Earlier this year, Rishabh Singla, a PhD. student under College of Engineering professor Dr. Narasimha Reddy, was tasked with running port scans of the internet from the Texas A&M University campus network. With help from the Division of IT, the scan of off-campus systems was completed in time to prepare for the May conference deadline. 

Through a collaborative effort on both parts, the engineering team and Division of IT were able to ensure the project ran smoothly and maintained safe cyber-security best practices.

“It took quite a bit of effort and time to achieve this innovative solution,” said Kristen Kubenka, Associate Director of IT Security. “Although challenging issues arose throughout the process, a solution was developed that met all of our security controls as well as the College of Engineering’s requirements.” 

Singla’s proactive communication with the Division of IT helped foster trust and transparency and ultimately produced effective solutions. The collaboration not only offers short-term benefits, but sets up valuable cybersecurity protocols for new research scanning requests. 

The Division of IT is committed to helping faculty, researchers and students overcome obstacles in search of optimal solutions. Singla and Dr. Reddy’s team has opened doors to new collaborative research opportunities while demonstrating the strength and cooperation of the Aggie Spirit!