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MS Information Systems  students Rishit Goel and Neha Vedak earned first place in the Poster Contest at the, and they brought home a $1,500 cash prize while proudly representing CSU Long Beach. Their winning poster, “Securing the Model Context Protocol: Cybersecurity Challenges for AI Agents,” topped a competitive field of entries judged by industry professionals.

Project:

As AI tools increasingly “talk” to apps and data sources, the Model Context Protocol (MCP) helps those systems connect and share information. Rishit and Neha spotlight the security risks that can arise when that connectivity is misused, things like hidden instructions that trick AI systems (prompt injection), poisoned or misleading context, impersonated agents, and accidental data leaks. Their poster outlines practical defenses such as zero-trust authentication, encrypted communication, careful validation of shared context, and active monitoring, so organizations can adopt MCP with confidence without exposing sensitive information. 

About the event:

The Cal Poly Pomona Cybersecurity & Awareness Fair (CSAF) is a regional hub for cybersecurity learning and recruiting, featuring an Awareness Poster and Proof-of-Concept contest. It draws participants from institutions including Purdue, Sacred Heart, Cal State LA, Fullerton College, Coastline College, Chaffey College, and CPP, and creates impactful peer-to-peer learning as students engage directly with attendees while being judged by industry professionals. 

Please join me in congratulating Rishit and Neha for their outstanding achievement and exemplary representation of ɫ��ɫ. We’re incredibly proud of their work and excited to see where they take this research next.

Dr. Deepti Singh