Applied Computing

Applied computing professionals develop, create and modify computer applications and specialized utility programs. They often analyze user needs and develop software solutions to meet those needs, analyze and design databases within an application area and contribute to web development. Graduates will obtain positions as software developers, web developers, software engineers and android engineers.

2024 Engineering Open House Home

2024 Projects

Easily Deployable HoneyNets to Identify and Track Malicious Actors

MEMBERS: Hunter Howery; Blake Hand; Tristan Gubitz

ADVISOR: Dr. Joe Jabara

Businesses across the world are facing an increasing threat from cyber-attacks. Therefore, they need new and innovative ways to combat these threat actors by identifying, tracking, and responding to their activities within the network. One such method to achieve this is with honeypots. Our group set out to provide a service that would let companies track proprietary data while maintaining a secure environment. We will use various technologies to track and discover who accesses the data, when they access it, and how it was accessed. This allows businesses to protect their data and be notified when their data is illegally accessed more easily. The approach we have decided to take is to create an Active Directory test environment with a firewall and a SIEM setup. We will then put fingerprinted data into this network. Any activity within this network involving that data will gather information and create an alert in the SIEM. This will allow the security team to be aware of malicious actors in the network. The final product will be an easily deployable virtual network. The virtual network will utilize fake, fingerprinted data that can be tracked inside and outside of the virtual network. The product will operate as a subscription service and will require very little technical setup from the customer. Overall, our project will allow businesses to quickly, easily, and inexpensively deploy and operate a honeynet in their environment. This honeynet will add another layer of protection to these organizations to protect their data and reputation.

https://youtu.be/U3W0YgRnNcw

Wardriving Toolkit

MEMBERS: Joshua Brenner; Tyler Brooks; Seth Windsor

ADVISOR: Dr. Joe Jabara

Wireless networks continue to be a prominent attack vector in today’s threat landscape. Open Wi-Fi networks continue to be exploited by malicious actors, and wardriving is one aspect that is often overlooked by those attempting to protect their systems. Enterprise security teams will inevitably need to assess and secure their wireless infrastructure. The coverage provided by this design looks to solve this issue in a manner that supports modularity and concealability. Many different approaches were considered, such as a briefcase, backpack, or delivery robot. After investigation of each method, it was determined that the most crucial factor was adaptability. The idea is that the kit can be easily adapted to any situation that the security team needs. The final decision was the backpack design as it would be the most inconspicuous, versatile, and modular design. This was tested by running wardriving exercises and rating the effectiveness of these tests regarding efficiency and modularity of what was able to work within the kit. Presenting it to the customer yielded positive reactions, and with its improved modularity, the lifetime expectancy of the kit can be deemed near limitless. The wardriving toolkit will transform the way security teams assess wireless infrastructure. The adaptability and modularity of the design will allow quick, easy, and versatile use of the kit in a wide range of environments. Further improvements could be made regarding the medium of containment, such as an apparatus that allows for transport in more than just a backpack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7ar2GiQL0Q

Social Stream Insights

MEMBERS: Sullivan Cox; Sean Syharath; Spencer Troyer

ADVISOR: Dr. Joe Jabara

We are the Social Sentinels, and our aim is to better the way businesses or universities hold events and gather feedback from those events. We will be starting with WSU (Wichita State University) Recruiting and Marketing, they will be the first to implement our Social Media Amplification Meter to receive feedback on their events and better them down the line. Our approach is to implement the APIs of Instagram and X with AWS geofencing location software to build a tool that aggregates data from social media to analyze the opinions of the event’s participants. The end goal of this project is to use X(Twitter) and Instagram as our subjects for aggregation. We intend to be able to access their API’s and connect them to a location service such as the AWS location services. All the data will then be streamlined to a database where it will then be ported to a web-based application so that our customers can perform their own analysis and draw their own conclusions that will help them in their business ventures. We hope businesses will use this tool to gain insight into how others view their events so they can improve in the future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So5Z3g-iGAw

Phishing Prevention Training Program

MEMBERS: Tuan Huynh

ADVISOR: Dr.Joe Jabara

Cybraphy, an education firm specializing in cybersecurity training, offers a groundbreaking phishing email simulation service aimed at assessing and enhancing organizational cybersecurity posture. This project focuses on developing a comprehensive phishing email simulation platform to determine the need for phishing prevention training among clients' employees.

The purpose of this project is to provide organizations with a practical and effective means of evaluating their susceptibility to phishing attacks and identifying areas for improvement in cybersecurity awareness and defenses. Through simulated phishing email campaigns, Cybraphy aims to replicate real-world phishing scenarios and assess employees' responses to phishing attempts.

