Oral History Interview with Cynthia Irvine

Abstract

This oral history interview is sponsored by and a part of NSF 2202484 “Mining a Useable Past: Perspectives, Paradoxes, and Possibilities with Security and Privacy,” at the Charles Babbage Institute. Early in the interview Professor Irvine discusses early educational interests and work, and a focus on Astronomy as an undergraduate and in completing a Ph.D. at Case Western Reserve University. The bulk of the oral history focuses on her work in computer science and computer security, with introduction to the computer security specialty working at Naval Postgraduate initially, mentorship and collaboration with Roger Schell, and going to work for his startup company Gemini, a company launched to build high assurance certified access control systems for government and industry. She discusses gender in science, computer science, and computer security. In returning to Naval Postgraduate School to become a faculty and earning the honor of Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, her work has explored and advanced security models, security practices, and computer security education. An early pioneer in the latter area, she was lead organizer of an early computer security education annual conference in Monterey at NPS, work influential to the field and to the National Security Agency in launching a certification of schools as Centers of Academic Excellence in cybersecurity, which evolved to certifications in education and in research, CAE-CD, CAE-CO, and CAE-R. She discusses educational philosophy and mentorship and her partnering research//work in using gaming as an educational tool for cybersecurity. She also relates her work and education within the framework of the mission of NPS, as well the evolving and fast escalating risk landscape regarding critical infrastructure and other realms.