Stony Brook, NY – September, 2013

Professor Vyas Sekar, from Stony Brook University’s Department of Computer Science, is part of a team of researchers collaborating on the recently awarded NSF Frontier grant, Rethinking Security in the Era of Cloud Computing. With the increased use of third-party cloud computing services, the research team sees the growing adoption of cloud computing as an unprecedented opportunity to resolve several fundamental security challenges that have long plagued users.

Through this five-year research program, two key features of cloud computing will be exploited to improve overall computer security. The first feature to be explored is the use of common software and hardware, and management en masse. Offering a common platform will enable cutting edge security solutions to reach critical mass instantaneously. Secondly, better integrated security analytics across user mail and virtualized services has the potential to give users a more efficient experience along with stronger security guarantees.

Researchers on the team include faculty from UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University, North Carolina State, and the University of Wisconsin at Madison. They have expertise in security, software-defined networking, crypotography, and distributed systems. Specifically, Dr. Sekar brings to the team extensive experience in large-scale networking monitoring systems, the design of novel attack detection algorithms, and the application of software-defined networking principles to facilitate the design and management of network ``appliances'' in the cloud.

A unique feature of this research effort is collaboration with academic, industry and government stakeholders at three Cloud Security Horizon summits and “teach-the-teacher” workshops. Researchers will organize these events which will provide opportunities to learn about the current realities of cloud computing security and available tools.

Department and University’s Research Approach

A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), Stony Brook University is a leading public research university in the northeast. With over 1000 researchers, 1600 active sponsored projects and growing investments in R&D, SBU aims to collaborate and participate in public/private partnerships that innovate in all fields of research and scholarly activity. The Computer Science (CS) Department excels in innovative research, education, community service and technology transfer, in a unique interdisciplinary culture and in collegial atmosphere.

Read more about the NSF Frontier collaborative projects at: 
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=128679&org=NSF&from=news