Malware Detection for the ABLE Program
Session Number
Project ID: BIZ INTRN 08
Advisor(s)
Joseph Daniels; Illinois State Treasurer’s Office
Discipline
Business
Start Date
19-4-2023 10:50 AM
End Date
19-4-2023 11:05 AM
Abstract
The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office runs the ABLE program which allows individuals with disabilities to build financial wellness without losing federal benefits. However, many people who use the ABLE program require assistance to navigate technology and this assistance does not always come from those who are sufficiently technologically literate. People with disabilities are targeted digitally as they are often overlooked by cybersecurity threat models. With technology being such a vital and rapidly growing element of daily life, federal legislation needs to improve the security standards for accessibility, specifically website security where attackers target this vulnerable audience. The State Treasurer’s Office provided resources to gain knowledge about cryptography, machine learning and cybersecurity in order to create tools to extract and detect malware that is embedded into documents. These tools can be implemented into the ABLE program to protect sensitive information.
Malware Detection for the ABLE Program
The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office runs the ABLE program which allows individuals with disabilities to build financial wellness without losing federal benefits. However, many people who use the ABLE program require assistance to navigate technology and this assistance does not always come from those who are sufficiently technologically literate. People with disabilities are targeted digitally as they are often overlooked by cybersecurity threat models. With technology being such a vital and rapidly growing element of daily life, federal legislation needs to improve the security standards for accessibility, specifically website security where attackers target this vulnerable audience. The State Treasurer’s Office provided resources to gain knowledge about cryptography, machine learning and cybersecurity in order to create tools to extract and detect malware that is embedded into documents. These tools can be implemented into the ABLE program to protect sensitive information.