UW Tacoma faculty design AI-enabled training system to help interdisciplinary students combat cybercrime

In 2025 alone, more than $8.6 billion was lost due to cybercrime, and at least 7% of the funds lost are attributed to AI-assisted fraud, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. These record-setting numbers reflect the newfound ease with which criminals can run fraud operations, in large part because of emerging AI tools.

But just as AI has transformed cybercrime, it can also transform the way professionals train to investigate and prosecute it.  

Enter CyberBridge, a web-based learning platform that uses AI agents to support learning, helping cybersecurity and criminal justice students work together to more effectively investigate and prosecute cybercrimes.

The project, developed by UW Tacoma School of Engineering & Technology faculty members PI Zikai Alex Wen and co-PI Yan Bai, recently received an award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that will help the team launch CyberBridge. The funding comes from the CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service program, which supports projects to educate and train professionals across the country in AI or Cybersecurity.

“We're really grateful for the NSF award because it will transition our project from a proof of concept to a more validated, publicly available national training system,” Wen said.

How It Works

The heart of the learning platform is a series of scenarios that bring cybersecurity and criminal justice learners together to solve real-world-inspired situations aided by AI assistants.

Imagine, for example, a large hospital that is targeted by ransomware, bringing its entire healthcare system to a standstill.

The first step is for students from both disciplines to download their respective case information. The digital forensics examiner analyzes data, including cryptographic evidence used to verify the authenticity and integrity of information and transactions, while the prosecutor drafts an explanation of criminal intent. As learners work through the case details, AI agents prompt them with thought-provoking questions to connect the dots and dig deeper.

Then the two learners come together to discuss their findings and prepare the case. This is often where things get messy.

Because prosecutors may not have a computer science background and digital forensics practitioners don’t necessarily have a legal background, learners can end up speaking past each other. Here, an AI agent can intervene when these differences cause friction in the collaborative process.

The CyberBridge Origin Story

CyberBridge builds on an earlier NSF-funded project to incorporate cybersecurity concepts into criminal justice curricula. According to the NSF, EAGER grants support exploratory projects involving "high-risk, high-reward" ideas.

In 2023, Bai collaborated with an AI expert from North Dakota State University to create cybersecurity learning modules for criminal justice students. Working with academic institutions in five different states, the curriculum was tested and the feedback used to improve materials.

As part of this earlier project, the team conducted national surveys of criminal justice professionals and digital forensics practitioners to understand bright spots and opportunities for growth. Respondents reported that while they could learn cybersecurity concepts individually, they wanted more opportunities for collaborative practice. UW Tacoma alumni now working in forensics and public-service roles echoed this need.

Humans and AI Working Together

CyberBridge is a powerful example of how UW Tacoma research is addressing pressing national challenges and creating practical tools to better prepare the nation’s cybersecurity workforce.

The project is also well aligned with Wen’s philosophy on AI-supported cooperative work.

“I’m interested in studying where AI delegation is appropriate in high-stakes work spaces,” Wen explained. “Human judgment should remain central, but how do we design AI to shape better decision-making to enhance human competency and collaboration?”

With CyberBridge, AI agents support learning that builds on the theories and concepts introduced by instructors. Instructors also shape and oversee those supports. CyberBridge captures common challenges uncovered through the practice scenarios, creating learning opportunities for instructors to teach into.

The Impact

With NSF support, the UW Tacoma team can take CyberBridge from proof of concept to reality, with far-reaching impacts.

The project will be implemented in three phases. In year one, a team of NSF-funded graduate assistants and the faculty leads will build out the learning platform. In year two, they will pilot the platform in classrooms at UW Tacoma and beyond, gather user feedback and make improvements based on these insights. In year three, the team will expand access and continue enhancing the platform based on broader feedback.

In years two and three, the project team will offer workshops to instructors of cybersecurity, digital forensics and criminal justice graduate programs. The workshops will help instructors incorporate CyberBridge into their courses by providing guidance on practical scenarios, assessments aligned with certified frameworks and strategies for integrating the platform into existing curricula. The project team will also share all workshop materials online to encourage broader adoption.

These workshops will build on partnerships with universities in Colorado, North Dakota, New York, Ohio and Texas that were already established through the EAGER-grant-funded project. Ultimately, the plan is to make CyberBridge widely available to universities, community colleges, and criminal justice academies nationwide.  

Additionally, an advisory board composed of professors, judges, prosecutors and other practitioners will help inform the project and support efforts to expand CyberBridge nationwide.

An interdisciplinary approach that invites professionals across fields to participate is central to CyberBridge’s potential impact.

That vision takes CyberBridge beyond the classroom. By bringing together cybersecurity and criminal justice students, the project aims to prepare professionals to tackle growing cybercrime challenges and give those in related fields the foundational knowledge needed to collaborate more effectively.

“Nationwide, there is a large demand for cybersecurity professionals, and we need more people with cybersecurity knowledge and skills so they can work alongside these professionals,” Bai said. “We need to train the workforce not just from the technical side but also from the social aspect.”