GMU Cyber Security Internship - Fall 2026

Overview

In partnership with George Mason University (GMU), the IDA Cyber Security Internship provides current GMU students a unique opportunity to use their cyber security knowledge and technical skills to work on challenging real-world national security issues. The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) is a not-for-profit corporation that operates Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs). The Systems and Analyses Center is located in Alexandria, Virginia.

This paid internship is funded by an Experiential Learning Grant provided by the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) and executed by George Mason University's School of Business. Through this 12-14 week Cyber Security Internship, students will be given a real cyber security project provided by a real organization (government or commercial participant) in the cyber security industry. Students will work in groups of three or four to accomplish the project and attend weekly check-ins with the program instructor and the industry participant. Through this experiential learning program (the internship), students will be able to gain real-world hands-on cyber security skills and experience, as well as network with industry cyber professionals. As a bonus, students will also be given access to FutureFeed's education course on Cyber Security Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Auditing - a tool used by defense contractors to self-assess security compliance based on the Department of War's CMMC requirements.

Primary Responsibilities

• Intern will support the Cyber Security efforts of IDA's IT directorate.
• Work in teams of various sizes on cyber-related projects assigned by the industry participant.
• Meet weekly with the instructor for progress updates, questions, and project guidance.
• Meet weekly with the industry participant (IDA) for progress updates, questions, and project planning.
• Prepare and Present, at the end of the program, the overview, goals, process, successes, failures, and lessons learned of the cyber-related project to the academic, government, and commercial audience.

Minimum Requirements/Qualifications

• Must be a current student at GMU with a strong academic background. Our preference for the program is graduate students, but we will consider undergraduates who are rising Juniors. Students must be returning to George Mason University in the fall to continue their educational pursuits.
• Applicants must intend to pursue a cyber security career upon graduation.
• Successful candidates have taken, at a minimum, a foundational cyber/information security course
• Preferred: one letter of recommendation from a cyber security professor
• Applicants must have experience working in teams and pulling their own weight in group projects

• Applicants who are selected will be subject to a security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
• Successful completion of a criminal background check is required.