**This VIP is on hiatus for Spring 2025**
What is the ambitious goal of this vertically integrated project?
The internet of things enhances personal and public health, well-being and prosperity, but makes individuals and society vulnerable to cyber threats. How do we protect individuals and society?
Join this team-based project to tackle the problems of how to mitigate cyber-threats as well as big data challenges in the case of limited capacity devices that are part of the Internet of Things (IoT). Examples of such devices include, for example, small portable and implantable devices that have resource limitations as well as maintenance constraints, yet are cyber-enabled. Protecting these devices as well as the users and infrastructure relying on these against certain exploits requires fresh thinking and innovation beyond the traditional approaches.
This project engages students and faculty of various backgrounds in the exploration, analysis and potential alleviation of this very central contemporary challenge. Moreover, this project is open to entrepreneurial development of significant findings.
The project also utilizes a hybrid format that replaces, when more efficient, at least 50% of traditional in-person discussion, presentation and tutorial activities with synchronous online options, while maintaining in person hands-on exploration and analysis options.
Student team members can expect to spend as much time participating in this project as they would in a traditional course. Students must be able to access the Internet frequently and conveniently and must be competent at using e-mail, managing files, and navigating Web sites. Several aspects of the project administration and assessments may also involve downloading relevant third party software.
Experience Gained
The learning outcomes include:
- demonstrated knowledge and understanding of security issues in relation to the design, development and use of implantable medical devices.
- communicating cybersecurity issues effectively to a variety of audiences.
- identifying vulnerabilities enabled by remote communication among devices.
- identifying methods to mitigate vulnerabilities enabled by remote communication among devices.
- assessing the energy capabilities of special purpose small devices.
Gain hands-on experience in the following tools and methodologies:
- Arduino & Rasberry Pi Computing
- Coding and coding software
- Case studies
- Design thinking
- CASA (=cryptanalysis and signals analysis) lab
- Human interface design
- Laboratory testing
- Market research
- Mobile tech development
- Qualitative research methods
- Quantitative research methods
Majors and Interests Needed
- Biological Sciences
- Computer Science
- Electrical & Computer Engineering
- Information Technology & Supply Chain Management
- Materials Science & Engineering
- Mathematics
- Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering
- Multidisciplinary Studies
- Physics
VIP Coach Information
Dr. Marion Scheepers is a Distinguished Professor in the Mathematics department.
Dr. Liljana Babinkostova is a Professor in the Mathematics department.
Jerome Radcliffe is the Director of Product Security Testing and Research at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Robert Erbes is the Senior Cyber Security Researcher, Cyber Research and Development Department Idaho National Laboratory.
Course Information
VIP 200, VIP 400, or VIP 500.
Full semester course. Choose to enroll in 1 or 2 credits.
Interested in joining this team?
For more information and to request a permission number to register, contact Marion Scheepers at mscheepe@boisestate.edu OR complete this interest form and someone will contact you. Check out this document for tips on contacting a professor about joining a team.
To register: search by Subject: Vertically Integrated Projects, read the project description to find the right section of VIP 200, 400, or 500. Use permission number, here are instructions Registrar Help: Add with Permission Number