The approach involves the creation of a sophisticated phishing email simulation platform, Cybraphy utilizes advanced techniques such as fake domain creation, DNS server domain setup, and attachment-based phishing emails to emulate diverse phishing attack vectors. Additionally, educational modules covering email header analysis, URL inspection, attachment analysis, and social engineering techniques are integrated to provide comprehensive training to employees.

The result is a robust and scalable phishing email simulation program capable of accurately assessing employees' susceptibility to phishing attacks and providing targeted cybersecurity training based on the identified needs. By utilizing this platform, organizations can proactively identify and address vulnerabilities in their cybersecurity defenses, ultimately enhancing their resilience against phishing threats.

Cybraphy's phishing email simulation service offers organizations a proactive approach to cybersecurity training and awareness, empowering them to mitigate the risks associated with phishing attacks effectively. Through continuous refinement and improvement, Cybraphy strives to deliver cutting-edge solutions to address the evolving cybersecurity landscape.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMLE3AICicE
 
ColdPulse - Athletic Foot Cooler

MEMBERS: Alex Richards; Aaron Sisco; Wesley Horner; Jerret Delancy

ADVISOR: Dr. Andy Stallard

SPONSOR: Hormesys

The demand for innovative solutions continues to drive sports science and engineering. Our entry for Engineering Open House is a performance enhancing product: cooling insoles designed to increase the performance of endurance athletes. These insoles utilize phase change materials (PCMs) along with selected additives to create a new type of insole within the sports industry. Our cooling insoles' main objective is to address the critical need of effective temperature regulation during prolonged physical activity. Endurance athletes are constantly pushing their limits in demanding environments and often face challenges related to heat buildup, leading to discomfort and performance degradation. Our approach integrates advanced PCM technology from MicroTek Laboratories, known for its thermal energy storage properties, with additives to assist with durability, flexibility, and overall performance. The key innovation lies in the strategic incorporation of PCMs, which undergo phase transitions at specific temperatures, effectively absorbing excess heat from the athlete's feet during exercise from the pressure of the feet hitting the ground. This active cooling approach helps with the risk of heat-related injuries and allows athletes to maintain peak performance levels for extended amounts of time. There are scientific studies that support that cooling during activities more than 30 minutes has an exponential effect on increased performance. Our cooling insoles represent an advancement in sports engineering, utilizing the fusion of materials to elevate the performance and endurance of athletes in their search for optimal performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ir2KyM39Q8

Attention and Distraction Prevention for Guided and Active Learning in a Classroom Enviornment

MEMBERS: Devin DaPra; Evan Julius; Mostafa Mohammad; Blake Rausch

ADVISOR: Dr. Gary Brooking; Dr. Caskell Stallard

Cheating among the student body requires active and real time monitoring that teacher must remain vigilant to spot. To prevent cheating, teachers will roam the class while students are taking tests, working on homework or even amongst themselves. Most teachers cannot divide their attention enough to monitor students in different locations of the classroom, or even beyond the classroom environment at home. However, to prevent cheating it requires a high amount of attention that a teacher may or may not be able to provide. This will put a significant strain on the teachers and the paraeducator in the classroom. These requirements are relaxed in a smaller classroom environment, but within a classroom of twenty to thirty students it can become strenuous, and errors can occur. In a modern classroom, teachers have implemented Chromebooks and online assignments that provide students with the required help they may need. However, this has led to students wondering from the assignments to find easier methods of communication and problem solving. In this work, it can be demonstrated how the implementation of recognition features, and the implementations of a smart database may provide students with the attention and activate learning to the degree that will allow a student to grow concurrently in a classroom and at home environment.
 
https://youtu.be/FNXiTwJIUSQ
Obfuscated Packet Sniffer

MEMBERS: Chance Greenhoff; Hai Yen Nguyen; Hayden Love; Elijah Brunt; Tobin Hushower

ADVISOR: Dr. Joe Jabara

To create a device which can monitor network traffic, ie packet sniff, networks from a concealed location. This allows cybersecurity analysts to better perform their job as others in excersises will not be able to screen peak and thus patch vulnerabilities before their exploited. Our microcomputer has a 2 buisness day lifespan on mobile battery pack, a full desktop interface and makes no noise. Additionally, it can be hidden in bags, in drawers, or use our example fake book safe.

https://youtu.be/RCwL9EQapKM?si=D9g316I1hFEhe0Bk

Escape Room Style Cybersecurity Training Tool

MEMBERS: Logan Hutchens; Carlos Rangel, Thomas Nguyen; Landon Winsky; Alex Pollnow; Samantha Cranston

