Dr. Munther Abualkibash is an associate professor teaching cybersecurity, information security, and applied computing. He earned a PhD in computer science and engineering, and an MS in computer science from the University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport, CT.
His interests include Computer and network security, cloud computing, and machine learning.
Listen to the full episode
Key takeaways from the interview
- Background: Dr. Abualkibash is an associate professor teaching cybersecurity, information security, and applied computing at Eastern Michigan University. He holds a PhD in computer science and engineering and an MS in computer science from the University of Bridgeport.
- Initial interest in computer science: His interest in computer science, which later led to cybersecurity, began during high school in Jordan, driven by the field’s growing demand and promising career opportunities.
- Academic and professional journey: After moving to the U.S., he completed his Master’s and PhD in Computer Science. Initially inclined towards industry, he chose academia, teaching at Skidmore College and then Eastern Michigan University, where he shifted his focus predominantly to cybersecurity.
- Current focus on machine learning in cybersecurity: Dr. Abualkibash is currently focused on leveraging machine learning in cybersecurity, aiming to improve attack prevention and detection. He maintains his industry relevance through certifications from SANS and CompTIA Security+ to support his research and teaching.
Here is a full transcript of the episode
Steve Bowcut: Thank you for joining us today for the Cybersecurity Guide Podcast. My name is Steve Bowcut. I’m a writer and an editor for Cybersecurity Guide and the podcast’s host. We appreciate your listening. On today’s show, our guest is Munther Abualkibash.
We’re going to be talking about Cybersecurity educational opportunities at Eastern Michigan University, where Munther teaches. A little bit more about him: Munther is an Associate Professor teaching Cybersecurity, Information Security and Applied Computing.
He earned a PhD in Computer Science and Engineering and an MS in Computer Science from the University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport, Connecticut. His interests include computer and network security, Cloud computing, and machine learning. And with that, welcome, Munther. How are you today?
Munther Abualkibash: Oh, thank you, Steve. Thank you for having me. I’m doing fine. Thank you so much.
You bet. Thank you for joining me. I appreciate your time, and I know that our audience is going to appreciate learning about your perspective and some of your history. And let’s start with some of your history.
I always think it’s fun to find out how people in your position, when and how you got interested in cybersecurity in the first place. So, how did that happen for you?
Munther Abualkibash:
Oh, yeah. That’s a good question, actually. Yeah. Actually, in general, when I started, I started focusing on Computer Science in general, not only Cybersecurity.
So at that time, when I finished my high school, at that time Computer Science was booming. Everyone was like, “Oh, Computer Science is doing well. Once you finish your degree in Computer Science, you’ll get a good, high salary.” Which in the industry, yes, Computer Science graduates usually get a high salary.
Steve Bowcut:
Yep, and let me interrupt. You were still in living in Jordan at this time?
Munther Abualkibash:
Yes, at that time, yes. I was living in Jordan.
Steve Bowcut:
Through high school and through your undergraduate, right?
Munther Abualkibash:
Yes, undergrad and high school plus overseas in Jordan. Yep.
Steve Bowcut:
Yeah, go ahead.
Munther Abualkibash:
Yeah. Since that time, I was focused, “Oh, maybe Computer Science is one of the hot topics nowadays, and it’s kind of on high demand.” When you have a Computer Science degree, it’s like hopefully you can get a job easily.
Yeah, I decided to go with a Computer Science major. And actually, yes, it’s not a bad major. Some students maybe kind of… I want to say struggle with the programming things at the beginning. But once you master the programming, any programming language, you’ll enjoy it because you can make so many things in programming.
Steve Bowcut:
Sure.
Munther Abualkibash:
You can make your own programs. Anything you think about, you can start just building it from scratch yourself. So yeah, I started this path. I got my bachelors degree in Computer Science. Then I moved to the US. I got my Master in Computer Science, PhD in Computer Science. And now, there were two options at that time. Should I go academia? Should I go with an industry?
Steve Bowcut:
Right.
Munther Abualkibash:
I was thinking more industry, but, okay, let’s say I’m going to go with academia. I went to academia. I taught in Skidmore College, upstate New York for one year. Then I got the opportunity to join Eastern Michigan University after that.
And that school in Eastern Michigan University, it’s mainly focused on cybersecurity program. It’s cybersecurity, it’s like standalone cybersecurity. So once I moved to Eastern Michigan University, I mainly kind of focused more on cybersecurity mainly.
