WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — As News 3’s consumer reporter, I warn you about scams and report on how to keep your family safe, but I wanted to know what's being done locally to move the needle —especially when it comes to artificial intelligence.
What I found took me to the campus of William & Mary where research is having national impacts. That research is being done under the leadership of Adwait Nadkarni.
“One thing that really sets us apart is our holistic approach to cybersecurity,” says Associate Professor in Computer Science and Director of the Cybersecurity center, Adwait Nadkarni.
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In recognition of its cutting-edge contributions in the area of cybersecurity, the National Security Agency has designated W&M as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Research. At W&M, researchers do not just study computer science, they partner with the arts, business, and law schools.
Nadkarni said it helps them better understand the technology, how people use it and the regulations that shape it.
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“There’s a lot of research at the intersection of AI and security, and human factors,” Nadkarni said. "We can really learn a lot and get a deep understanding, not only about technology but also about humans involved in technology and [how they are] using it. [We can also learn a lot about] the regulations and the laws that govern our use of technology and the influence of technology.”
Researchers are building new foundational models to detect scams early. These programs can also make AI software more resistant to cyberattacks.
“The research that we do [has] national security implications,” Nadkarni said.
I asked about scammers. He said they are getting more efficient, in part because they also can leverage AI.
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As an example, we asked ChatGPT to draft a job recruitment letter for Nadkarni.
“I would still not fall for it but it's pretty darn close to what I would fall for,” Nadkarni said.
That's what scammers are hoping for.
“They’re using artificial intelligence to target people and develop profiles of people, just like legitimate businesses do,” James Lee said.
Lee is the president of the Identity Theft Resource Center, which is a nonprofit that helps victims.
“We know right now that the identity criminal gangs, these organized criminal organizations, are hiring as many individuals as they can find around the world to do nothing but look for flaws in software that can be exploited to steal data,” Lee said.
Lee said there are sophisticated transnational criminal organizations that are organized just like a real business.
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“The bad guys hide in Google searches now too because they can buy ads just like everybody else can," Lee said. "So, be sure you are paying close attention to the results of any kind of search you do on the internet.”
To arm yourself, Lee advised the use of a passkey to replace passwords.
“A Passkey is a replacement for a password, and that can make your information less useful if it falls into the hands of an identity criminal,” said Lee. “With a Passkey, you'll never know the code, you'll never see it, you'll never know it. You cannot self-compromise. You can't give it away. So, that takes an entire line of attack off the table.”
Lee also suggests freezing your credit and your child's credit. He claims more kids are falling victim to identity theft, but they do not find out until years down the line.
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“It could be a decade or more before you found out their identity had been compromised, usually when they go off to college or they're applying for financial aid, or maybe their first job,” Lee said.
His final advice is to ignore unsolicited messages.
“When you get a call or message, go directly to the source and be careful with googling the phone number,” said Lee.
This is all advice echoed by Nadkarni as his team is focused on defending against these attacks in 2025.
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“It’s difficult, but if somebody wants to do a PhD in computer science now is a really good time,” Lee said.
Another testament to how much this field is growing, is that William & Mary voted to make data science a new department on campus.
This is set to happen in July, and it will be just another way for local students and researchers to keep up with the global challenges we are facing.
