Carnegie Mellon University Africa

CyLab-Africa

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The CyLab-Africa initiative, a collaboration between Carnegie Mellon University’s CyLab Security and Privacy Institute and CMU-Africa, aims to improve the cybersecurity of digital systems in Africa and other emerging economies. CyLab researchers from CMU-Africa and CMU-Pittsburgh are studying the security, privacy, and equity of digital tools and services in Africa through a combination of research, education, and public outreach.

There is a huge amount of projected growth in the African economy over the next five years. In order to drive digital inclusion alongside that growth, experts say big improvements need to be made to the security and resilience of the continent’s financial technologies and infrastructure.

Past events and conferences

Get involved

The CyLab-Africa team is interested in working with other organizations and institutions with the mission of improving digital inclusion in Africa and other developing nations. If you or your institution are interested in getting involved or learning more, please download our CyLab-Africa information packet and contact Michael Lisanti.

If you're a CMU-Africa student interested in research with CyLab, please email cylab-africa-kigali@andrew.cmu.edu.

CyLab-Africa news

Carnegie Mellon University re-designated as a National Center for Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity for Cyber Research through 2029 and Cyber Operations through 2030 Opens in new window

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) has once again earned two national distinctions from the National Center for Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C): Cyber Research (CAE-R) and Cyber Operations (CAE-CO). This program, managed by the National Security Agency (NSA), recognizes colleges and universities that uphold the highest standards for cybersecurity education and academic excellence.

Helping African fintech companies provide secure services Opens in new window

Carnegie Mellon University Africa’s Upanzi Network in collaboration with Approov have created APKIT, an accessible cybersecurity tool for financial technology developers.

picoCTF capture-the-flag competition prepares students for rewarding careers in cybersecurity Opens in new window

picoCTF’s 12th annual capture-the-flag hacking competition for middle school, high school, and college students will take place from March 7 through March 17. Students interested in participating can register now by signing up for a free account at picoctf.org.

Fostering the next generation of thinkers in digital identity

CMU-Africa's Upanzi Network and MicroSave Consulting (MSC) have developed a series of regional hackathons across Africa to uncover some of these untapped opportunities through new innovative digital ID use cases.

An app to detect birth asphyxia in Africa Opens in new window

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University are developing an app called HumekaFL to detect birth asphyxia in newborn babies in developing countries.

Improving privacy for digital public goods

Researchers with the Upanzi Network have developed recommendations for the Digital Public Goods Alliance to increase transparency about users’ data privacy.

CMU-Africa expands digital public infrastructure initiative Opens in new window

The Upanzi Network will fund research projects in Morocco, Botswana, and South Africa, with plans for additional partnerships.

A honeynet infrastructure to battle SMS scammers

Bernard Odartei Lamptey from CMU-Africa's Upanzi Network hopes to combat mobile money scam transactions by collecting more data about smishing in order to develop ways that users can protect themselves.

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picoCTF-Africa inspires participants to learn cybersecurity

picoCTF-Africa, now in its third year, helps participants improve their skills in vital cybersecurity disciplines.

CMU faculty selected for UN-led working group on DPI safeguards

Assane Gueye and Giulia Fanti have been selected by the United Nations Office of the Secretary-General Envoy on Technology to be part of a working group for the DPI Safeguards initiative.

Students from across the globe are gearing up for the 11th annual picoCTF capture-the-flag competition Opens in new window

picoCTF’s 11th annual capture-the-flag hacking competition for middle school, high school, and college students will take place from March 12 through March 26. Students interested in participating can register now by signing up for a free account at picoctf.org.

Understanding the security of mobile apps in Africa

Researchers from CyLab-Africa and the Upanzi Network recently partnered with the mobile security provider Approov to explore the security of common financial services apps used across Africa.

Stakeholder collaboration in Rwanda’s digital transformation

CyLab-Africa and the Upanzi Network, AfricaNenda, and Rwanda Information Society Authority jointly hosted a digital public infrastructure and digital public goods stakeholder engagement workshop. This workshop served as a catalyst for collaborative efforts aimed at advancing Rwanda’s digital transformation.

