| Media
Contacts:
Dr. S. Purushothama
Iyer, 919-515-7291
Dr. Peng Ning,
919/513-4457
Dr. Douglas S. Reeves, 919/515-2044
Kathi McBlief, 919/515-2283
March
21, 2003
New
Cyber Defense Lab Will Secure Computer Systems
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
|
Since
the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001,
research universities have worked with government
agencies and other institutions to protect
the nation’s infrastructure, computer
systems and networks. Faculty and students
in the Department
of Computer Science at North
Carolina State University contribute to that
effort with their research in cyber defense – keeping
computer systems safe from hackers. In recognition
of that vital work, the department will open
the Cyber Defense Laboratory on NC State’s
Centennial Campus, with a ceremony on Thursday,
April 24, in the Venture III building.
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Protecting
computer systems from hackers is a current
focus of faculty and students at North Carolina
State University. Dr. Reeves and Dr. Ning
(seated) and (left to right, standing) graduate
students Kun Sun, Pai Peng, Dingbang Xu,
Yan Zhai and Donggang Liu are developing
techniques in the critical area of cyber
defense.
|
The new
laboratory will house all faculty and students performing
cyberdefense research, as well as all necessary
equipment. Three computer science faculty members – Dr.
Douglas S. Reeves, professor of computer science; Dr.
S. Purushothama Iyer, associate professor of computer
science and Dr. Peng Ning, assistant professor of computer
science – and their graduate students will move
to the new facility. Reeves and Iyer are currently
working on several cyberdefense projects, and Ning
is a security specialist. Their job is to find ways
of keeping computer systems secure from increasingly
clever and malicious intruders.
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Aside from the simple need
for more space for students and equipment, there
were several reasons for starting up the laboratory.
Reeves explained, “Security is a huge priority
right now, and there is a great deal of student
interest in this type of research.” According
to Ning, who led the laboratory initiative, housing
students and faculty together in one space will
promote collaboration and will provide centralized
support for faculty who have technical questions
about security issues.
The
long-term goal of these researchers is to develop
techniques to secure computer systems; their short-term
goals are related to recent projects on intrusion
alert and wireless security. Reeves and Ning are
currently working on a series of projects to improve
intrusion-detection systems for computer networks.
(See related story at http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/news/news_articles/ning.reeves.html.)
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Dr.
Purushothama S. Iyer
|
Ning’s
research in wireless security has special challenges
because the technology is relatively new. “We
have a fairly good understanding about security issues
in a wired network, but the technology of the wireless
network creates new challenges,” he said. For
example, Ning and his graduate student, Kun Sun, are
studying possible attacks against mobile ad-hoc routing
protocols. Mobile ad-hoc networks have no infrastructure
at all. They are completely wireless networks that have
possible applications for battlefields and disaster
relief. Ning and Sun have identified vulnerabilities,
including the manipulation of routing messages, and
have simulated attacks to examine their impact.
Iyer, a
self-professed “mathematician at heart,” approaches
cyber defense by analyzing software for computer bugs. “Any
computer system has software, and software has bugs.
Hackers can take advantage of that,” he said.
Typically, these loopholes are unintentional. The programmers
did not foresee certain kinds of interactions between
users or with other programs. Iyer models various kinds
of software to find out what interactions can be anticipated,
so he can seal off any possible openings for hackers.
These researchers
recognize the difficulty of protecting computer systems
from hackers. “Unlike most areas
of computer science where it’s us versus the
machine,” said Reeves, “this is person
versus person. It’s a very challenging area of
research.”
- mcblief -
|
Raleigh,
NC 27695
