Saturday, June 4, 2011

CyLab, CERIAS and CSAIL join Northrop Grumman for Cybersecurity Research Consortium Update

Photo Credits: Northrop Grumman
CyLab, CERIAS and CSAIL join Northrop Grumman for Cybersecurity Research Consortium Update

Northrop Grumman Corporation and three of the world's leading cybersecurity academic research programs, Carnegie Mellon University Cylab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) CSAIL and Purdue University CERIAS came together recently for a briefing on the work of the Northrop Grumman Cybersecurity Research Consortium.

The briefing and panel discussion was held in the Edward R. Murrow Room at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Northrop Grumman's vice president and chief technology officer, Dr. Robert Brammer, was joined on the panel by Eugene H. Spafford, executive director of Purdue's CERIAS, Professor Ronald L. Rivest, lead of MIT CSAIL and Richard Power, Distinguished Fellow at Carnegie Mellon CyLab.



Here are some excerpts from the Northrop Grumman press release, followed by a link to the full text.

As part of the Northrop Grumman Cybersecurity Research Consortium, this unique industry/academia partnership set out in December 2009 to advance research, facilitate collaboration among the nation's top scientists and accelerate solutions to counter the fast-changing cyber threats. ...

Representatives highlighted progress in several key areas including large-scale information systems operations, where the consortium has developed approaches to improve the security of cloud computing. The Consortium has also developed new approaches for organizing and evaluating experiments performed on cyber test ranges. This approach will allow customers to better evaluate large-scale cyber attack and defense strategies in a cost-effective manner.

"The Consortium has also developed automatic techniques to analyze computer software designs to look for potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities," added Brammer. "If successful on a large-scale, these techniques will significantly improve software security for customers while reducing the time and cost it takes to develop, certify and accredit these systems for government operations." ...

"Cybersecurity is vital to economic prosperity, personal privacy and national security; and academic research is vital to the advancement of cybersecurity," said Richard Power, Distinguished Fellow and Director of Strategic Communications for Carnegie Mellon CyLab. "The Northrop Grumman Cybersecurity Research Consortium provides us with a new research model, emphasizing technology transition. This process of transitioning academic innovation to industry delivers social value, for example creating jobs, spurring further innovation and of course, enhancing cybersecurity."

"The Cybersecurity Research Consortium, led by Northrop Grumman, plays a very important role in fostering the development of new security technologies in academia and facilitating their transition to real-world use," said Professor Ronald L. Rivest, lead of MIT's CSAIL. "We believe that such industry/academic collaboration is essential for successful action against the increasingly serious and effective cyber-attacks we are witnessing today."

"The Cybersecurity Research Consortium has proven to be a wonderful initiative," said Eugene H. Spafford, executive director of Purdue's CERIAS. "For more than two decades, Purdue has been leading research and education in information security. Our mission has been to build collaborative relationships with industry, government and other academic entities to advance the state of information assurance, security and privacy. Northrop Grumman has been our partner in these efforts for many years. This consortium has enabled us to work even more closely with them, as well as with a few of our academic peers, on solutions to current and future threats to cybersecurity. We are pleased to be part of this on-going, vital partnership devoted to advancing the states of knowledge and practice in cybersecurity."

Full Text of Northrop Grumman Press Release



Here are some links to media coverage of the event:

Cybersecurity Research Consortium: New Tech on the Way, PC World, 6-1-11

Northrop Grumman and Academia Cite Progress in Tackling Nation's Most Pressing Cybersecurity Threats, Market Watch, 6-1-11

New recovery system restores virus-infected computers, could be used by agencies, NextGov, 6-1-11

University projects to secure cyberspace could soon bear fruit; Five-year program funded by Northrop Grumman researching new technologies, GCN, 6-1-11

Northrop Grumman, Academic Partners Tout Progress In Cyber Security Research, Defense Daily, 6-2-11

See Also

Report from the Launch of the Northrop Grumman Cybersecurity Research Consortium