So, this was the big shift for me. Instead of just learning Computer Science in general, database with applications, different things, now my focus became more towards cybersecurity.
Steve Bowcut:
Okay, that’s interesting. Obviously, you were aware of cybersecurity and the need for it, but you weren’t really focused on it until after you had your PhD?
Munther Abualkibash:
Yep. Yeah. Exactly.
Excellent. All right, awesome. Let’s fast forward to present day. Is there anything you’re working on or researching that you can share with us?
Munther Abualkibash:
Yeah. Nowadays my focus is on machine learning. Now, as you see in the news, machine learning, one of the famous things… ChatGPT for example, everyone’s talking a lot.
I mean, this is one aspect of machine learning. My focus currently is about how to use machine learning, how to leverage machine learning in cybersecurity. For example, hopefully to prevent attack, to detect attacks.
This is my focus in general, how to use different algorithms to increase diction rates of any type of attacks in… Yeah. Yeah, this is mainly what I’m focused on nowadays.
Now, network security and the Cloud… I mean, network security is something important because it’s the basics, the fundamentals that I need to know to be able to do any study on machine learning. This is another thing, that mainly I’m focusing on that.
I got two certificates just to keep myself up to date. I got some certificates from SANS, for example, like two certificates from SANS.
Steve Bowcut:
Oh, right.
Munther Abualkibash:
Which is. And one from Comptia, Comptia Security+, just to keep myself up to date since I’m not working in the industry. My fault. I mean, I’m mainly in academia. One way to keep myself up to date is to get some certificates, hands-on experience and that will help me… That helps a lot in my research.
Steve Bowcut:
Okay, excellent. As you were talking, I was trying to identify if there was some kind of a through line or a thread that’s kind of been through your academic career.
And I guess from what you’ve told me, there may have been, but it wasn’t cybersecurity. So, what would you say there’s been? Has it been machine learning? Has that been something? Or is it something else?
Munther Abualkibash:
Yeah. When I started, I started with programming, to have to use different programming languages. Once you learn any programming language, you can do many things. Machine learning is one of it.
Nowadays we use Python mainly to do many to…In machine learning, it’s one of the tools. But again, there are so many languages like Java, C#, C++. I started that a long time ago. I started with C++, then Java. Then I think before that was basics before that.
Steve Bowcut:
Yeah. Yeah. I remember that.
Munther Abualkibash:
Yeah, basics. Then C++, Java, and then now Python. I teach Python at school. But what can I say? Programming languages. Once a student masters a programming language, this would open many different paths.
Steve Bowcut:
Right.
Munther Abualkibash:
It can go multiple ways. You can go machine learning, data analytics, you can do penetration system with programming languages. There are so many things that can be done.
So once you master a programming language, for a student that will open many, many doors and it can help a lot. Now, cybersecurity is one thing that can be implemented using any programming branch. We’ve been testing a lot of stuff.
Very good, thank you. Let’s focus specifically on Eastern Michigan University.
Tell our audience about, as far as cybersecurity is related, what kind of degree programs or certificates or programs, what’s available there?
Munther Abualkibash:
Yeah. In Eastern Michigan University, our school is called the School of Information Security and Applied Computing. In this school and the College of Engineering and Technology, and this School of Information Security and Applied Computing, we have several programs.
We have two undergraduate program. For example, we have a bachelor degree in cybersecurity. We used to call it Information Assurance and Cyber Defense. Now, recently, started from this coming year, officially the name will be bachelor degree in Cybersecurity.
We have a bachelor degree in Information Technology, and we have a combined program. It’s called 4+1. So you can get a master degree in five years in total, four plus one. So, this is a combined bachelor-master program in Cybersecurity.
We have a master program in Cybersecurity, which is right now mainly it’s online, nationwide. Anyone can join the program from anywhere nationwide. And we have a PhD in Technology Studies. This is for the college, but students can do a concentration in Cybersecurity.
So we have several students who are doing a PhD in Technology Studies, but their dissertation will be more towards cybersecurity.
Steve Bowcut:
Excellent, so lots of options. Most of them sounds like they’re specifically focused for cybersecurity.
Munther Abualkibash:
Yes. I also-
Steve Bowcut:
Go ahead. You were going to say something else?