ADVISOR: Dr. Joe Jabara

In today’s information age, cybercrime is more rampant than ever, yet companies often find their employees lacking the necessary skills to defend against it. This is due to ineffective and outdated cybersecurity training – an issue that plagues IT departments across the world. A new style of training, one that is more engaging, is needed to ensure employees can protect themselves and their organizations against the threats of today. Our proposed solution works to solve this demand. Our new training software contains learning segments comprised of three main components: learning content, simulation activity, and real-world example. Through presenting these components in a gamified format, the software encourages the user to remain actively engaged with the training content. Gamification has been proven to increase user engagement by up to 48%. With an increase in user engagement, it’s believed increased retention of the learning material will follow. Additionally, the software will continually reinforce the importance of the content. Development of the software is currently in progress. Once completed, tests will be done comparing the software to traditional training programs to determine if the solution is an improvement in terms of engagement and retention and, if so, by what percentage. These tests will involve users partaking in both and completing surveys and tests based on the content and their experience with the training format. The expectation is that it will be enough of an improvement to warrant IT departments to switch to our solution.

https://youtu.be/BhDSzK_Bf98

Carpacity

MEMBERS: Peter Saw; Adam Wilson; Mark Stacey, Cybersecurity; Trevor Herdman; Haden Williams

ADVISOR: Dr. Caskel Stallard ; Dr. Gary Brooking

The Carpacity project aims to tackle the common issue of finding parking on campus, which affects both students and faculty, especially during peak hours. This challenge often leads to traffic congestion and frustration due to high demand for parking spaces. Carpacity employs open-source software to monitor and analyze traffic within parking lots, using camera feeds to track the entrance and exits. This data helps determine real-time parking lot occupancy, enabling students to find parking more efficiently and allowing Parking Services to obtain valuable metrics for decision-making and resource allocation. Through heatmapping, the system can indicate the popularity of specific lots, aiding in better management of parking resources. Currently, Carpacity successfully monitors traffic flows and calculates the real-time capacity of parking lots, demonstrating the potential of image detection technology to enhance the parking search process and improve overall campus life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8zrcK7_uDE

RANSOM EDU

MEMBERS: Elizabeth Wilson; Ke'Auna Edmondson; Emily Evans; Kira Hall

ADVISOR: Dr. Joe Jabara

Ransom Edu offers a specialized solution for higher education institutions dealing with
ransomware threats. Traditional cybersecurity training programs provide insufficient preparation
for staff and administrators facing the multifaceted impacts of these incidents. Motivated by the
surge in ransomware incidents in 2023, Ransom Edu aims to address the critical need for
effective incident response in higher education.
 
Ransom Edu's initiative focuses on developing a specialized tabletop exercise that simulates
realistic scenarios specific to the operational challenges of higher education institutions. These
challenges include protecting sensitive data while maintaining student services and campus
safety. The overall approach includes three distinct design concepts: an In-Person D&D Styled
Tabletop Exercise, a Backdoors & Breaches Card Game Expansion Pack, and a
Software-Based Simulated Ransomware Attack. The project's unique value lies in its scalability,
collaboration among diverse teams, and targeted approach to addressing the sector's nuanced
challenges.
 
Ransom Edu fills a critical need for incident response preparedness in higher education. The
project's tailored approach offers a valuable resource for institutions seeking to enhance their
cybersecurity resilience. Future works involve refining the exercise through integration of
software components and implementing institution accountability checkpoints. Ultimately,
Ransom Edu aims to fortify incident response capabilities and cybersecurity resilience within the
higher education sector.
 
https://youtu.be/CFtvSzBzXio?feature=shared
Badge and ID Camera Application

MEMBERS: Caroline Ruden; Arron Russell; Avry Voyles; Edwin Lopez; Nancy Thach

ADVISOR: Joe Jabara; Gary Brooking

Sly Fox Camera Co. seeks to bridge the gap between security assessment and implementation, addressing a critical challenge faced by security teams worldwide: the need for discreet and accurate company badge capture. Through innovative technologies, the application will empower cyber penetration teams and law enforcement agencies to capture company identification badges while remaining discreet. It's not merely about capturing data; it's about enhancing the efficiency of security assessments by quantifiably reducing the manual effort required to obtain critical information. The project's key insights revolve around optimizing the ID data capture process, ensuring the application or physical device a stealthy operation, and quantifying the time savings it offers, while ideally keeping costs down. The next steps in this project include rigorous testing and refinement, aiming to establish the reliability, security, and effectiveness of the app in various security testing scenarios.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oywK__nIlk