Advanced Course in Engineering Cyber Leadership Development Summer Program

Quick Points:

• About ACE
  • Open to undergraduate civilians, ROTC, and SFS 
  • Integrated cyber and UAV battlefield
  • Final 54-hour cyber-warfare exercise 
  • Transformational leadership case-study seminars 
  • Graduate-level curriculum and mentored R&D 
  • Weekly program-wide 8-mile run
• Benefits of ACE
  • Full-time paid internship with housing and travel provided 
  • Contribute to Air Force and DOD technology 
  • Enhance technical communication skills
  • Join an elite alumni network of 500+ cyber leaders
• Admission Requirements
  • Typically rising juniors or seniors in CE, CS, EE, Physics, Math, or similar technical degree
  • Recommended cumulative GPA > 3.5
  • Must be secret clearance eligible, however, current valid clearance is not required

More Details:
ACE is an immersive cyber warfighting and leadership summer internship available to undergraduate students, ROTC Cadets, select active duty of similar experience, and select international officers and cadets. The graduate level curriculum covers leadership during crisis situations, the science of mission assurance, the art of cyber warfare, and written/verbal communication skills. Through the ACE program, interns apply what they have learned through challenge problems, practical exercises, and written reflections. They gain a deep understanding of the impact of their leadership, followership, and problem-solving skills on individual and team success in a contested cyber battlespace.

ACE consists of 4 main components:

Cyber Education:

Weekly ACE lectures prepare interns for the capstone exercise and develop them into the next generation of cybersecurity leaders. The lectures begin with the basics of the cyber domain before expanding into more technically challenging computer security concepts. Topics include networking, cryptography, stealth and evasion techniques, red team operations, reverse engineering malware, buffer overflow attacks, covert communications, and hardware security.

In addition to attending lectures, interns are also responsible for writing comprehensive technical solutions to open-ended problems related to the week's lecture topic. Interns work on these solutions in groups of three and then each write up an individual report. Groups also explain these technical concepts in time-constrained oral presentations. This dynamic skill set is instrumental to the final capstone operations, as well as the interns’ future endeavors and careers.

Research and Development:

Interns spend the summer working on intensive, in-depth research and development projects in small groups. These projects encourage interns to experiment with new concepts and techniques to advance and execute a research plan. Projects often involve developing red-team offense and infrastructure tools.

Interns attempt to solve research problems they encounter with the aid of research mentors, which consist of academic professionals and technical leaders. Each mentor provides a unique set of skills to assist the ACE interns through the course of their project.

Mission Operations

At the beginning of the summer, ACE interns are each assigned to a simulated nation-state in which they conduct weekly mission operations to advance their nation's objectives. Interns learn how to develop exploits and tools to gain access, escalate privileges, and communicate covertly in a contested cyber battlespace. This battlespace includes simulated kinetic infrastructure, where interns program and fly drones to complete reconnaissance missions and protect their territory.

These weekly operations culminate in the final capstone event, where interns apply their knowledge to achieve mission objectives in a simulated cyber-warfare scenario. This is a multi-day, continuous event where interns must work in shifts within their team to advance their nation's goals and win the scenario.

Leadership:

The ACE leadership seminars demonstrate the value of cyber leaders through the exploration and analysis of real-world case studies with experienced Air Force officers. Topics include Apollo 13, the space shuttle disasters, and the Cuban missile crisis, among others. Additionally, every Friday a leader in military, research, or industry gives a talk on their perspective on leadership.

Interns also travel to Gettysburg, PA to study leadership links between the historic conflict in Gettysburg and today. By the end of the 10 weeks, interns exemplify the principles of leading upward, being a dynamic subordinate, and being an agent of change.

For more information on ACE and to apply, visit our website https://www.ace-cyber.com