advancing cybersecurity through science

The National Security Agency Research Directorate sponsors the Science of Security Initiative to promote foundational cybersecurity science that is needed to mature the cybersecurity discipline and to underpin advances in cyberdefense. The SoS initiative works in several ways. 1. Engage the academic community for foundational research, 2. Promote rigorous scientific principles, and 3. grow the SoS community. The SoS Virtual Organization is the SoS’s initiative online home.

Research
promoting foundational cybersecurity science needed to mature the cybersecurity discipline and advance cyberdefense
HotSoS
providing a focal point for security science related work and facilitating collaborative community to advance security science
Best Scientific Cybersecurity Paper Competition
sponsoring engaging competitions and rewarding demonstrated excellence in the cybersecurity community

Recent News

Upcoming Events

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  • 04/23/2026 – 04/24/2026

    2026 Asness Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats

    The Vanderbilt University Institute of National Security invites leaders and experts from government, academia, industry, and the military to the 5th Annual Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats, a national convening focused on the evolving…
  • 04/26/2026 – 04/30/2026

    Assurance and Security for AI-enabled Systems 2026

    This conference will broadly focus on AI assurance and security and associated risks stemming from a variety of factors depending on use context, including AI system safety, equity, reliability, interpretability, robustness, privacy, and governability.
  • 05/11/2026 – 05/13/2026

    HCSS 2026

    The twenty-sixth annual High Confidence Software and Systems (HCSS) Conference will be held May 11-13, 2026, at the Historic Inns of Annapolis in Annapolis, Maryland. We solicit proposals to present talks at the conference.
  • 05/18/2026 – 05/21/2026

    47th IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy

    Since 1980, the IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy has been the premier forum for presenting developments in computer security and electronic privacy, and for bringing together researchers and practitioners in the field. The 2026 Symposium will mark…