McCrary Institute

Today we're proud to announce a great new go-to website from the McCrary Institute. Introducing #ThreatBeat, our new one-stop site for news, analysis, alerts and context on the issues shaping cyber policy and infrastructure protection. You'll find the best stories from experienced cyber and national security journalists alongside original commentary, explainers and podcasts created by our McCrary team and informed by the wisdom of our senior fellows. All things cyber. All in one place. Visit ThreatBeat.com

We were proud to welcome Maj Gen Sam Keener, USAF and team to Auburn and Huntsville's Research Park. At Auburn’s McCrary Institute, our work to protect and defend America’s critical infrastructure from cyber threats isn’t limited to work on Earth. We’re helping protect space systems, optimize space operations through AI research and development, and help develop and train the future space workforce. Take a look at the article below highlighting the great partnership with U.S. Space Command... More to come!

Out today: A blog by our Director Frank Cilluffo and senior fellow Christopher Roberti about the regulatory red tape strangling America’s cyber defenders. The McCrary Institute and the @USChamber have partnered to launch a task force of cyber experts aimed at informing what a federal effort to streamline cyber rules can and should look like. It's a problem that needs tackling. Read why here: mccraryinstitute.com/is-red-tape-st…

Few people have had a close look at how Mythos, Project Glasswing, and Project QuiltWorks may change cyber defense. @CrowdStrike has and Drew Bagley explains what they’re learning. On the Cyber Focus podcast, he explains what AI-driven vulnerability discovery means for patching, exploit chains, and defending at machine speed. mccraryinstitute.com/cyber-focus-po…

Ahead of this week's meeting between President Trump and President Xi, it's worth looking back on the sophisticated cyber campaigns China has launched against the U.S.. Need a quick refresher? Check out this video featuring @MarkCMontgomery and @BillEvanina and other co-chairs of our China task force. youtube.com/watch?v=iTC-YC…

NEW: Pro-Iran hackers claim attack on Spotify today as ‘revenge’ for ayatollah’s killing threatbeat.com/attacks-and-in…

New on @ThreatBeatNews: @signalapp's CTO @EhrenKret joined our Cyber Focus podcast and said secure messaging is best understood as a powerful tool against mass surveillance, not a guarantee that every private conversation is protected from targeted spying. Read the episode recap: threatbeat.com/video/signal-c… Or listen to the full episode: mccraryinstitute.com/cyber-focus-po…

Coming up on our next Cyber Focus podcast: @CrowdStrike's Drew Bagley warns that we have entered the "early innings" of an era where frontier models like Anthropic’s Mythos automate the discovery-to-exploit pipeline at machine speed. As the first pure-play cybersecurity partner in Project Glasswing, CrowdStrike is seeing firsthand how this shift obliterates the time-cycles security teams have relied on for decades. This disruption forces a critical choice: prioritize critical infrastructure now or be outpaced by automated adversaries. The traditional defense playbook is being rewritten. Hear from one of the leaders on the frontline. Subscribers to Cyber Focus get early access. You can subscribe on YouTube, Apple or Spotify. mccraryinstitute.com/podcast/ Watch the full preview here: youtube.com/watch?v=78CuZW…

@INL Fantastic discussion! Thanks to Zach and the full team for the partnership and great conversation.

How do we secure the systems that power our world? @INL’s Zach Tudor discusses protecting #CriticalInfrastructure, partnering with industry & tackling emerging #cybersecurity risks in the latest episode of @McCraryCyber's Cyber Focus podcast. Listen now: youtube.com/watch?v=09fidd…

Most people hear “encrypted” and think “safe.” @signalapp CTO @EhrenKret makes a sharper point: encryption can stop mass surveillance, but it does not make your phone untouchable. That distinction matters. Watch the full Cyber Focus podcast conversation.

If AI changes entry-level work, how does the next generation gain experience? That question sits inside a broader Cyber Focus conversation with Zach Tudor of @INL (Idaho National Laboratory) on workforce adaptation, critical infrastructure, OT security, and resilience. Watch the full episode: youtu.be/09fiddQAla0

One question we hear all the time from students as they head out into the world of employment "what is the right social media presence?" After all, a total lack of online presence can be just as much of a red flag as irresponsible posting. On our latest Cyber Focus podcast, Preston Golson, former CIA analyst and now an expert on reputation at the Brunswick Group offers a strategic framework to "Red Team your own social media"—auditing your digital life through the eyes of an outside employer or adversary to identify potential vulnerabilities. Watch Preston's advice: youtu.be/JsJDa5pawdw?si… @AuburnEngineers @AuburnU

Pro-Iran hackers claim eBay attack, say ‘rapid fire assaults’ will continue if company doesn’t respond threatbeat.com/attacks-and-in…

New on @ThreatBeatNews: Cybersecurity teams spend a lot of time trying to find vulnerabilities before an adversary does. In a recent episode of our Cyber Focus podcast, Preston Golson argues that companies should start doing the same thing with reputation. As McCrary Institute Director Frank Cilluffo puts it, “Reputation itself is a target.” Read the review of the podcast from our executive producer Don Kauffman. threatbeat.com/video/why-comp… You can watch and listen to the full episode here: mccraryinstitute.com/podcast/cyber-…

What if you could build the lab you’ve always wanted — and deploy it against real threats on real systems? We're hiring a Deputy Director & Edge Lab Director. The position is in Auburn and active secret clearance is required. Learn more and apply here: jobs.auburn.edu/auburn-careers…

A @ThreatBeatNews Exclusive: Why the government must accelerate quantum preparedness now @FDD's Georgianna Shea and Aarushi Garg say the White House should set a binding 2030 deadline for federal systems to transition to quantum-resistant cryptography. Read the full piece: threatbeat.com/commentary-and…

That Bluesky downtime you may have experienced Thursday? The Islamic Cyber ​​Resistance in Iraq – 313 Team, which claimed to be behind a mid-March Microsoft outage and took credit for hitting the X platform at the end of the month, said it hit Bluesky threatbeat.com/attacks-and-in…

Why the government must accelerate quantum preparedness now @_GeorgiannaShea and Aarushi Garg in @McCraryCyber: fdd.org/analysis/2026/…