Secure systems and networking
Networked computer and communication systems are integral parts of today’s critical infrastructures. Have you noticed that you might not be able to fill up your gas tank if the gas pump’s connection to the billing network is not working?
Imagine what it might be like if an earthquake or a deliberate attack has severely disrupted a major segment of our communication networks, so that such problems are multiplied across a wide geographical region. The trustworthiness of any infrastructure depends on the trustworthiness of its underlying support systems, including its information and networking systems.
ITI is developing technologies for defending networks against cyber-attack and technologies for providing “network situational awareness,” which is the capacity to understand what is happening, particularly during a crisis. It is also working to create a trustworthy layer of software upon which distributed wireless applications may be built. Notably, many ITI faculty members are doing research supported by the National Science Foundation on trust in systems and networking.