Rapid inter-agency collaboration secures critical summer internships and invests in the national cybersecurity talent pipeline

June 7, 2026 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of War (DoW) today announced that the Cyber Service Academy (CSA) is hosting 24 elite university cyber scholars to learn about the frontlines of technological defense. Operating under the strategic vision of the DoW Chief Information Officer (CIO), these students began a high-impact summer residency to conduct critical vulnerability research on artificial intelligence (AI) and satellite systems, cementing the Department’s commitment to forging the next generation of digital warfighters.

The students are participating in an intensive eight-week hybrid INSuRE (Information Security Research and Education) Summer Internship Program. Running through August 14^th, the program places these participants in direct partnership with the National Security Agency (NSA).

“Developing a world-class cyber workforce is a national security imperative,” stated Hon. Kirsten Davies, Department of War CIO. “By placing our Cyber Service Academy interns directly alongside our interagency partners, we are immediately integrating these talented students into our daily operations. The Office of the DoW CIO is actively training and mentoring this next generation of defenders across the federal government. To secure our future we are investing in these interns today, giving them the hands-on, real-world operational experience they need to protect our next-generation capabilities.”

The students will conduct cybersecurity research and vulnerability analysis on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML)-enabled space flight systems at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County and the University of South Alabama. The students will tackle real-world, collaborative experiential learning projects, ultimately showcasing their research findings at a presentation before a group of DoW CIO, National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Security Agency (NSA) senior leaders.

For more information regarding the DoW CIO’s Cyber Service Academy scholarship program and its affiliated opportunities, please visit their website and LinkedIn page.

Please direct any media questions to Pentagon Press Operations: osd.pa.dutyofficer@mail.mil.