How a CMU-Africa student combines cybersecurity, leadership, and community

With support from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, Ines Ituze Agasaro (MSIT ’24) uses leadership skills to impact the cybersecurity field and her community.

Op-Ed: Building digital infrastructure for Africa, by Africa

Co-director of the Upanzi Open Digital Technologies Network and CyLab-Africa shares how universities on the continent are well positioned to solve several key challenges on the path to a digital future.

Related Article Opens in new window

Five unique cybersecurity challenges in Africa

CMU-Africa’s Assane Gueye has identified five cybersecurity challenges that Africa faces on the path to a digital future.

Explore research from CyLab-Africa and the Upanzi Network

Get involved by partnering with CyLab-Africa

picoCTF-Africa sees significant growth in competition’s second year

In just its second year, the cybersecurity hacking competition saw over 1250 students, as the number of female participants doubled, and the number of high school participants increased by more than 365 percent. Additionally, four teams finished in the top 50 on picoCTF’s global leaderboard, demonstrating the initiative’s immediate impact.

Pursuing AI dreams

Medhn pursued her lifelong interests in math and physics as part of the first cohort in the new Master of Science in Engineering Artificial Intelligence program.

Wambui Njogu’s path to a career in cybersecurity Opens in new window

On a journey that’s taken her from Kenya to Rwanda to Pittsburgh, MSIT student Wambui Njogu looks back on the experiences that instilled her passion for cybersecurity and how she developed her skills at CMU-Africa.

CyLab to host CMU-Africa Week in Pittsburgh Opens in new window

The CyLab Security and Privacy Institute will host CMU-Africa Week April 10-14 on Carnegie Mellon University’s Pittsburgh campus.

picoCTF aims to close the cybersecurity talent gap Opens in new window

CyLab's picoCTF is working to close the cybersecurity talent gap by introducing the future workforce to the field through its free annual hacking competition and robust learning platform.

Securing Africa’s cyberspace

In their first year, CyLab-Africa and the newly announced Upanzi Network have made deliberate strides toward improving cybersecurity in Africa.

New model provides smishing protection in Swahili

Research about smishing (SMS phishing) from CMU-Africa and the Nelson Mandela Institute of Science and Technology was recently published in IEEE Access.

Transformational growth at CMU-Africa Opens in new window

A historic partnership with the Mastercard Foundation will expand the engineering and technology, research, and entrepreneurship programs at CMU-Africa, helping to strengthen Africa’s technology, innovation, and research ecosystem.

Inaugural conference talks digital public goods in Africa Opens in new window

Conrad Tucker and Assane Gueye organized the first-ever West Africa Conference on Digital Public Goods and Cybersecurity, held in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Building cybersecurity talent

This March, CyLab-Africa held the first-ever picoCTF-Africa cybersecurity competition in order to excite young Africans to pursue a career in the field of cybersecurity.

World’s largest online hacking competition begins next week

For the first time ever, Africa will have its own leaderboard in the picoCTF competition.

CyLab-Africa to host Cybersecurity Education, Research, and Awareness Day

The event will focus on the challenges and opportunities of cybersecurity research, education, and awareness in financial services in Africa.

CMU-Africa and CyLab aim to improve financial inclusion in emerging economies

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) CyLab and CMU-Africa have established the CyLab-Africa initiative, which aims to improve the cybersecurity of financial systems in Africa and other emerging economies.

Facebook and Carnegie Mellon University Africa cybersecurity hackathon

The hackathon aimed at engaging and inspiring students to become more involved in the cybersecurity field by challenging them to solve a cybersecurity challenge.

CMU-Africa students travel to F8 after hackathon Opens in new window

Four students from CMU-Africa are attending the Facebook Developer Conference F8 after distinguishing themselves during a hackathon that occurred on CMU-Africa’s facility in Kigali, Rwanda.

Watch the Video Opens in new window

A secure and resilient digital transformation

Upanzi Network

The network focuses on creating, testing, innovating, and assisting in implementing digital technologies at scale and influencing technology policy recommendations to support low- and middle-income countries.

Learn more about the Upanzi Network