San Antonio, TX, July 23, 2019 –Digital Defense, Inc. and The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Department of Computer Science jointly announced today a partnership that will provide students and faculty with access to an award-winning cloud-based information security platform to further enrich the students’ cybersecurity education.
UTSA students and faculty will be able to utilize Fortra Vulnerability Management to evaluate the security posture of applications, systems and networks in classroom and lab environments both on and off campus. With Fortra VM, students will not only be able to assess the security posture of software applications and systems they build and run on lab networks, but when coupled with the supervision and course curriculum provided by UTSA faculty they will also learn how to use industry recognized tools to establish and execute an effective vulnerability lifecycle management program.
UTSA will have access to three different systems available with Fortra VM. These systems will provide students with vulnerability and web application scanning capabilities, and Digital Defense’s new threat scanning solution (Active Threat Sweep), which allows testing for hidden threats on target networks.
Mark Robinson, assistant professor in practice in the UTSA College of Sciences, will use the Fortra VM in the classroom with his students this fall.
“As the home of the nation’s top program in cybersecurity, UTSA is committed to developing partnerships that provide our students with unparalleled learning experiences so they can become the most competitive candidates in the marketplace,” said Robinson. “Fortra is an incredibly powerful platform with a host of capabilities that will allow UTSA students and researchers to test their systems, applications and networks before they move into a production-style environment. We are also excited to evaluate integration possibilities for Fortra VM into our security research and competitive events.”
“The alliance of our two San Antonio-based organizations is a natural fit,” states Larry Hurtado, president & CEO at Digital Defense. “We are excited to extend our existing relationship with UTSA, primarily focused on making paid internships available to UTSA students, to one that includes assisting UTSA faculty and students with more enhanced classroom cybersecurity learning. As a global Security SaaS platform technology firm, Digital Defense is pleased to provide access to Fortra VM to UTSA, one of the world’s leading cybersecurity education institutions. Working together with UTSA we are able to provide a hands-on experience to students, enabling them to solve real-world information security challenges in a classroom setting. These types of skills are in high demand and the future will now be even brighter for these individuals as they enter the workforce.”
The UTSA Department of Computer Science offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees supporting a dynamic and growing program with over 1,300 undergraduates, 74 master’s students and 67 doctoral students. Its major research units include the Institute for Cyber Security, which operates the FlexCloud and FlexFarm laboratories dedicated to both basic and applied cybersecurity research, and the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS), which focuses on the cybersecurity maturity of cities and communities while also conducting national cyber security defense competitions for college and high school students. The department’s research and experimental facilities are supported by federal research and infrastructure grants.
San Antonio is home to one of the largest concentrations of cybersecurity experts and industry leaders outside Washington, D.C., which uniquely positions the city and UTSA to lead the nation in cybersecurity research and workforce development.
About Digital Defense, Inc.
Serving clients across numerous industries, Digital Defense’s innovative and leading-edge technology helps organizations safeguard sensitive data and eases the burdens associated with information security. Fortra VM is a Security SaaS platform, that delivers unparalleled accuracy and efficiencies through multiple systems including Fortra Vulnerability Manager (Fortra VM), Web Application Scanning (WAS), Active Threat Sweep (ATS) and Pen Test.. Fortra's solutions, underpinned by patented technology and complemented with superior service and support, are highly-regarded by industry experts, as illustrated by the company’s designation as 2018 Global Vulnerability Management Customer Value Leadership Award, #10 ranking in Black Book Market Research's list of Compliance & Risk Management Solutions, five-star review in SC Magazine, and CRN 5-Star rating.
About UTSA
The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is a public urban serving university specializing in health, cybersecurity, energy, sustainability, and human and social development. With more than 32,000 students, it is the largest university in the San Antonio metropolitan region. UTSA advances knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. The university embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property—for Texas, the nation and the world. Learn more online, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram or on UTSA Today.
CONTACTS:
Michael Becce
MRB Public Relations (for Digital Defense, Inc.)
732-758-1100
Meg Grant
Digital Defense, Inc.
210-582-6186