AUTOMOTIVE IoT
Worcester Polytechnic Institute selected as key partner in national cybersecurity and AI training initiative to advance U.S. automotive innovation
$2.5 million DRIFT program aims to close critical talent gaps and safeguard the future of connected vehicles
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has been named to a select group of academic institutions leading a nationwide effort to strengthen cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities in the U.S. automotive industry—a sector increasingly reliant on smart, connected technologies.
Supported by a $2.5 million grant from the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity the DRiving Automotive Industry WorkForce Transformation (DRIFT) program will provide specialized online and in-person training designed to upskill the workforce and protect vehicle systems from emerging threats.
WPI associate professors Jun Dai, Xiaoyan Sun, and Xiaozhong Liu, all from the Department of Computer Science, will lead the university’s DRIFT program. WPI will receive $749,994 over two years, with the opportunity for an additional $300,000 in a third year. The program will offer tuition-free modules, workshops, and real-world training to help engineers and professionals develop advanced competencies in cybersecurity and AI.
“Today’s vehicles are computers on wheels—powered by data, software, and smart systems,” said Dai. “AI is transforming the future of mobility, but without robust cybersecurity, we put innovation—and lives—at risk. DRIFT directly addresses the workforce gap by preparing engineers and professionals with the tools they need to protect connected and autonomous vehicles, and ultimately, to accelerate the development of next-generation transportation.”
As vehicles become more connected, equipped with internet-enabled infotainment systems, GPS, remote diagnostics, and automated driver assistance systems, they also become more vulnerable to cyberattacks. While autonomous vehicles are often in the spotlight, nearly all modern vehicles are now potential targets.
In one of the most publicized demonstrations of this risk, cybersecurity researchers remotely took control of a Jeep Cherokee in 2015, manipulating its brakes, steering, and transmission while it was on the highway. More recently, the 2025 Global Automotive and Smart Mobility Cybersecurity report by Upstream revealed that massive-scale incidents—each impacting millions of vehicles—more than tripled between 2023 and 2024, rising from 5% to 19%. The data shows the vulnerability of even top-tier smart vehicles. These incidents underscore the urgent need to secure both automotive systems and the talent pool capable of doing so.
The DRIFT curriculum is designed for a wide audience, including:
- Automotive engineers
- Cybersecurity and AI professionals
- IT workers transitioning into transportation-related sectors
- Educators and students at two- and four-year institutions
- Department of Transportation personnel
- Military and civilian defense staff
- First responders and public safety officials
- Policymakers and regulators
Courses will be delivered online, in-person, and hybrid formats and will cover:
- The architecture and key components of connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) systems
- AI applications and their role in enabling core CAV functions
- Common vulnerabilities in connected vehicle systems, including GPS spoofing, sensor interference, and over-the-air update threats
- Defensive cybersecurity strategies tailored for CAV environments
- Hands-on case studies to bridge theoretical knowledge with real-world applications
WPI joins the following partner institutions in offering DRIFT training:
- Oakland University
- University of Delaware
- University of Michigan-Dearborn
- Cleveland State University
- Sinclair Community College
Those interested in this program can access the application link for the activities at: https://www.secs.oakland.edu/ei/drift/programs/.
For more information about WPI’s DRIFT program, visit: https://www.wpi.edu/academics/departments/cybersecurity/drift.
Building a broader cybersecurity ecosystem
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Participants of the "Transforming Cybersecurity" workshop engaging during a discussion session.
view moreCredit: Steinur Bell
Add cybersecurity to the list of 21st century expertise and research happening in Pittsburgh.
On Tuesday, August 12, 2025, the University of Pittsburgh Cyber Energy Center and Pitt Cyber hosted “Transforming Cybersecurity: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Risk, Technology, and Policy.” The in-person, day-long workshop brought together experts from across industries and disciplines to assess the current state of cybersecurity through a multidisciplinary lens.
More than 40 participants attended the workshop held at Pitt’s University Club in Oakland. During keynote addresses, panels, and an interactive discussion, they explored emerging technologies and the intersection of technology and policy.
“As the current cybersecurity landscape evolves and grows increasingly complex and costly, the need to bring together experts and stakeholders from across fields could not be greater,” said Erica Owen, Associate Professor in Pitt’s School of Public and International Affairs. “This workshop underscored the value of bringing those perspectives together.”
Cheri Caddy, Senior Cybersecurity Fellow at the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security, and Greg Shannon, Chief Cybersecurity Scientist at the Idaho National Laboratory, provided the keynote addresses.
Caddy, who has also served in governmental roles such as Senior Advisor for Cybersecurity for the U.S. Department of Energy and as Director of Cybersecurity Policy on the National Security Council, opened the event with her talk “Transforming Cybersecurity.” She highlighted the persistent challenges of a siloed approach to cybersecurity and espoused a more unified ecosystem that brings together parties in and outside of government. She discussed the importance of shifting cybersecurity efforts to “left of boom” (acting proactively, before an attack happens) and the need to adopt a joint private-public model for risk reallocation.
Shannon, in his talk “New Horizons in Cybersecurity and Risk,” discussed current attitudes toward risk and the potential and the challenges of certified software and formal methods (a mathematical approach to verifying software) to help build more secure systems. In addressing the emerging role of artificial intelligence (AI) in developing software, he stressed its potential and risk as well as the need for both slow and fast thinking.
“At the Cyber Energy Center, our work is guided by the question, ‘What if we change cybersecurity by a tall order?’” said Daniel Cole, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Ccience and Director of the Cyber Energy Center. “Finding that answer won’t happen overnight and, as Cheri and Greg both expressed in their keynotes, it won’t happen in a silo. That’s why this multidisciplinary approach is so essential.”
In addition to the keynote addresses, the workshop included two panel discussions. The first, “Perspectives on Risk,” featured Derek Brown, Director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure at EQT; Jim Gillespie, Co-founder and Chief Growth Officer of GrayMatter; Mark Hairston, General Industries Practice Leader at Seubert & Associates; and moderator Sarah Scheffler, Assistant Professor of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. The panelists from across the energy, technology, and insurance industries shared their unique perspectives on risk and how companies and organizations approach cyberattack prevention.
The second panel, “Certification and Policy,” was chaired by Cheri Caddy and featured panelists Chad Heitzenrater, Senior Information Scientist at RAND Pittsburgh; Zia Hydari, Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Pitt; and Samuel Perl, Senior Member at Carnegie Mellon’s Software Engineering Institute. They explored the intersection between public policy and technology, discussing the complexity of certifying software, the challenges of developing policy as technology rapidly evolves, and role of regulation in the U.S. and worldwide.
The workshop concluded with an interactive discussion titled “Designing the Future of Cybersecurity.” Robert Cunningham, Vice Chancellor for Research Instructure at Pitt, led the session, in which participants identified and discussed key themes from the workshop and charted a path forward for future multidisciplinary collaboration.
“We are grateful for Pitt Cyber’s generous funding and for all the people who helped organize and who participated in this amazing event,” said Owen. “This workshop is the beginning of a long-term effort to bring together many voices to build a stronger, safer cyber infrastructure.”
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