ABOUT

Hacking for Defense (H4D) is an education initiative that applies design thinking and the Lean Startup model to solve real and complex problems in the defense and intelligence communities. To do this, transdisciplinary student teams interview dozens of users and experts every week and constantly prototype solutions.

Designed by Stanford University, 20 universities across the U.S. are now using the H4D program, including Georgia Tech and Georgetown University. JMU is the first institution to exclusively offer the class to undergraduate students.

 

                                           HISTORY OF HACKING 4 DEFENSE AT JMU 

In March 2016, intelligence analysis major Jack O’Neill heard about Hacking for Defense at a talk given by serial-entrepreneur Steve Blank at Stanford University. After the talk, Jack spoke with Mr. Blank and followed up with him to attend the H4D® Educators & Sponsors Course with JMU X-Labs faculty. Six months later, the JMU team traveled to Stanford University for in-depth training on the H4D program with its focus on project management, innovation, and solving real world issues.

In the spring of 2017, Jack’s team launched the first undergraduate H4D program in the nation at JMU X-Labs. The project has received nationwide media attention, and the class has garnered significant praise for the work accomplished by its undergraduate students. To date, H4D faculty and students have come from departments as wide-ranging as biology, business, engineering, nursing, and writing studies. Subsequently, the success of this pilot course led to all of our other “Hacking for” courses.

 

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HACKING 4 DEFENSE 2020

In the spring of 2020, JMU X-Labs will host its fourth H4D class where transdisciplinary student teams will have the opportunity to pursue solutions to challenges based on the needs of client partners from the…

 

1. Improvement of Awareness – Fort Bragg healthcare provider supervisors and clinical rotation schedulers need improved awareness of their clinical personnel’s skill sets in order to effectively use their expertise.  

2. Efficient and Fast – Cybersecurity analysts need an efficient and fast way to remediate open vulnerabilities in order to keep systems more secure and reduce the time spent on vulnerability management. 

3. Better Utilization – Bioinformatics Program Scientists need an in–house technique to aggregate and store genetic data and meta–data in order to better utilize the data in assigned missions 

4. Improvement of Identification – Soldiers in the battlefield need a way to quickly and accurately identify equipment in the lab so that they can better identify Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) threats.  

5. Comprehensive Readiness – Air Education and Training Command Staff need a comprehensive way to assess and achieve the long term health of service members in order to ensure the readiness of the force.  

6. Efficient Accrediatation Process – Managers need a more efficient accreditation process for Commercial Off the Shelf software and application products that balances security concerns and resources in order to reduce the time and effort required for acquiring ‘Approval to Operate’ certification 

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Meet the Teams (Insert Link)