluating AI-Driven Algorithms for Detection and Prevention of Code Injection Attacks
E. Valencia, A. Al-Sinayyid, et al.
Leadership, Business and Management in STEM (Springer)
2025
A Dynamic Hybrid IDS for APT Detection in ICS Using Deep Neural Networks
R. Battula, A. Al-Sinayyid, S. Kadiyala, V. Mannuru, S. Adewumi
International Conference on the AI Revolution (AIR-RES 2025) – Proceedings
2025
Ransomware and AI Defense Mechanisms
L. Khamboo, A. Al-Sinayyid, S. Adewumi, V. Kottala, S. Phuyal
International Conference on the AI Revolution (AIR-RES 2025) – Proceedings
2025
Random Forest and Naive Bayes for DDoS Detection in the Cloud
A. Higginbotham, A. Al-Sinayyid, E. Dhiramo, J. Gilliland, A. Samuel, et al.
International Conference on the AI Revolution (AIR-RES 2025) – Proceedings
2025
MShield LSTM Model for Detecting Insider Threat Attacks in Critical Infrastructure Using Machine Learning
V. Mannuru, A. Al-Sinayyid, S. Kadiyala, R.R. Battula, V. Kottala
International Conference on the AI Revolution (AIR-RES 2025) – Proceedings
2025
Intelligent Intrusion Detection in Industrial Control Systems: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Machine Learning and Deep Learning Approaches
E. Dhiramo, A. Al-Sinayyid, A. Higginbotham, J. Sanchez, J. Gilliland, et al.
International Conference on the AI Revolution (AIR-RES 2025) – Proceedings
2025
AI-Driven Analysis of Cybersecurity Threats and Defense Mechanisms in 5G Networks
V. Kottala, A. Al-Sinayyid, S. Adewumi, L. Khamboo, V. Mannuru, J. Gilliland
International Conference on the AI Revolution (AIR-RES 2025) – Proceedings
2025
Mitigating Rapid Reset DDoS Attacks in the Financial Sector: A Cybersecurity Framework
S. Adewumi, A. Al-Sinayyid, A. Higginbotham, V. Kottala, L. Khamboo, et al.
International Conference on the AI Revolution (AIR-RES 2025) – Proceedings
2025
A Multi-layer Perceptron Approach for Detecting Network-Layer Attacks in IoT Networks
S. Kadiyala, A. Al-Sinayyid, R. Battula, V. Mannuru
International Conference on the AI Revolution (AIR-RES 2025) – Proceedings
2024
Analytical Study on Advanced Persistent Threat Detecting, Defending and Mitigating
A. Al-Sinayyid, R.R. Battula, S. Kadiyala, V. Mannuru, T. Sanford, A. Sanchez
World Congress in Computer Science, Computer Engineering & Applied Computing (CSCE 2024)
2024
Comparative Analysis of AI-Powered Image Recognition for Dermatological Diagnosis
A. Al-Sinayyid, A. Sanchez, R.R. Battula, K. Sasidhar, V. Mannuru, T. Sanford
World Congress in Computer Science, Computer Engineering & Applied Computing (CSCE 2024)
2024
SVM Enhanced Detection of Volume-Based Attacks in IoT Networks
A. Al-Sinayyid, R.R. Battula, K. Sasidhar, V.M. Mannuru, A. Sanchez, T. Sanford
World Congress in Computer Science, Computer Engineering & Applied Computing (CSCE 2024)
2024
Advancing AI: Exploring the Potentials of Multimodal Large Language Models
M.J.A. Jewel, A. Al-Sinayyid, M. Rahman
International Conference on Computational Science and Computational Intelligence (CSCI 2024)
2024
Analytical Study of Attacks and Defenses for IoT in Critical Infrastructure
A. Al-Sinayyid, T. Sanford, A. Sanchez, K. Sasidhar, R.R. Battula, V. Mannuru
World Congress in Computer Science, Computer Engineering & Applied Computing (CSCE 2024)
2024
Utilizing Logistic Regression to Detect Tautology-Based SQL Injection Attacks
A. Al-Sinayyid, V. Mannuru, A. Sanchez, K. Sasidhar, R.R. Battula, T. Sanford
World Congress in Computer Science, Computer Engineering & Applied Computing (CSCE 2024)
2023
A Literature Survey and Analysis of Defending Cyber Attacks Targeting IoT in Critical Infrastructure
A. Al-Sinayyid, V.M. Kadiyala Sasidhar, M.J.A. Jewel
2023 International Conference on Computational Science and Computational Intelligence (CSCI 2023)
2023
Analytical Study for Cybersecurity Attacks and Defenses Characteristics
A. Al-Sinayyid, V. Mannuru, M.J.A. Jewel, K. Sasidhar
2023 International Conference on Computational Science and Computational Intelligence (CSCI 2023)
2023
Defending Characteristics and Attribution Analysis for Phishing Attacks
A. Al-Sinayyid, M.J.A. Jewel, V. Mannuru, K. Sasidhar
2023 International Conference on Computational Science and Computational Intelligence (CSCI 2023)
2020
Job Scheduler for Streaming Applications in Heterogeneous Distributed Processing Systems
A. Al-Sinayyid, M. Zhu
The Journal of Supercomputing 76(12), 9609–9628
2018
Maximizing The Processing Rate for Streaming Applications in Apache Storm
A. Al-Sinayyid, M. Zhu
Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Data Science (ICDATA’18)
2017
Wireless Telecommunications uprising though 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE)
A.A.A.H. Al-Sinayyid
Journal of Al-Qadisiyah for Computer Science and Mathematics 3(1), 221–230

