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The Kogod Cybersecurity Governance Center (KCGC) is a research initiative of American University’s Kogod School of Business (KSB) focused on cybersecurity and privacy research. We recognize that the economic, organizational and technological dimensions of cybersecurity require a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach in order to overcome the challenges and maximize the opportunities arising from cybersecurity. The center has two core missions: 1) conducting world-class research related to cybersecurity and privacy, and 2) achieving practical impacts by informing today’s business leaders with actionable and well-supported guidance on cybersecurity and privacy.

On research, the strategic vision of KCGC is to focus on two aspects of cybersecurity and privacy: behavioral research and data analytics.  We argue that past efforts on cybersecurity and privacy research are heavily skewed towards system security issues, leaving as research gaps the two aspects we plan to study.  Behavioral research aims to understand how the complex interplays between automated systems and human users, especially human behavior patterns and economic drivers, affect cybersecurity and privacy.  Data analytics, on the other hand, considers both the security and privacy threats posed by data analytics techniques and the security and privacy challenges threatening the utility and robustness of data analytics.

Contact Us

Kogod Cybersecurity Governance Center (KCGC)
4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20016

Email KCGC

Research Highlights

NSF Project on Privacy Regrets
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2018 Stafford Beer Medal

KCGC Announcements

  • Dr. Allan Friedman, the Director of Cybersecurity Initiatives at National Telecommunications and Information Administration, kicked off the 2019 KCGC Distinguished Lecture Series as the inaugural speaker on February 26, 2019.

Dr. Allan Friedman speaking at the KCGC Distinguished Lecture Series

  • Dr. Nan Zhang, faculty member of KCGC, discussed the importance of ensuring robustness in the data analytics process in Kogod Business Briefing on February 13, 2019.
    Read about the event.
    Watch the briefing.
  • Dr. Heng Xu, Director of KCGC, Heng Xu, delivered one of the four AU Ed Talks in the 2018 All American Weekend. Her talk, “Data in the Everyday,” visited the common myths and misconceptions about analytics in the Big Data era, telling real-world stories about the pitfalls in designing, performing, and interpreting data analytics in business practices.
    Read about the event.
  • On September 26, 2018, KCGC organized a Cybersecurity & Privacy Forum with the theme of "Bridging Research & Practice." In this event, 

    technology, business, and legal experts presented a panel discussion on bridging research and practice in cybersecurity and privacy. Panelists included Patrick Carrick, Department of Homeland Security; Casey Evans, Kogod School of Business; Jules Polonetsky, Future of Privacy Forum; and Anthony Vance, Fox School of Business at Temple University.  The forum also featured a keynote by cybersecurity expert Professor Joe Valacich, Eller College of Management at The University of Arizona, who discussed how sensory data collected by human interface devices such as keyboards, mice, touch pads, and touch screens can be used for insider threat detection.

    Read recap of the event at Kogod News.
  • KCGC held its annual advisory committee meeting on Tuesday, October 9, 2018. Dr. Heng Xu, Director of KCGC, shared with the advisory committee members the value proposition of the center and the center’s vision and future plan on research and on bridging research and practice.