TechRepublic: UC researches ways to protect electronics

TechRepublic highlighted work by the University of Cincinnati to protect electronic systems from hacking, spying and sabotage.

UC launched a new university cooperative research center with a $4.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation in partnership with five other universities. UC is the lead institution for the project, according to UC engineering professor John "Marty" Emmert, the new director of the center and its principal investigator.

"Building consumer trust in technology is central to our work," Emmert said. 

The new Center for Hardware and Embedded Systems Security and Trust will work with industry and government partners on custom research projects designed to help business protect its supply chain.

Those partners will pay UC and the other research institutions a membership fee to investigate their unique vulnerabilities and find solutions. So far, companies such as Verizon and Booz Allen Hamilton have signed up along with agencies such as the U.S. Department of Defense.

"The research is very relevant now and of great interest to government and industry," UC engineering professor Marc Cahay said.

Featured image at top: Graphic by Margaret Weiner/UC Creative Services

UC professor John Emmert, new director of National Science Foundation research lab shown here in his lab and Armstrong’s relief at Rhodes hall.  UC/Joseph Fuqua II

UC engineering professor John "Marty" Emmert stands in front of the Neil Armstrong memorial in Rhodes Hall. Emmert is director of a new university cooperative research center dedicated to protecting America's electronics from hacking, spying or sabotage. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II/UC Creative Services.

Become a Bearcat

  • Apply online or get more information about undergraduate enrollment by calling 513-556-1100.
  • Learn more about UC's many undergraduate and graduate programs.

Related Stories

2

UC undergraduate collaborates with Swiss university on drone research

December 19, 2025

Prissha Chawla, undergraduate student at the university of Cincinnati, is double majoring in computer science and statistics at the College of Engineering and Applied Science and College of Arts and Sciences. Now preparing to graduate in the spring of 2026, Chawla’s journey at UC has been full of impactful experiences. Since she arrived, she has had the opportunity to participate in a new international exchange program with a university in Switzerland, present at an international conference in Prague, co-op with Delta Air Lines, and much more.

3

PhD student uses engineering to understand cardiovascular system

December 17, 2025

Drawn to the University of Cincinnati for the strong reputation in cardiovascular research and the connections with the UC Medical Center, Shrayesh Manegaonkar is pursuing a PhD in mechanical engineering at the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Recently, he was named Graduate Student Engineer of the Month for his work on biofluid mechanics, aiming to develop better diagnostic tools for cardiovascular diseases.