hero image
Jeffrey Morris, PhD - Augusta University. Augusta, GA, US

Jeffrey Morris, PhD

Assistant Professor, School of Computer and Cyber Sciences | Augusta University

Augusta, GA, UNITED STATES

Spotlight

Multimedia

Publications:

Documents:

Photos:

Videos:

The School of Computer and Cyber Sciences is hacking the future | In the Wild

Audio/Podcasts:

Social

Areas of Expertise (6)

Quantum Cryptography

Quantum Computing

Defense and Security

Systems Engineering

National Security

Cybersecurity

Education (4)

Air Force Institute of Technology: Ph.D., Systems Engineering 2014

National Defense Intelligence College: M.S., Strategic Intelligence 2007

Nova Southeastern University: M.S., Management Information Systems 2006

Excelsior College: B.S., Liberal Arts 2001

Affiliations (5)

  • Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) : Member
  • International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) : Member
  • Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) : Member
  • Tau Beta Pi – The Engineering Honor Society : Member
  • Sigma Iota Epsilon – National Honorary and Professional Management Society : Member

Media Appearances (10)

Scan scams? Some QR codes may pose security risk

WALB  tv

2024-01-05

It’s something we use at restaurants, art galleries and many other places: QR codes. They’re as easy as scanning from our camera or an app and then clicking the link to what we need. But what if scammers and hackers start putting fake QR codes out to the public? That’s what we asked a Georgia professor about. And doctor, you’re saying now that you’re seeing some dangers in the QR codes that people see everywhere? “Yes, QR codes are everywhere,” Dr. Jeff Morris with the Augusta University Cyber Sciences program, said. “They’re easy to use, but none of us natively speaks QR code. It’s not a, not something that we humans can read. So we rely on our phones and our computers to do it for us. There’s been instances where malicious actors have planted out QR codes that send people to malicious sites, printed them out, and then gone into public places and pasted their QR codes over. Posters and other places where QR codes have. Have been posted and then people thinking that they’re going to the right place, bring them up, hit the OK on the phone and then next thing you know, they’re they’ve got a whole bunch of malware downloaded onto their phone.”

view more

A cyber expert’s advice on keeping our data safe

WJBF  tv

2023-06-01

We look at ways to protect your personal information on this edition of The Means Report. Cyber expert Dr. Jeffrey Morris is our guest. He walks us through the many ways we can protect our passwords, our data and other information stored on our devices. Watch our interview and learn how to stay safe when you’re online. Be sure to join us for The Means report Monday afternoons at 12:30 on WJBF NewsChannel 6. We welcome back Dr. Jeffrey Morris from Augusta University School of Computer and Cyber Sciences. Dr. Morris, thanks for talking to us about cyber. It impacts all of us and thanks for coming back so soon. I really appreciate it.

view more

One on One with Richard Rogers│Seeking protection against cyber attacks

WRDW  tv

2021-10-04

Like it or not, our lives are closely connected to our computers and there are so many ways cyber thieves can target us these days. October is Cyber Security Awareness Month and Jeff Morris with the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences at Augusta University stopped by to talk to us about the importance of keeping our information secure.

view more

NCO Earns PhD at AFIT

DVIDS - Defense Visual Information Distribution Service  online

2014-09-04

For the first time ever since the Air Force Institute of Technology opened it's doors 95 years ago, a Non-Commissioned Officer has earned a PhD. The kicker? It was an Army Soldier! Here is the story of Army MSG Jeffery Morris, a career Army soldier, who has labored up to 70 hours a week in study for several years to earn this title. His efforts will now lead him to continue his military service at the United States Military Academy where he teach and continue his research at the New Army Cyber Institute.

view more

Cyber News Now: SRNL and Augusta University establish first joint appointment to advance cyber research

WFXG  tv

2021-11-01

For the first time, Savannah River National Laboratory and Augusta University have appointed someone to a joint faculty position. Jeffrey Morris will advance research in cyber sciences.

view more

Ransomware attack could delay paychecks at some companies

WFXG  tv

2021-12-14

A ransomware attack on a large human resources company could impact employees' time and payroll right before the holidays.

view more

Bridgestone investigates security incident, Aiken workers impacted

WRDW  tv

2022-02-28

Operations are stalled at Bridgestone for the second night in a row. Investigators are looking into what the company calls a “potential information security incident.” Plants are down across two continents. We’re still waiting to hear back from Bridgestone on several of our questions. We’re wondering if this was a cyberattack or if it has anything to do with the Ukraine invasion. Bridgestone says it’s out of an abundance of caution to try and get as much information as they can throughout this comprehensive investigation. We spoke with one local cyber expert who says it’s easier said than done. “It is extremely difficult. They’ll start into one system, and then they’ll break into another, and then they’ll attack the target,” said Jeffrey Morris, Augusta University assistant professor, school in computer and cyber sciences.