Munther Abualkibash:
Yeah, I want to say we have also three minors in cybersecurity, if a student’s major is not cybersecurity and would like to get minor degrees. We have three minors in cybersecurity for non-cybersecurity students.
Okay, excellent. So, let’s paint a picture here. If I’m a student and I decide I want to come to Eastern Michigan University, what kinds of things should I expect?
By things, I mean projects. Is there capstone projects, or are there are student clubs? What kinds of things might I be involved in as I’m working through one of these degrees that you’ve talked about?
Munther Abualkibash:
Yeah, sure. For a student, once a student joined the Eastern Michigan University, and for example, would like to do a bachelor degree in Cybersecurity, for example… We cover several topics, that is main topics in cybersecurity.
For example, ethical hacking, digital forensics, networking, secure coding, sometimes Cloud computing. So we cover the main… I want to say the main topics in cybersecurity, the fundamentals and the basic stuff that will help anyone to become solid in cybersecurity.
At the same time we have… It’s called IA Club, Information Assurance Club students. I think they meet nowadays maybe once a week or something like that. And also they participate in some competitions in Michigan.
They used to go to also upstate New York, some competitions. Yeah, there are different things. There is IA Club. There is participating in cybersecurity competitions around us, and get a degree in cybersecurity.
Okay. It’s interesting, I think, to talk about this skills gap. As you know, and I know, and I’m sure your students are aware, the industry generally speaking is clamoring for more trained cybersecurity professionals.
Tell us, if you can, what Eastern Michigan University is doing to fill that need, or accommodating the requests from industry to get the people trained with the right skills.
Munther Abualkibash:
Yeah, that’s a good question. Actually, as I mentioned, we have several courses that try to cover different topics in cybersecurity. For example, we have courses in administration testing, ethical hacking. We have courses in networking, network security. We have courses in malware analysis.
We have courses in digital forensics and network forensics. We have courses about cybersecurity policies and secure coding.
So if you add all this together, if students get to know from each topic, something that could cover the basics or the fundamentals, things from each main topics in cybersecurity, this hopefully will help the student to be solid.
And later, after they graduate, they can go a different path. Maybe they can go work as a network administrator. Maybe they can go work as a Linux administrator. I don’t think I’ve mentioned Linux. Also, we teach a Linux course operating system.
They can go work for malware analysis and malware analysts. They can go work in digital forensics or network forensics, policies… So this kind of open… Having several topics covered within the program, it’ll help students to know the basics and the fundamental stuff in each one of these topics. And hopefully, open doors for them to-
Steve Bowcut:
Sure. A wider variety of options for employment, rather than being specific in one narrow aspect of cybersecurity. Okay.
Munther Abualkibash:
Exactly. Exactly. And also, myself for example, I encourage students also like, “Okay, in the school, we cover the fundamental things.” But my recommendation for students, there are several industry certifications in cybersecurity.
If you want to focus on one topic, make sure to go that path. That will kind of open more doors and help you to focus on that. For example, ethical hacking. If you want to go be a ethical hacker, there are several certificates in ethical hacking. You can go through that path, get these certificates. Forensics, there are several certificates in forensics, and it’s working. Yeah.
Steve Bowcut:
I think that’s great advice, because that’s really the role that these certificates play in industry, right? So you get either your undergraduate, your postgraduate degree. And then if you want to specialize in a particular aspect, then get those certificates that give you that very narrow but focused training.
Munther Abualkibash:
Exactly. Exactly.
Okay. So, let’s see if we can come up with some resources if you have them. What I mean by that is things that you would… Resources that you would recommend to people who are trying to learn more about cybersecurity and make the decisions on which direction they want to go in their academic careers.
And so this could be a reading list with books and papers and lectures, or it could be conferences or websites or YouTube channels. What kinds of resources do you recommend to your students?
Munther Abualkibash:
For resources? Usually, YouTube is one of the resources that students can use. For example, Security+ exam, for example, there is one channel. I think Professor has a… There is a channel about Security+ network, plus certificates. There are many, many YouTube channels that are very helpful in cybersecurity.
So, students can look them up on YouTube. There are very good ones. Myself, if I want to give advice to students… My advice, usually if you want to build cybersecurity skills, make sure to focus in specific paths, for example, try to finish that path.
