Inquire Lab
2026 Workshop

University of Oklahoma
Cybersecurity Essential Training

An intensive five-day workshop equipping IT professionals with cutting-edge cybersecurity skills. Hands-on labs, expert speakers, real-world scenarios.

No prerequisitesFREECertificate
Hosted by Inquire Lab
May 1822 & May 2630, 2026
Register Now — It's FreeLimited seats available
Cybersecurity Workshop photo 1
Cybersecurity Workshop photo 2
Cybersecurity Workshop photo 3
Cybersecurity Workshop photo 4
Cybersecurity Workshop photo 5
Cybersecurity Workshop photo 6
Cybersecurity Workshop photo 7
Cybersecurity Workshop photo 8
Cybersecurity Workshop photo 9
Cybersecurity Workshop photo 10
Cybersecurity Workshop photo 11
Scroll to explore
5
Days of Training
FREE
Registration
35+
Organizations
6
Expert Speakers

About the Workshop

Building the Next Generation of Cyber Defenders

We are excited to invite you to our Cybersecurity Workshop, designed for IT professionals and related fields. This intensive five-day program, sponsored by Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security and FEMA, aims to equip participants with essential cybersecurity skills to tackle modern security challenges effectively.

With cyber threats evolving at an unprecedented pace, organizations must strengthen their cybersecurity posture to protect sensitive data and infrastructure. This workshop provides hands-on training, expert-led discussions, and real-world scenarios to ensure participants gain practical, actionable knowledge.

Emerging and Future Threats
Risk Management and Compliance
Current Cybersecurity Threats
Security Infrastructure and Tools
Security Standards and Frameworks

Logistics

Workshop Details

Dates & Time

May 18–22 & May 26–30, 2026 9 AM – 4 PM, Working lunch included

Location

University of Oklahoma, Norman Campus Carson Engineering Center, Room 205/206

Registration

FREE

Certification

Certificate of Completion specifying the total number of training hours will be awarded

Limited Seats

First-come, first-served basis. Secure your spot early!

Register Today

Cybersecurity is a critical priority for organizations across industries. Don't miss out—scan the QR code or click below:

Register Now
QR Code

Invited Talks (2025)

Speakers from 2025 Workshop

Learn from our distinguished speakers who will share their expertise and insights on various cybersecurity topics.

Dr. Stacey White

Dr. Stacey White

Raised in Bixby, Oklahoma, Dr. White has a distinguished background, having served in the U.S. Marine Corps. During his military career, he spent three years as an instructor at the Marine Corps Combat Development Command in Quantico, where he taught future Navy leaders, foreign leaders, and federal law enforcement personnel.

Dr. White’s extensive experience in cybersecurity and military training makes him a valuable asset to NSU’s cybersecurity program. His educational background includes certifications from the McAfee Institute, NW3C, and CompTIA Security Plus. He is deeply involved in research and teaching in the fields of cybersecurity, computer sciences, network security, and controlled access systems.

As the primary investigator for the NSU Cybersecurity Clinic, established with a $1 million grant from Google, Dr. White leads initiatives to provide hands-on cybersecurity training and community outreach, helping to protect local organizations and critical infrastructure from cyber threats.

Dr. White brings over 33 years of law enforcement and investigative experience, along with 20 years of working in the private sector providing security services. His expertise includes control, network, and vulnerability assessments, making him a highly skilled professional in identifying and mitigating security risks.

Kris Larsh

Kris Larsh

Mr. Larsh served in the US Army for 13 years, of which 7 years of it were spent working in information technology and security operations. His duties were to monitor both the network for external cyberattacks and internal cyber activity. His work took him from working in Security Operations, AKA the S6 shop in the Army from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, to Fort Gordon, Georgia. He was stationed in Qatar as the Sergeant in charge of the entire security network operations in Camp As-Sailiya, which was the headquarters for the Army Central Command of Theater Operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Upon retiring from the military, he earned his degree in education and a Master’s in Education Technology, along with another Master’s in Education Leadership. He now works as a science teacher and the Director of Education Technology at the school. Like his cybersecurity job in the military, he also works with cybersecurity companies to help keep our students safe.

