cyber security: [july 2008]
Published: 06/10/2008
- Dartmouth Launches Network Security Study
From the article of the same title by: none, States News Service - Dartmouth College's Dartmouth's Institute for Security Technology Studies will develop and evaluate current sensing methods for monitoring the multiple wireless networks at Dartmouth to gather real-time data. Researchers hope to learn how to quickly discover patterns that may indicate malicious activity, and determine the best way to resolve those situations. David Kotz, professor of computer science and the principal investigator on the DIST initiative, explains that the scope and scale of this project is unique within the academic research community, and it will improve network security technology and practices for all Internet users. For example, DIST may help detect unauthorized access points, which can be used to steal users' passwords. "Our campus environment is the perfect place for this project because we can examine live network activity at scale and in real time," says Kotz. "We've worked in laboratory settings with controlled parameters; now it's time for a live, real-world test."
The project is funded by the Department of Homeland Security. In addition to developing and testing technology, DIST will serve as a model for how other enterprises can secure their wireless networks. The researchers have designed their studies to protect the privacy of all campus network users. Numerous procedures are in place to collect data in a way that makes it anonymous, where the user is never identified or associated with his or her network activity. The researchers do not examine any of the content of wireless network traffic; they only see the "headers," the information that distinguishes packets of data from a request to connect to the wireless network. "Privacy is paramount in this research effort," says Kotz. David Bucciero, Director of Technical Services for the Peter Kiewit Computing Services Department, chairs Dartmouth's Cyber Security Initiative. "I think the findings coming out of DIST will greatly benefit the Cyber Security Initiative. It's kind of like having a computer security safety net protecting us," he says. The Cyber Security Initiative, a campus-wide computing security effort, works to improve the security of the College's information systems through research interests and practical applications.
