KU SoS Lablet Quarterly Executive Summary - October 2019

A. Fundamental Research
The University of Kansas Lablet continued work on five projects on resiliency, IoT and cloud privacy, preventing side channel communication, developing semantics and infrastructure for trust, and secure native binary execution. Specifically, we are: (i) developing a method to enable cloud-assisted, privacy-preserving machine learning classification over encrypted data for IoT devices; (ii) reducing micro-architectural side-channels by introducing new OS abstractions while minimally modifying micro-architecture and OS; (iii) developing an epistemology and ontology for framing resilience; (iv) formalizing the remote attestation and defining sufficiency and soundness; and (v) developing a framework for client-side security assessment and enforcement for COTS software. As described in full reports for each project we are making progress on research goals.

B. Community Engagement(s)

KU hosted an NSF/NSA GenCyber summer camp for K-12 teachers July 29th - August 2nd. Goals of the workshop were: (i) Increasing interest in cybersecurity and diversity in the cybersecurity workforce , (ii) teach correct and safe on-line behavior; and (iii) improve cybersecurity content for K-12 courses.  

KU hosted the Summer 2019 Lablet PI meeting July 9-10.   The theme was cyber-physical systems and featured speakers from all tablets.  Dr. Debra Frincke and Dr. Moe Bland presented NSA perspectives and Matthew Kemp presented an introduction to In-Q-Tel.  Additionally, the KU Lablet Industry Advisory Board presented a panel discussion on needs in the private sector.

KU continues planning for HoTSoS April 6-8 2020 to be held in the same venue as our last PI meeting.  We have identified program chairs and a program committee.  The Call for Papers is complete and has been submitted to numerous online forums and will be distributed at upcoming conferences.  EasyChair is accepting papers and the website is up.  In addition to traditional academic papers the program will include workshop style papers with interactive discussion, student posters, and works previously published.  We are starting to discuss keynote speakers and panel discussions.

Our planning proposal submitted to the NSF I/UCRC program is officially funded.  The topic is combining high-assurance and security in critical systems.  Our partners are Syracuse University, University of Minnesota, and Case Western Reserve University.  Our Science of Security advisory board plays an essential role with several members committed to funding research should a full proposal be successful.

We are planning our next Science of Security Industry Advisory Board meeting for early December.   Topics and agenda are to be determined, but will include I/UCRC planning and IAB participation in HoTSoS.  Presentation topics will be taken from trusted computing.

The KU Blockchain Institute (KUBI) student organization will host a workshop on blockchain and cybersecurity all day October 18.  The workshop features talks by IBM, FexEx, Ripple Labs and Lockheed Martin.  The target audience is KU students and local industry.

C. Educational Advances

Our cyber security certificate has been formally approved and will be offered through KU’s Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department.  The certificate includes courses on forensics, network security, and system security that compliment our undergraduate degree requirements.   The certificate includes a unique “hands on” component where students involved in the KU Jayhackers competitive cyber security team receive credit for preparing for and participating in competitions.