Should campaigns be concerned about cyber threats?
Presidential campaigns are massive machines that require vast numbers of volunteers, staff working in each state. doors and supporters.
And with everything digital that's a lot of data that are valuable to those inside the campaign and just as valuable to those on the outside of a campaign.
In this ExpertSpot MSOE's Walter Schilling answers the question: Should campaigns be concerned about cyber threats? Walter is available to speak with media click on his profile below to arrange and interview today.
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3 min
Key topics at RNC 2024: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Cybersecurity
As the Republican National Convention 2024 begins, journalists from across the nation and the world will converge on Milwaukee, not only to cover the political spectacle but also to cover how the next potential administration will tackled issues that weren't likely on the radar or at least front and center last election: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Cybersecurity With technology and the threats that come with it moving at near exponential speeds the next four years will see challenges that no president or administration has seen before. Plans and polices will be required that impact not just America but one a global scale.
To help visiting journalists navigate and understand these issues and how and where the Republican policies are taking on these topics our MSOE experts are available to offer insights.
Dr. Jeremy Kedziora, Dr. Derek Riley and Dr. Walter Schilling are leading voices nationally on these important subjects and are ready to assist with any stories during the convention.
. . . Dr. Jeremy Kedziora Associate Professor, PieperPower Endowed Chair in Artificial Intelligence
Expertise: AI, machine learning, ChatGPT, ethics of AI, global technology revolution, using these tools to solve business problems or advance business objectives, political science. View Profile “Artificial intelligence and machine learning are part of everyday life at home and work. Businesses and industries—from manufacturing to health care and everything in between—are using them to solve problems, improve efficiencies and invent new products,” said Dr. John Walz, MSOE president. “We are excited to welcome Dr. Jeremy Kedziora as MSOE’s first PieperPower Endowed Chair in Artificial Intelligence. With MSOE as an educational leader in this space, it is imperative that our students are prepared to develop and advance AI and machine learning technologies while at the same time implementing them in a responsible and ethical manner.” MSOE names Dr. Jeremy Kedziora as Endowed Chair in Artificial Intelligence
MSOE online March 22, 2023
. . . Dr. Derek Riley Professor, B.S. in Computer Science Program Director
Expertise: AI, machine learning, facial recognition, deep learning, high performance computing, mobile computing, artificial intelligence View Profile “At this point, it's fairly hard to avoid being impacted by AI," said Derek Riley, the computer science program director at Milwaukee School of Engineering. “Generative AI can really make major changes to what we perceive in the media, what we hear, what we read.” Fake explicit pictures of Taylor Swift cause concern over lack of AI regulation
CBS News January 26, 2024
. . . Dr. Walter Schilling Professor
Expertise: Cybersecurity and the latest technological advancements in automobiles and home automation systems; how individuals can protect their business operations and personal networks. View Profile Milwaukee School of Engineering cybersecurity professor Walter Schilling said it's a great opportunity for his students. "Just to see what the real world is like that they're going to be entering into," said Schilling. Schilling said cybersecurity is something all local organizations, from small business to government, need to pay attention to. "It's something that Milwaukee has to be concerned about as well because of the large companies that we have headquartered here, as well as the companies we're trying to attract in the future," said Schilling. Could the future of cybersecurity be in Milwaukee?: SysLogic holds 3rd annual summit at MSOE
CBS News April 26, 2022
. . . For further information and to arrange interviews with our experts, please contact: Media Relations Contact To schedule an interview or for more information, please contact: JoEllen Burdue Senior Director of Communications and Media Relations
Phone: (414) 839-0906
Email: burdue@msoe.edu . . . About Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) Milwaukee School of Engineering is the university of choice for those seeking an inclusive community of experiential learners driven to solve the complex challenges of today and tomorrow. The independent, non-profit university has about 2,800 students and was founded in 1903. MSOE offers bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering, business and nursing. Faculty are student-focused experts who bring real-world experience into the classroom. This approach to learning makes students ready now as well as prepared for the future. Longstanding partnerships with business and industry leaders enable students to learn alongside professional mentors, and challenge them to go beyond what's possible. MSOE graduates are leaders of character, responsible professionals, passionate learners and value creators.