Research Team

Research Focus

Applying machine learning and deep learning models to improve DDoS detection and mitigation in 5G network environments.

Research Focus

Evaluating intelligent intrusion detection strategies for SCADA and ICS environments across machine learning, deep learning, and hybrid models.

Research Focus

Building hybrid intrusion detection systems for industrial control systems with a focus on advanced persistent threat detection.

Research Focus

Designing machine learning systems that classify incoming URLs as phishing or legitimate for financial-services protection.

Research Focus

Developing AI-driven intrusion detection approaches for industrial control systems using LSTM autoencoders, hybrid frameworks, and time-series analysis.

Research Focus

Exploring graph neural networks, topological data analysis, quantum algorithms, and mathematical modeling for next-generation computational frameworks.

Degree Pathways

Academics

Academic pathways connect directly to CIC labs, research projects, and the practical skills students need for security careers.

Bachelor in Cybersecurity

Launch a high-demand career securing critical systems with hands-on, real-world cybersecurity training.

Bachelor Classes

Minor in Cybersecurity

Strengthen your major with in-demand cybersecurity skills and hands-on experience.

Minor Classes

Community Service

Google Cybersecurity Clinic

The WVSU Google Cybersecurity Clinic connects hands-on student experience with free cybersecurity support for organizations that need practical guidance, assessments, and implementation help.

Client Form Student Form

Provided Services

Risk and Vulnerability Assessments

Security reviews that identify weaknesses, exposure points, and operational risks for partner organizations.

Mitigation Planning

Practical and step-by-step remediation guidance tailored to organizational capacity and budget.

Cyber Hygiene Training

Awareness sessions and procedural support that help staff strengthen day-to-day security behavior.

Clients

WVSU Police Department

Campus safety support.

Local2u Internet Service Provider

Regional ISP support.

City of Dunbar Mayor’s Office

Municipal security guidance.

NuSkoolScholars

Education partner support.

South Charleston Public Library

Library cyber support.

Client Contract

Testimonials

Putnam Public Service District

City of South Charleston

Town of Chesapeake WV

Riverside High School

Drain-Jordan Library

WVSU Bookstore

Ferguson Memorial Baptist Church

The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation

Ridge View BBQ

Student Certificates

Students preparing for clinic work can build core knowledge, strengthen readiness, and track clinic milestones through the resources below.

