UDM received $551,500, the second award of a three-year $3.4 million federal contract from TACOM and QSS Group (a technology services company that provides information technology services to U.S. federal agencies). The funds will support faculty in UDM's Information Assurance (IA) Program to carry out research on the safety and security of the nation's critical information infrastructure.

Dan Shoemaker, professor and chair of Computer & Information Systems and director of the IA Program, says the project will help "build UDM's reputation as a significant player in teaching, research and development in national security topics."

Shoemaker is the program's principal investigator for the project. He currently serves on the Software Assurance Initiative of the Department of Homeland Security, National Cyber Security Division.

The aim of the project, which involves researchers from other universities and organizations, is to develop and disseminate the knowledge necessary to ensure that the software that enables America's business and critical infrastructure is safe and secure.