Jason Upchurch
About Jason Upchurch
Jason Upchurch is an Assistant Professor Adjoint and Principal Cyber Security Research Scientist based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He has extensive experience in cybersecurity, having held various engineering and advisory roles in both academia and industry, with a focus on forensic tool development and secure distributed systems.
Work at University of Colorado
Currently, Jason Upchurch serves as an Assistant Professor Adjoint at the University of Colorado, a position he has held since 2017. His role involves teaching and contributing to research initiatives within the university. Prior to this, he worked as a Lecturer at the same institution from 2012 to 2016. His academic involvement reflects his commitment to education and the development of future professionals in the field of cybersecurity.
Current Role at RTI
Since 2018, Jason Upchurch has been employed as a Principal Cyber Security Research Scientist at RTI in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In this capacity, he conducts advanced research in cybersecurity, focusing on various aspects of cyber threats and defenses. His work contributes to the development of innovative solutions in the cybersecurity domain.
Professional Background
Jason Upchurch has a diverse professional background in cybersecurity and law enforcement. He worked at General Dynamics AIS as a Senior Lead Engineer from 2005 to 2012 and served as a Senior Computer Forensic Examiner at DCFL from 2002 to 2005. His experience also includes roles at Intel Corporation as a Platform Security Architect and as an Instructor at the United States Air Force Academy. Additionally, he has held positions in law enforcement, including Deputy Sheriff at El Paso County Sheriff's Office and Police Officer at Garden City Police Department.
Education and Expertise
Jason Upchurch holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Engineering from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, which he completed from 2010 to 2016. He also earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Regis University between 2003 and 2007. His expertise encompasses hardware key management, data protection, forensic tool development, and large dataset forensics. He has led multimillion-dollar investigations and developed training courses for various audiences, including defense contractors and the US military.
Research Interests
Jason Upchurch's research interests include secure distributed systems, cyber information propagation and analysis, automated malware analysis, malware genetics, and malware attribution techniques. He has served as the Principal Investigator and Lead Researcher on projects with funding exceeding $2 million, demonstrating his active engagement in advancing knowledge and practices in cybersecurity.