The University of North Texas (UNT) has introduced a new program, NEXUS, aimed at integrating sociology students with the cybersecurity industry. Launched in collaboration with CISO XC, a cybersecurity organization in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, NEXUS seeks to bridge the gap between social science research and cybersecurity.
Helen Potts, a professor who founded the initiative and serves as the research and development director, highlighted that existing research tends to focus heavily on criminal justice aspects of cybercrime. “Most of the cybercrime research and data we have are very criminal justice-oriented, but so much of what drives cybercrime is social,” Potts explained.
Students involved with NEXUS undertake research projects that examine cybercrime from various perspectives, including those of cybersecurity professionals and the threat actors themselves. Topics that have been explored include artificial intelligence’s impact on cybersecurity, cyberbullying, and international cyberwarfare.
The program aims to align academic study with career paths in information security, and will hold its first NEXUS Cybercrime and Social Behavior Research Conference in April 2026. Additionally, UNT plans to introduce a Cybercrime and Social Behavior certificate by Fall 2026. NEXUS also offers students internship opportunities and has established advisory partnerships with companies such as United Airlines, Visa, and MasterCard.
Natalia Heringer, a doctoral candidate, is utilizing NEXUS to merge her research on gender-based violence with cybercrime studies, analyzing how digital platforms facilitate such violence.
- NEXUS Cybercrime and Social Behavior Research Conference
- Date: April 2026
- Further details: For more information or to submit an abstract, click here.
The introduction of a CISO XC-endowed scholarship is also expected to aid students interested in studying cybercrime.