Fall 2023 Semester Kickoff
The Fall 2023 semester of Hacking for Diplomacy (H4Diplomacy) is officially underway! H4Diplomacy is a for-credit university class that offers the Department of State (DOS) the opportunity to collaborate with academia and talented student teams to validate problems and develop innovative solutions. The program is sponsored by the DOS Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS).
In this newsletter, we'll be providing updates to keep you informed about the ins and outs of the program over the course of the Fall 2023 semester. A new issue will be published to detail the students' progress at major semester milestones. Keep an eye out for invitations to attend final presentations in December!
Interested in having graduate and undergraduate students work on a problem with you?
We are recruiting DOS employees for H4Diplomacy's Spring 2024 semester. Fill out a problem submission form to get started:
Fall 2023 Problem Sets
This semester, H4Diplomacy expanded to 2 universities: Rochester Institute of Technology and James Madison University. A total of 62 students are already hard at work getting to the root of 10 problems sponsored by the Office of Security Technology and the Directorate of Cyber and Technology Security. Check out the Fall 2023 H4Diplomacy problems being worked on below.
Dr. James Santa coaches H4Diplomacy students during their first team meeting at Rochester Institute of Technology.
Rochester Institute of Technology
High Latency, Higher Stakes
Office of Security Technology Problem
DOS problem sponsor: Nathan Lingenfelter
Technology Operation Groups (TOGs) need a way to more quickly transmit high-definition video data from surveillance systems in the Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA) region back to domestic command centers in order to make better informed decisions on how to respond to threats at overseas offices.
Overwatch: Designing the Next Generation C-UAS Interface
Office of Security Technology Problem
DOS problem sponsors: Roshan Daniel and Nicholaus Markowski
Diplomatic Security’s Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) operators in Post Alpha need a more centralized interface that autonomously gathers data from multiple C-UAS sensors and feeds the most relevant information into one single view. This single pane of glass approach needs to be optimized with UI/UX principles in mind in order to better monitor threats and make evidence-based decisions from Post Alpha and beyond.
User Behavior Analytics
Directorate of Cyber and Technology Security Problem
DOS problem sponsor: Danh Nguyen-Huynh
Network defenders in the Monitoring and Incident Response Division need a more reliable way to detect behavioral anomalies in order to counter malicious activity on DOS networks before incidents occur.
Outsmarting Smart Devices
Directorate of Cyber and Technology Security Problem
DOS problem sponsors: Josh Ellwein and Jose Moreno
Political and economic officers at embassy Brussels need to be alerted when their personal devices’ unauthorized wireless capabilities are enabled in Controlled Access Areas (CAAs) in order to prevent adversaries from using wireless signals to collect classified information.
Critical Communication
Directorate of Cyber and Technology Security Problem
DOS problem sponsor: Brian Rapier
Security response teams at U.S. government diplomatic and consular facilities need to have simultaneous secure, reliable, and mobile routes of communication during threat incidents in order to avoid misunderstandings and confusion to avoid lost lives.
James Madison University
Longer Lifespan, Stronger Security
Office of Security Technology Problem
DOS problem sponsors: Stephen York, Varnell Butler, and Matthew Fister
Security engineering officers and security technical specialists need a better way to determine the lifespans of explosive detection and X-ray equipment for over 2,000 worldwide units in order to reduce cost and increase time efficiency to fortify the physical security of U.S. embassies and consulates.
Mystery Risks
Office of Security Technology Problem
DOS problem sponsors: David Pfister and Lucinda Selk
The Countermeasures Program Division, headquarters, and regional security teams needs to, in real-time, identify the changing environment or forensic variables in embassies to help predict security risks, like the Havana syndrome, in order to more quickly gather environmental data and potentially save lives.
Caught on Camera
Office of Security Technology Problem
DOS problem sponsor: Chris Richardson
Design engineers responsible for upgrading cameras at embassies need a policy that accounts for the capabilities of newly purchased high definition digital camera equipment in order to reduce costs and ensure full surveillance coverage of the compound to monitor for potential threats.
Taking Inventory
Office of Security Technology Problem
DOS problem sponsor: Scott McGowan
Security engineering officers and security technical specialists at overseas offices need a more streamlined way to account for on-site security technology assets in order to reduce the over-reporting of inventory shortages that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
Less Than Lethal
Office of Security Technology Problem
DOS problem sponsor: Mike McCranie
On-site security personnel at US embassies in the Middle East region need a Less-Than-Lethal (LTL) security systems that can be used multiple times in a short period of time in order to prevent large groups of attackers from breaching the facility.
Interested in Learning More?
Join us for a 30-minute information session to learn how Hacking for Diplomacy can provide answers to your real-world security challenges.
H4Diplomacy Information Session
September 21, 2023
11:00am-11:30am EDT