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1 min
The Intersection of Cybersecurity and Business Operations: Protecting Your Company's Automated Infrastructure
In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, cybersecurity has emerged as an indispensable aspect of business operations. Automated infrastructures, which include endpoint devices, cloud services, and IoT systems, have made companies more vulnerable to cyber threats. These threats can disrupt operations, lead to financial losses, and compromise sensitive data. Therefore, understanding and implementing robust cybersecurity measures is non-negotiable for modern enterprises seeking resilience and stability.
Dr. Walter Schilling, professor and cybersecurity expert at Milwaukee School of Engineering, is available to discuss what companies should consider when designing their cyber defense strategy. To protect their automated infrastructure, businesses must:
integrate cybersecurity deeply into their overall strategy adopt a proactive approach to identifying and mitigating risks conduct regular security assessments deploy advanced threat detection systems enforce strong access control policies train employees on cybersecurity best practices foster a culture of vigilance is equally important.
Multimedia
Education, Licensure and Certification
Ph.D.
Electrical Engineering
University of Toledo
2007
M.S.
Engineering Science
University of Toledo
1998
B.S.
Electrical Engineering
Ohio Northern University
1997
Biography
Dr. Walter Schilling is a Professor and Program Director for Cybersecurity Systems in the Diercks School of Advanced Computing at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE). He teaches courses in both the Cybersecurity Systems and Software Engineering programs, specializing in software reliability, static analysis, cybersecurity, embedded systems software verification, and software security. Before joining the MSOE faculty, Dr. Schilling served as a graduate researcher at NASA’s Glenn Research Center and worked as a software product design engineer for both Visteon Corporation and Ford Motor Company. He currently serves as an editor for the Computers in Education Journal and is a commissioner with the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC), supporting quality assurance in engineering education. Dr. Schilling’s contributions to engineering education have been recognized with several honors, including the Ohio Space Grant Consortium Doctoral Fellowship, the ASEE New Engineering Educators Distinguished Service Award, the Merl K. Miller Award from the Computers in Education Journal, and the ASEE Computers in Education Distinguished Service Award.
Areas of Expertise
Real Time Systems
Embedded Systems
Software Engineering
Software Verification
Static Analysis
Cybersecurity
Software Reliability
Accomplishments
ASEE Computers in Education Distinguished Service Award
2023
ASEE New Engineering Educators Distinguished Service Award
2016
Merl K. Miller Award
Awarded for the outstanding CoED Journal paper on teaching/instructional methods, ASEE Computers in Education Journal 2014
University of Toledo Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department Dissertation of the Year Award
2008
ISSRE 2006 Student Travel Award
2006
Southeastern Michigan Section IEEE Outstanding Engineer of the Year Award
2002
Toledo Section IEEE Young Engineer of the Year Award
1999
Show All +
Affiliations
American Society of Engineering Educators (ASEE) : Member
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) : Member
IEEE Computer Society : Member
Social
Media Appearances
Could the Future of Cybersecurity be in Milwaukee?
WDJT - Ch. 58 - CBS tv
2022-04-26
Dr. Walt Schilling weighs in on the importance of cybersecurity and preventing cyber attacks.
The jobs of the future are here now. If you can pick up cybersecurity, there are plenty of good-paying jobs available. According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, information security analysts earn a median yearly salary of $107,000.
High-Tech Woes: Milwaukee IT Experts Talk Cybersecurity
WUWM Radio radio
2019-11-08
Cybersecurity firms say they need millions more workers across the globe. WUWM's Chuck Quirmbach reports on cybersecurity problems and one place future cybersecurity experts are trained, a Milwaukee college laboratory.
Ransomware threats: what they are, how they happen, and how to protect against them
WUWM Lake Effect, https://www.wuwm.com/2021-10-07/ransomware-threats-what-they-are-how-they-happen-and-how-to-protect-against-them October 7th, 2021
Big Data, Cyber Security, and the Lure of the Open Road
Data Driven Milwaukee Meetup Presentation December 2, 2019
Panel Discussion on Cybersecurity
Milwaukee Cybersecurity Summit 2019 October 28, 2019
Patents
Randomized Playback of Tracks in a Multimedia Player
US6707768B2
2004
An audio reproduction apparatus randomizes or shuffles the playback order of tracks from a prerecorded media such as a compact disc within a multiple-disc changer. Shuffle sequences are generated using a linear congruential random number generator (LCRNG). The shuffle sequence does not have to be stored since a next track in the sequence can always be generated from the LCRNG using a particular set of parameters. The parameters are determined in response to the number of track (or discs) in a sequence and include elements obtained from a lookup table and elements that are randomly selected so that the same sequence is not always generated for a certain sequence length.