view more

Cyber News Now: Practicing caution with information sharing and targeted ads

WFXG  tv

2022-06-13

If you've been online, you've likely seen targeted ads at some point. But, a local cyber expert says don't click so fast. Often, you'll see targeted ads on Facebook, Instagram or maybe even Twitter. While scrolling, these ads will pop up on your feed. “They track where you go and then you will have a digital profile that’s being built on you and then that is what is used by vendors to generate money.” said Jeffrey Morris, Augusta University School of Computer and Cyber Sciences Assistant Professor. These ads can show products or services you may be interested in based on your data. Before you agree to any privacy policies on various apps, Morris encourages you to ask yourself a question. "What is it you’re willing to give up for people to know about you?” Morris says it’s a question not many consider.

view more

One on One with Laura Warren: Keeping safe from cyber attacks

WRDW  tv

2022-10-23

Like it or not, we depend on technology more and more. Cyber thieves are finding new ways to take advantage of us. October is Cyber Security Awareness Month and Jeff Morris, with the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences at Augusta University, is here to talk about it one on one with Laura Warren.

view more

The Means Report

WJBF  tv

2023-05-21

Dr. Jeffrey Morris is our guest on this edition of The Means Report. He talks about the path to a solid career in Cybersecurity at Augusta University. Watch our interview and learn how you can get the skills you need to succeed. Be sure to join us for The Means Report Monday afternoons at 12:30 on NewsChannel 6. Welcome back to “The Means Report”. We appreciate you staying with us. Great information about Medicaid, and in the closing segments of that interview, great information about the health of our children and how we can all contribute to improving that. Thank you so much Dr. Hartman for your time. And thank you to Dr. Jeffrey Morris. He is with the AU School of Computer and Cyber Sciences where he serves as an assistant professor, a very busy man, and we appreciate Dr. Morris, you coming to “The Means Report” today to talk about all things cyber.

view more

Answers (3)

If you have a work laptop/computer assigned to you, do you need to take additional steps to secure it while working from home?

View Answer >

Much like being in the workplace, the same rules apply:You should log out of the device once you are done working for the day. This prevents accidental use of the computer by others in the home.Turning the device off when not in use is a good way to ensure this.The device needs to be physically secured as well.If the device does not have an anti-virus software program installed from work, you need to ensure it has it before you use it at home.

What's the best way to secure your computer connection at home?

View Answer >

Using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a must. Hopefully, your work will provide a VPN connection for use. With the spread of cloud data storage, ensuring all connections are secured (the little lock icon in your browser is visible) is a must.

How do you separate home from work when it comes to keeping computers safe? 

View Answer >

The best way to keep work materials safe would be to have a separate device that is used only for work, such as a company-supplied laptop. Since most of us will not have devices supplied to us, the next best would be to use a device that has minimal other use:Try not to use a computer that the rest of the family uses.If others use the computer, create a new user login and use that for work only.Keep all your work files in an encrypted folder.Ensure you have security software installed on the computer you are using for work.

Articles (5)

Cyber Talent for Unified Land Operations

Small Wars Journal

2016 The Army is well on path to build their required portion of the US Cyber Command’s Cyber Mission Force to meet strategic objectives. It’s now time to address the impending need for cyber-enabled tactical operations and Service demands. Our strategy should be focused on the ways and means of creating an organization that allows the Army to lead in this domain while achieving the Combatant Commander’s objectives, enabling Army operations across a full spectrum of combat in support of all levels of command.

view more

Cyber Aptitude Assessment: Finding the Next Generation of Enlisted Cyber Soldiers

Cyber Defense Review

2015 As noted in the 2013 DoD Cyberspace Workforce Strategy, not all cyberspace personnel will have a STEM background, but instead will come from a broad variety of backgrounds. The problem is trying to find personnel having the knowledge and aptitude for cyberspace operations. There are many instruments available to measure knowledge, but there few that measure aptitude.

view more

Implications of Quantum Information Processing On Military Operations

Cyber Defense Review

2015 This paper discusses the benefits and drawbacks of quantum computing and quantum cryptography, subsets of the field of Quantum Information Processing (QIP). This field uses quantum mechanics for information processing rather than classical mechanics and portends game-changing implications to technologies long-relied on by military organizations, including computing, communication, and cryptographic systems.

view more

A Modeling Framework for Studying Quantum Key Distribution System Implementation Nonidealities

IEEE Access

2015 Quantum key distribution (QKD) is an innovative technology that exploits the laws of quantum mechanics to generate and distribute unconditionally secure shared key for use in cryptographic applications. However, QKD is a relatively nascent technology where real-world system implementations differ significantly from their ideal theoretical representations.

view more

Using the Discrete Event System Specification to Model Quantum Key Distribution System Components

Journal of Defense Modeling and Simulation

2014 In this paper, we present modeling a Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) system with its components using the Discrete Event System Specification (DEVS) formalism. The DEVS formalism assures the developed component models are composable and exhibit well-defined temporal behavior independent of the simulation environment. These attributes enable users to assemble a valid simulation using any collection of compatible components to represent complete QKD system architectures.

view more