When
Monday, February 9, 2026, 10:00 a.m.
Jason Denno
Executive Director
Cyber Convergence Center (C3)
National Center of Academic Excellence – Cyber Operations (CAE-CO)
Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence (IC-CAE)
College of Engineering
The University of Arizona
"Conflict within the Information Environment"
Harshbarger 118A-A1
ABSTRACT: In an era dominated by rapid technological advancements, the information environment has become a battleground where truth is increasingly elusive. This talk, "Conflict within the Information Environment," explores how the rampant spread of misinformation and disinformation, amplified by breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, has irrevocably altered our global landscape. From fabricated academic papers and manipulated audio recordings to deepfake videos and altered images, virtually all external data sources are now susceptible to sophisticated tampering or outright invention. As future engineers, graduate students must adopt a rigorous mindset of skepticism and verification, treating no "fact" as reliable until it has been independently validated.
BIOSKETCH: Jason Denno is the executive director of the Cyber Convergence Center (C3) and the department head for the Department of Intelligence Operations at the University of Arizona. Denno’s experience includes over twenty-five years of designing, developing, deploying, and operating intelligence and cyber systems across the globe. His professional experience includes senior level positions in both large and small defense contracting companies; the Director of the Battle Command Battle Lab - Fort Huachuca (BCBL-H); and he is a former U.S. Army Infantry and Signals Intelligence officer. Most recently, Denno developed the Cyber Operations and Intelligence & Information Operation degree programs at the University of Arizona. He also designed, developed, and deployed the CyberApolis Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) as well as co-developed the Proteus virtual persona artificial intelligence. Denno has written and presented on topics such as competence vs. capacity in the field of cybersecurity, human hacking and computational propaganda.