Within the computing fields, concerns related to security continue to grow. Since the early 2000’s, cyberattacks against deployed software systems have grown significantly. In 2017, recognizing this concern, a modification to the program accreditation criteria for computing programs was proposed and accepted which explicitly required topical coverage of security accredited programs. Since taking effect in 2019, all accredited computing programs have had to demonstrate proper coverage of the topic as part of the accreditation process. While the criteria require that the topic of security be covered, the implementation is left open to individual programs. This article will provide a snapshot of the state of the practice of how security is integrated into program curricula by analyzing a subset of the ABET accredited Computer Science programs. The article will identify at a high-level scope the topics that are covered in the programs, as well as provide an overview of other aspects of the institutions which impact the depth and breadth of security coverage available to undergraduate students.
WIP: Increasing Engagement with Industrial Advisory Board Members through Asynchronous Assessment of Elevator Pitches.
2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition.
Schilling, W. W., Riley, D. D.
2024-06-23
As the Global Pandemic has continued to resolve, many programs have struggled to maintain active engagement with their industrial advisory boards. While hybrid meetings have helped to retain attendance, it is unclear if attendees are as engaged with the events. At the same time, student needs have increased, making faculty interaction and mentorship more challenging. ABET Accredited Engineering and Computer Science Programs are required to demonstrate that students have an ability to communicate effectively, with Engineering Programs specifically being required to communicate effectively with a wide variety of audiences. Traditionally, programs assess this using formal oral presentations and written reports in various ways. However, these methods may not be as important for modern students entering industry or research, where the ability to be clear and succinct may be vital. As part of the capstone sequence at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), students in the Computer Science and Software Engineering Programs are required to prepare and deliver an elevator pitch related to their project during the first term once the initial requirements have been established. This pitch helps to solidify the project scope and is used as part of the continuous improvement process for the programs. To help improve the capstone experience, a subset of elevator pitches for the programs were evaluated by external, industrial advisory board members to provide students with formative feedback from a different audience as a pilot project. This Work In Progress paper will discuss the process used for external evaluation as well as key initial findings from doing this as part of the capstone experience.
Within the software engineering discipline, concerns related to security continue to grow. Since the early 2000’s, the number of cyberattacks against deployed software systems has significantly grown. In 2014, recognizing this concern, a modification to the ABET EAC program accreditation criteria for software engineering was made, explicitly requiring topical coverage of security for accredited programs. Since taking effect in 2016, all programs in software engineering have been required to demonstrate appropriate coverage of the topic as part of the accreditation process. While the criteria requires that the topic of security be covered, the implementation has been left open to individual programs. This article serves two purposes. First and foremost, it provides an updated status on the demographics of accredited software engineering programs. In doing so, it also provides a snapshot of the state of the practice of how security is integrated into program curricula by analyzing the 37 domestic ABET accredited bachelors’ programs in software engineering. The article will identify at a high level the topics that are covered in the programs, as well as provide an overview of other aspects of the institutions which impact the depth and breadth of security coverage available to undergraduate students.
The field of software engineering is ever changing. The latest IEEE Curriculum Guidelines, SE2014: Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Degree Programs in Software Engineering was published in 2014. Since then, the discipline has continued to evolve as the complexity of software systems has reached unprecedented levels. This growth has resulted in organizations shifting to a form of development referred to as DevOps. DevOps is "an interdisciplinary approach and means to enable the realization of successful software systems" [1] and has recently been standardized by the IEEE. In this WIP article, we will discuss the justification for including DevOps within a Software Engineering Program, discuss the challenges that this methodology places upon an instructor to teach, ideas for incorporating this material into the program, and how this can be extended to address the inclusion of security through a discussion of DevSecOps.
Assessing the Effectiveness of Individual Reflections on Video Feedback
2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference
Schilling, W. W.
