ISU professor to be inducted into Cyber Security Hall of Fame

Idaho State University professor Corey Schou is being inducted into National Cyber Security Hall of Fame for his career-long efforts.

He’s been called Mr. Miyagi by his students. “I teach them wax on wax off. Wax on, wax off,” he said, but Schou has been working in cybersecurity since long before The Karate Kid came out. In fact, he worked with the precursors to the internet.

“ARPANET and ARPANET,” he said, “and I, by the way, had sign-ons at it that long ago.”

He’s won countless awards, developed curriculums and systems that are still in use, worked with companies like Microsoft and Apple and even helped with projects at the NSA and traveled overseas for the Department of State.

“How I got into the Cyber Security Hall of Fame, I’m not sure I really know,” Schou said.

It’s an honor that left him speechless and a little embarrassed.

“I do not view this as the end of my career, by any means, which is part of what embarrasses me. Usually, they wait until after you’ve stopped doing something before they say that was good.”

Schou considers himself a servant leader and the “diarist of cyber security.” He said that he’s always felt that he was just doing his job, not understanding why that was worthy of merit.

“If I were to say, why do I have this? this first thing I would say is, my students.”

Those students, many of whom end up working for government agencies, are able to study at ISU thanks, in part, to Simplot.

Simplot donated thousands of dollars to help Schou get a decision center up and running, which now bears the Simplot name.

When Schou’s students are nearing graduation he shares a message with them:

“I want to make sure you’re there to protect your children and my children and my grandchildren, much as I have protected y’all,” he tells them.

“And that may be what drives me. And you know, it sounds a bit dramatic, Charlton Heston could do a better voice but it’s a matter of, that’s really why I do it.”

He’s had offers to work at countless agencies and companies but feels that he can have the biggest impact at ISU as the University Professor of Informatics.

Schou’s story is one that fills more pages than you’d be willing to read and much of it is still unwritten.

“It’s exciting and yet, there’s so much more to be done.”

For now, Schou will continue working to protect our safety and security by instilling his three principles students.”

“Availability, confidentiality and integrity,” he said.

Schou’s induction will be held on April 25, at the annual Hall of Fame dinner at the hotel at Arundel Preserve in Hanover, Maryland.

Schou will also be accepting the posthumous induction of his friend and former colleague Howard Schmidt.