Google Certificate

MITx

Ways to Participate

Get Involved and Opportunities

The CIC is focused on high-impact activities that give students real work, visible outcomes, and practical cybersecurity experience.

Ways to Get Involved

Apply as a Student

Students have many opportunities to grow outside of class. See opportunities below to see how you can build practical cybersecurity readiness.

Request Community Support

Organizations can reach out to the clinic to improve their cybersecurity posture through student-supported consultation, absolutely free.

Connect with the Center

Partners, mentors, and faculty collaborators can help extend the center’s impact across campus and community.

Our Opportunities

Hackathons

Travel, compete, and test your skills in team-based cybersecurity and development events across the nation.

Research

Faculty-guided projects give students direct experience with publishable work and advanced cybersecurity topics.

Social Media

Our student team shapes the CIC’s voice through content creation, outreach, and digital branding.

Google Clinic

Students get paid to support real community clients through practical cybersecurity guidance.

Student Energy

YellowH@ckets

About Us

YellowH@ckets is a student team inside the CIC that helps shape the center’s public presence through website work, social media management, and creative storytelling around campus cybersecurity.

We also travel to hackathons around the country, build fun side projects like robotics experiments, and sharpen our skills through capture-the-flag challenges and collaborative technical competitions.

Website and digital content support for the CIC Hackathons, CTFs, and team competitions nationwide.
Robotics builds and other hands-on creative projects.

Funding and Recognition

Grants and Achievements

Grants

Google Cybersecurity Clinics Fund

$1,000,000

Establish WV Cybersecurity Clinic for hands-on training and community cybersecurity service.

U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) Joint Grant

$749,973

Collaborative creation of Cyber Security Center for Critical Infrastructure with Marshall.

Collaborative Research: CISE-MSI (NSF)

$349,681

Support collaborative research in cybersecurity and computing sciences.

Grants on Dr. Ali's Bio

Kanawha County Commission Grant

$764,792

Establish Cybersecurity Innovation Center (CIC) at WVSU.

Joint Grant with Marshall University

$500,000

Support CIC expansion and research infrastructure.

West Virginia Identity Theft Technology Hub

$90,000

Research on identity theft technologies and related cybersecurity efforts.

Achievements

Industry Partnerships

Support from Google, IBM, Amazon, and public-sector partners has helped expand the center’s reach and resources.

Statewide First

The Google Cybersecurity Clinic launched as the first cybersecurity clinic of its kind in West Virginia.

Competition Culture

Hackathons, applied builds, and challenge-based learning continue to define the center’s student experience.

Record of Firsts

A Record of Firsts and National Distinctions

Everything the WVSU Cybersecurity Innovation Center has done first, whether at the university, in West Virginia, or across the nation.

Scroll sideways for all 9 pages → · click a page to enlarge

Knowledge Base

Cyber Bandaid

Cyber Bandaid is a beginner-friendly set of quick fixes and smart habits for everyday digital safety. It focuses on the simple actions that prevent avoidable problems before they grow.

Start Here · Passwords

How to Pick a Better Password

Why this matters right now: Password-cracking tools are free and easy to run. On an ordinary laptop they can try millions of guesses in minutes, so short or predictable passwords like Summer2024! fall almost instantly, while every extra character makes a password dramatically harder to crack.

Is your password good enough? A strong password has:

At least 12 characters (longer is better)
CAPITAL and small letters
Digits (0-9) and special characters (! # $ & ?)
A different password on every website, so one leak can't unlock everything

Complicated, different everywhere, and easy to remember? Yes. Use a password formula:

Pick a secret sentence only you know, and keep the first letter of each word (keep numbers and symbols as-is).
My Yellow Jackets won 3 games in 2026! → MYJw3gi2026!
Add a site code: a symbol plus the first two letters of the website, first one capitalized.
Amazon → #Am Gmail → #Gm
Put them together. Every site gets its own 15-character password, and you only remember one sentence.
MYJw3gi2026!#Am MYJw3gi2026!#Gm

Make up your own sentence (never reuse this example), and turn on multi-factor authentication wherever you can. A password manager can remember everything for you.