2021
Abstract: We know from research that feedback to students is an decisive aspect in the learning process. Students learn better when they receive relevant and timely feedback from faculty members regarding their assignments. Multiple studies have shown this. However, if students do not review the feedback, it is not effective, and faculty members routinely speak to anecdotal stories of students disregarding feedback given to them. In previous papers, the usage of multimedia feedback has been discussed. In essence, with multimedia feedback, traditional written comments are generally replaced with a short, narrated video whereby the feedback is provided both using audio and visual techniques. Overall, this approach has been shown to be quite effective for communicating with students. However, as with traditional feedback, the videos are only effective if students watch them. This paper will present a new approach toward video feedback, namely integrating an optional individual reflection into the process. Student
Work in Progress: Integrating the Entrepreneurial Mindset into a Software Requirements Course
2020 ASEE Annual Conference
Schilling, W. W.
Abstract: One of the most challenging aspects of software engineering is teaching students requirements elicitation. Software requirements elicitation requires complex thinking and a thorough understanding of the customer and business needs. Traditionally, requirements elicitation courses have focused on pure documentation of requirements, the focus being on drafting unambiguous statements properly formatted to follow an IEEE standard. However, the challenge of requirements elicitation is often not in the documentation of requirements, but rather in understanding the needs of a customer. This work in progress paper intended to provide a case study of a novel approach to integrating the entrepreneurial mindset into a software requirements course. Working in teams, students are given an extensive scenario related to a real-world medical issue introduced by a brief video. Through the remainder of the course, students interview other students, real world practitioners, and others to understand the value of the product and the needs of potential clients before drafting a final requirements document which then could be used to develop the project. Through this approach, engineers communicate with nurses, athletes, pharmacists, and other non-engineers, learning the skills of teamwork, the perspectives of non-engineers, the limitations of technology, and in some cases, learn that a project that seems advantageous may actually not be successful. The paper will describe the project, the materials created for the project, and provide student observations on the success of this approach.
Analyzing the impact of asynchronous multimedia feedback on novice computer programmers
2015 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)
Schilling, W. W.
2015
For many engineering students, freshman programming represents one of the hardest courses for them to master. Unlike other science fields, few students are routinely exposed to programming in the K12 system. This can make the freshman programming course daunting. However, in the field of software engineering, success in this area is vital, as success in nearly all future courses requires mastery of this skillset. In the engineering field, we find that many students are visual learners. These students learn best by seeing, and they can perform very well in the classroom with the appropriate usage of teaching styles. However, when it comes to providing feedback to students on submitted assignments, the main method employed is the written comment, which is not conducive to visual learners. From a faculty member's standpoint, this makes sense, as it is the simplest form of feedback. However, written feedback is often ineffective at improving student performance, as many students simply do not read the comments because the students feel they are not relevant to their performance. This can be compounded in the freshman year, as students are still learning what is meant to be an effective college student. At higher levels, an alternative feedback mechanism, namely asynchronous multimedia feedback, has shown great promise. In lieu of written feedback, students are provided feedback for software engineering exercises through the use of a short video made via video capture. The video captures in multimedia format the instructor's perceptions and actions when grading a given assignment. The video shows, in real time, what the instructor saw, whether it is a program crashing or the successful operation of the program. Furthermore, it provides the instructor the ability to potentially fix simple blatant errors and see the instructor's debugging strategy. The article describes the pedagogical foundation for the technique, specifics of the technique used, student perceptions of the technique, and an assessment of the learning gains from using such a method in an introductory freshman programming course. In general, students are show to prefer the technique versus traditional grading, and a statistically significant improvement in overall outcomes for the experimental course is shown to exist. A statistically significant correlation between the watching of videos and outcomes is also shown.
Case Studies for Enhancing Student Engagement and Active Learning in Software V&V Education
Journal of Education and Learning
Manohar, P.A., Acharya, S., Wu, P., Hansen, M., Ansari, A., Schilling, W.
