ICAM laboratory inaugurated at Capitol

Capitol Technology University’s newest lab, dedicated to the expanding field of identity credentialing and access management, was officially inaugurated on Friday, March 11 with a dedication ceremony at the university’s Beltsville campus.

The Identity, Credentialing and Access Management Laboratory (ICAM) is designed to provide students with hands-on experience, enabling them to advance their employment opportunities in physical security, information assurance, business and acquisition management. One of the only laboratories of its kind in the US higher education system, it has attracted dozens of corporate sponsors, including 3M, Paxton and Quantum Secure.

"There’s a whole industry out there, with personnel hungry to learn more about cybersecurity, and Capitol has the expertise and the resources to meet that need,” said the lab’s director, professor Ron Martin, describing the university as “one of the best-kept secrets in the Beltway region.”

William Butler, chair of cyber and information security, said the lab “is going to take our cybersecurity program into an area that the government has identified as a research priority, one where solutions are needed.”

Attending the ceremony were nine interns, from Charles Herbert Flowers High School in Springdale, MD, who have assisted with setup of the lab while also receiving hands-on training and practice.

“I’ve seen tremendous growth among the students since they began working at the ICAM Lab,” said Shanice White, an engineering teacher at Flowers and mentor to the student interns. “They went from not knowing anything about the subject to becoming subject matter experts. I’m very proud of the students and their participation, and would like to thank Capitol for making this opportunity possible.”

Intern Christina Martin-Ebosele, a senior at Flowers, plans to study mechanical engineering in college and says her ICAM Lab experience has made her aware of the pervasiveness of cybersecurity issues, even in fields that seem remote from the cyber profession.

“It really showed me the cybersecurity side of everything that we do,” Martin-Ebosele said. “These are things that most of us aren’t necessarily aware of every day. We just open a door, for instance, without understanding the processes that went into securing it, such as processes of authentication. With internet and digital technology being incorporated more and more into security, organizations need to understand this in order to protect their assets.”

Capitol senior and Department of Defense intern Olivia Briscoe is the lab manager. Professor Martin, the director, is owner of the business strategy consulting firm Consullition. In addition to teaching at Capitol, Martin serves on the advisory boards of Waverly Labs and as executive director of the Open Security Exchange.

Photo: 1) ICAM Lab Manager Olivia Briscoe 2) Charles Herbert Flowers High School student interns Hassan Almaala and Andrew Latchman.