Dr. Qi Li

Dr. Qi Li

Dr. Li is an Assistant Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Oklahoma. She completed her Ph.D. in the Department of Computer Science at the Colorado School of Mines, where she was advised by Dr. Dong Chen. Her research interests focus on building data-driven computer systems, combining data science and deep learning/machine learning techniques to address efficiency, sustainability, and privacy challenges in cyber-physical systems (CPS) systems. She has presented papers at top-tier conferences, including IoTDI, CNS, IPSN, BuildSys, and WiSec. She also received the Best Paper Award at BuildSys 2020. In 2023, she was selected as a CPS Rising Star.

Dr. Yi Wu

Dr. Yi Wu

Dr. Wu is an Assistant Professor at the School of Computer Science at the Gallogly College of Engineering, University of Oklahoma. He completed his Ph.D. at Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at University of Tennessee, Knoxville, under supervision of Dr. Jian Liu. His research interests encompass the areas of mobile sensing & computing, smart healthcare, and cybersecurity & privacy. Particularly, he utilizes machine learning and signal processing techniques to create next-generation applications for human-computer interaction, smart health monitoring, and identifying potential security/privacy issues on IoT devices. His research work has been published at top-tier mobile-computing/security/HCI venues, including S&P/Oakland, ACM CCS, ACM MobiCom, ACM UbiComp, and ACSAC.

Jonathan Kimmitt

Jonathan Kimmitt

Mr. Kimmitt currently serves as Chief Information Security Officer for Alias Cybersecurity. Jonathan has supported Security and Privacy initiatives for organizations for over 20 years. He supports clients in incident response and program development for IT, cybersecurity and privacy departments and AI governance. An active member of the community, he currently the CISO Showdown Champion of Oklahoma, presented on cyber & privacy topics at over 300 events and helps lead community support as a past ISSA President, InfraGard board member, and an adjunct cybersecurity instructor for local small business and entrepreneur training programs. In his professional role, his focus is for industries, professionals, and leaders to grow and develop their security and privacy postures for organizations, employees, and communities.

Jordan Caldwell

Jordan Caldwell

Mr. Caldwell is the Co-founder and Chief Security Officer (CSO) at Critical Fault, LLC and SecurDOM, Inc. He provides expert guidance and security testing through covert entry methods, blending digital and physical security realms. Since co-founding Critical Fault in June 2021, he has brought a multidisciplinary approach to cybersecurity, supported by his formal education in physics, mathematics, chemistry, and biology.

Jordan has conducted research with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He previously served the State of Oklahoma as a lead environmental risk assessor, analyzed nuclear material security, and worked as a project manager.

He is actively involved in leadership and community outreach, serving on two steering committees for ASIS International and holding roles such as the 2023 OKC Chapter Secretary and the 2024–2025 Tulsa Chapter Secretary for the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Oklahoma (AICCOk).

Testimonials

What Participants Say

Real feedback from professionals who attended our workshop.

👨‍💼

It was a pleasure to attend the OU Cybersecurity Essentials Workshop for IT Professionals last week. The team was professional and well-prepared for each of their sessions. I was particularly impressed with the lab exercises developed by the PhD students-these were thoughtfully aligned with the discussion topics and demonstrated a high level of preparation and insight. The demonstration on cryptographic entropy, and the effect of password length and complexity, was especially outstanding. The integration of a hands-on software tool made the concept both clear and impactful. Well done! I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to Dr. Banad for inviting me to attend as an observer. As they say, this old dog can still learn new tricks!

1/12

Partners

Sponsored By

FEMA
Oklahoma Homeland Security
Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security

Supporting Organizations

Alias
IEEE OKC Section
IEEE Student Chapter
ECE
CS
Logo Color Square
Northeastern State University
Stonewall Public School
AISES

Participating Organizations

University of Oklahoma
OU IT Learning Spaces
Norman Public Schools
Quirino Engenharia
Oklahoma Turnpike Authority
University of Oklahoma Health Sci Center
University of Oklahoma/MCEE
City of Oklahoma City
Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security
Oklahoma 911 Management Authority
OMES OK-ISAC
University of Tulsa
Oklahoma Christian University
Oklahoma City Public Schools
OKCPS
Tulsa Public Schools
Tealent Hire RPO
OK Dept of Emergency Management
Oklahoma Department of Human Services
Purcell Public Schools
Cushing High School
Putnam city schools
Dotzip Development
Department of Human Services
Marietta High School
Oklahoma City County Health Department
Chickasaw Nation
FSNB, NA
State of Oklahoma
progressive home inscpections
Office of Management and Enterprise Services
Chickasaw Nation
Comanche County Memorial Hospital
Newman Memorial Hospital
Fairview Regional Medical Center