2015
Two critical problems facing the software (S/W) industry today are the lack of appreciation of the full benefits that can be derived from Software Verification and Validation (V&V) and an associated problem of shortage of adequately trained V&V practitioners. To address this situation, the software V&V course curriculum at the author's institution is being improved via a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded project. The basic objectives of this project are to enhance the quality of software education via increased student engagement and by bridging the gap between the basic principles discussed in the classroom and the complexity of real world problems. The teaching method utilized promotes higher levels of student engagement and learning through interactive, hands-on exercises, case studies and discussions. In addition, the instructional materials were purposefully designed not only for university classroom settings, but to also be deployed for on-the-job professional training in S/W industry settings, thereby helping to increase the pool of professionals with contemporary V&V knowledge and skills. The new course curriculum enhancement described in this paper is guided by academic research and industry best practices that focus on four specific V&V focus areas: "requirements engineering, reviews, configuration management", and "testing". Among many educational tools that are being developed to achieve the project objectives, the work related specifically to the development of one central component, case studies, is described here. Historically, case studies have been educational tools utilized in business, law, and medicine, but are not as prominent in software engineering. The hypothesis is that case studies would be effective educational tools to introduce real-world professional practices into the classroom, which would help the students in both identifying and solving problems, and developing a perspective on applying knowledge. In this paper we describe a set of V&V related case-studies that we have drawn from industry experiences and developed as pedagogical tools. These case-studies cover several important topics in the S/W V&V domain such as software testing, legal issues in software, software consumer protection, and requirements from the customers' perspectives.
Integrated Active Learning Tools for Enhanced Pedagogy in a Software Engineering Course
The ASEE Computers in Education (CoED) Journal
Acharya, S., Manohar, P., Wu, P., Schilling, W., Ansari, A.
2015
Effective teaching requires effective teaching tools. This pedagogical requirement is especially important for software engineering education, where graduates are expected to develop software that meets rigorous quality standards in functional and application domains. To enhance students’ understanding of the needs of the professional software industry, lecture notes are supplanted by additional pedagogical tools being developed at the author’s institution for a software verification and validation (V&V) course. These active learning teaching tools, consisting of class exercises, case studies, and case study videos, are being developed in partnership with industry. The basic objective of the project is to improve software education so that it is aligned with both academic research and industry best practices. This project is being funded through a NSF-TUES grant.
Assessing the effectiveness of video feedback in the computing field
2013 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)
Schilling, W. W.
2013
Engineering students exhibit a wide array of learning styles across the perception, input, organization, processing, and understanding dimensions. To improve students performance in the classroom, many techniques have been developed to address these variances. The computing fields, however, tend to have a large percentage of students who are visual learners. These students learn best by seeing, and they can perform very well in the classroom with the appropriate usage of teaching styles. However, when it comes to providing feedback to students on submitted assignments, the main method employed is the written comment, which is not conducive to visual learners. This method is most prevalent in the academic community because overall, it is the simplest form of feedback that a faculty member can provide to students. However, written feedback is often highly ineffective at improving student performance, as many students simply do not read the comments because the students feel they are not relevant to their performance. This paper presents an assessment of an alternative method for providing feedback to students: video feedback. In lieu of written feedback, students are provided feedback for software engineering exercises through the use of a short video made via video capture. The video captures in multimedia format the instructors perceptions and actions when grading a given assignment. The video includes both aural commentary as the assignment is assessed, as well as dynamic visuals of the grading process, demonstrating failures and improvements that can be made in the submitted assignment. The article describes the pedagogical foundation for the technique, specifics of the technique used, student perceptions of the technique, and an assessment of the learning gains from using such a method in a junior level class. In general, students are show to prefer the technique versus traditional grading, and an improvement in overall outcomes for the course is shown to exist as well.
Modeling the reliability of existing software using static analysis
2006 IEEE International Conference on Electro/Information Technology
Schilling, W.W., Alam, M.
2006
Software unreliability represents an increasing risk to overall system reliability. As systems become larger and more complex, mission critical and safety critical systems have had increasing functionality controlled exclusively through software. This change, coupled with generally increasing reliability in hardware modules, has resulted in a shift of the root cause of systems failure from hardware to software. Market forces, including decreased time to market, reduced development team sizes, and other factors, have encouraged projects to reuse existing software as well as to purchase COTS software solutions. This has made the usage of the more than 200 existing software reliability models increasingly difficult. Traditional software reliability models require significant testing data to be collected during software development in order to estimate software reliability. If this data is not collected in a disciplined manner or is not made available to software engineers, these modeling techniques can not be applied. It is imperative that practical reliability modeling techniques be developed to address these issues. It is on this premise that an appropriate software reliability model combining static analysis of existing source code modules, limited testing with path capture, and Bayesian belief networks is presented. Static analysis is used to detect faults within the source code which may lead to failure. Code coverage is used to determine which paths within the source code are executed as well as how often they execute. Finally, Bayesian belief network is then used to combine these parameters and estimate the resulting software reliability.
