FICO Educational Analytics Challenge Returns for Fourth Year, Tasking Students with Building AI to Detect Cyber Attacks

FICO expands its HBCU-focused analytics challenge in Fall 2026, training students to build AI models that detect and prevent cyber attacks.

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In partnership with the HBCU Data Science Consortium, the Analytics Challenge will return to Alabama A&M University, Dillard University, Morehouse College and Fayetteville State University this fall

BOZEMAN, Mont.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Global analytics software leader FICO (NYSE: FICO) announced its FICO Educational Analytics Challenge is returning for a fourth year, providing students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) direct, practical exposure to the work of professional data scientists. The program pairs classroom theory with hands-on AI model-building, giving students real skills training they can carry into a career. For this fall semester, FICO welcomes back Alabama A&M University, Dillard University, Morehouse College and Fayetteville State University. The program is led by FICO’s Chief Analytics Officer, Dr. Scott Zoldi, and FICO’s team of data scientists who will spearhead weekly instruction and mentor participants throughout the semester.

In its fourth year, the Fall 2026 program challenges students to address cybersecurity vulnerabilities by designing and training their own machine learning systems capable of spotting network intrusions before they cause damage. Participants will study various types of intrusion, ranging from denial-of-service attacks and botnets to ransomware and crypto mining, before applying their learnings and models to real-world cybersecurity scenarios. Through this hands-on approach, FICO is helping cultivate the intrusion-detection expertise the data science field will increasingly depend on. FICO has spent decades pioneering Responsible AI models that today's financial institutions rely on to prevent cybercrimes. In addition to hands-on learning and advanced curriculum, FICO provides financial grants to support students at participating universities.

"The Analytics Challenge has pushed our students to think critically about how AI models are built and the importance of applying AI responsibly," said Dennis Sigur Jr., assistant professor of computer science at Dillard University. “This fall, our students are excited to apply real-world skills that will prepare them for meaningful careers in analytics and data science while building solutions that address a cybersecurity threat that only continues to grow.”

“As cyber threats become more sophisticated, so must the people building the systems that defend against them,” said Dr. Zoldi. “Through this program, students learn and design AI models that must make decisions on first seen and evolving cyber-attacks with sophisticated unsupervised AI. It’s the kind of hands-on, high-stakes practical work that prepares them for a career in analytics, and we’re proud to help guide them through it and influence data science curriculum at the same time.”

The HBCU Data Science Consortium (DSC) is a collaboration of leaders in academia, industry and government formed to address today's data challenges. FICO's partnership with the DSC builds on existing work with Dr. Velma Latson, co-executive director of the DSC. Through this partnership, FICO data scientists mentor students and support the development of university analytics curricula at institutions without formal data science programs. The goal is to strengthen the pipeline of diverse data science talent entering the field, while giving students hands on experience in Responsible AI and real-world analytics they can carry into their careers.

"FICO continues to be on the forefront of innovation and technology advancements," said Dr. Latson. "As a professor and now through my work with the DSC, I have the unique opportunity to help other universities adopt the program and witness the impact firsthand, as I have the last three years. The program provides an invaluable opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience with AI, as well as for faculty to identify and fill gaps in data science curriculum and help ready their students for the workforce."

FICO also provides resources for students regarding workforce and career development.

Solving diverse problems demands a field of practitioners as diverse as the data itself. FICO remains a proud participant in the HBCU Partnership Challenge, an initiative of the Bipartisan Historically Black Colleges and Universities Caucus led by Congresswoman Alma Adams and Congressman French Hill. Through the HBCU Partnership Challenge, FICO continues to build strategic, lasting relationships with HBCUs while broadening the talent pipeline into the data science industry.

To learn more about the FICO Educational Analytics Challenge, including how to get involved, visit: https://www.fico.com/en/feac

About FICO

FICO (NYSE: FICO) powers decisions that help people and businesses around the world prosper. Founded in 1956, the company is a pioneer in the use of predictive analytics and data science to improve operational decisions. FICO holds more than 200 U.S. and foreign patents on technologies that increase profitability, customer satisfaction and growth for businesses in financial services, insurance, telecommunications, health care, retail and many other industries. Using FICO solutions, businesses in more than 80 countries do everything from protecting 4 billion payment cards from fraud, to improving financial inclusion, to increasing supply chain resiliency. The FICO® Score, used by 90% of top U.S. lenders, is the standard measure of consumer credit risk in the U.S. and has been made available in over 40 other countries, improving risk management, credit access and transparency.

Learn more at https://www.fico.com/en

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Source: FICO

Key Terms

machine learning technical

Machine learning is a set of computer programs that learn patterns from large amounts of data and improve their predictions or decisions over time, like a recipe that gets better each time it’s adjusted based on taste tests. For investors it matters because these systems can speed up analysis, spot trends or risks humans might miss, automate routine work, and potentially create competitive advantages or cost savings that affect a company’s performance.

View in glossary

denial-of-service attacks technical

A denial-of-service attack is an effort by outsiders to overwhelm a company’s online systems—like websites, apps, or networks—so legitimate users cannot access them. For investors it matters because these outages can stop sales, erode customer trust, force expensive fixes or safeguards, and sometimes signal wider security weaknesses; think of it as a crowd blocking the front door of a store so paying customers can’t get in.

botnets technical

A botnet is a network of internet-connected devices that have been secretly taken over by criminals and are controlled remotely to carry out coordinated attacks or fraud. Think of it like a fleet of hijacked cars driven by a remote operator to block highways or steal goods; for investors, botnets can cause costly outages, data breaches, lost sales, regulatory fines and reputational damage that can quickly reduce a company’s revenue and share price.

ransomware technical

Ransomware is malicious software that locks or encrypts a company’s computer files and systems, then demands payment for their release — like a thief changing the locks on a business and asking for a ransom. It matters to investors because attacks can halt operations, trigger large cleanup costs, damage customer trust, lead to regulatory fines or legal claims, and reduce future revenue, all of which can hurt a company’s financial value.