For example, “I want to go with ethical hacking. Let me take all the certificates.” Follow that path, the certificates in ethical hacking. If I want to focus, for example, in digital forensics, there are certificates in digital forensics. Follow that path.
So instead of going here and there, YouTube, read this book, try to just focus on one thing. Go through that path. Once you are done with that path, you can start something else after.
You can have multiple certificates in multiple fields in cybersecurity.
To help students not to kind of distracted… The students… If they want to follow a path, just try to focus on that path. Once they are done with that one, they can move to another path in terms of certifications.
That sounds like sound advice. And I know that sometimes students will experience some anxiety trying to make sure that they get that right, particularly if they’re starting their undergraduate degree. They want to make sure that they get that right so that they’re in the best position that they can be.
So let’s ask you here to dust off your crystal ball a little bit and look into the future. What do you think students can or should be doing now to be prepared for the future? Are there specific aspects, or is it more just the basics? How do you feel about that?
Munther Abualkibash:
Now, for the future? Again, still, in the five years, 10 years from now, I believe cybersecurity will be still high demand. There will be a high demand. There will be a gap. So we still exceed. The enrollment of number of students at the university is increasing.
I want to say in the last five years, the enrollment is increasing every year, which is kind of evidence that, “Oh, there is a gap and everyone would like to go with the cybersecurity and fill that gap.”
It’s easy for the student to get a job after that.
Now, what things to focus on for a student in the coming five years, or to get ready for the next five years or the next 10 years? Nowadays again, you keep hearing about machine learning, quantum computer, blockchain. Now these are technologies or tools, I want to say.
Steve Bowcut:
Right.
Munther Abualkibash:
Yeah, technology or tools. Now maybe 10 years from now, maybe we’ll have something new. So students should start with the basic things and make sure they understand the fundamental and the basic stuff in cybersecurity, networking, programming. Understand the fundamental things. Then after that, they can learn anything easily.
So machine learning, I’m expecting machine learning to be also one of the hot topics in the future. Imagine, for example, we have something similar as chatGPT that is used in cybersecurity, for example. That will be something… Wow. Wow.
So this is my expectation. In the next five years, quantum computer, actually, like quantum computing. Actually, one time I attended one of the conferences. And guess what? I heard that… Don’t quote me on the exact date.
They said there is a zero day for the current encryption algorithm, that all of them will be kind of breakable.
Steve Bowcut:
Right.
Munther Abualkibash:
Don’t quote me about the number. I think maybe 2030 or 2035, something like that. Guess what? It means in maybe 10 years from now or something, the current encryption algorithm that we use will be useless.
Steve Bowcut:
Right.
Munther Abualkibash:
So anything that was encrypted using this, the current algorithms, it will be breakable maybe in the next 10 years. So quantum computer may be another solution, quantum computing where you can use quantum… Yeah, encryption, quantum computing and encryption to come up with a very, very strong solid encryption algorithm that is not easy to crack.
But for now, the best thing for the students is to focus on the basics fundamental, get certificates that will help you to understand these basics. Again, at university or community college, we cover the basic, fundamental things. But students also need to kind of go one step ahead, do extra work. Kind of, “Okay. Maybe what certificates?” That is very helpful.
If the student can just go online and look for any job post, see what certificates are kind of demandable. “Okay, there’s high demand on this certificate,” for example. This one, or that one.
So this hopefully will open more doors once the student is a graduate from getting the bachelor or master program in cybersecurity. Now after that, with the cyber certification, hopefully it would be easy for them to get a good… Can get a very high salary job, for example, and open more doors anywhere nationwide.
Steve Bowcut:
Excellent. Excellent. That’s good advice. So focus on the basics. Primarily focus on the basics, but if you know there’s a certain aspect that you really want to be learn more about or work in, then go for some certificates to support that interest.
But either way, when you graduate, you’re going to be in the best position to find good employment. So I appreciate that.
Munther Abualkibash:
Thank you.
Steve Bowcut:
All right. Well, thank you for spending some time with us. This has been fun, and I’m sure it’s been useful for our audience. So thank you, I really appreciate it.
Munther Abualkibash:
Thank you. Thank you, Steven. Thank you so much.
Steve Bowcut:
And I also want to thank our audience, or our listeners, for being with us today. Please remember to subscribe and review if you find this podcast interesting. Join us next time for another episode of the Cybersecurity Guide podcast.