Information Technology
In the past several decades, society has become increasingly dependent on a computer-based information technology infrastructure to provide services for health care, finance, telecommunications, power systems, commerce, and entertainment. As network access continues to improve, other areas-such as "smart" homes and buildings and new communication modes-are likely to emerge. The pervasiveness of information technology has also led to an increased reliance on computers for everything from business and commerce to science, the arts and entertainment. With all this has come a corresponding need for reliable, secure and attack-resistant systems.
Michigan has a visible and growing presence in information security, with an emphasis on advanced fault-tolerant systems. Consequently, the College is uniquely positioned to become the world leader in secure, reliable computing. Current and recent projects include:
- Infrastructure that allows disparate organizations or entities to specify security policies and construct information systems that respect the needs of all
- Techniques to detect and identify distributed denial-of-service attacks on computer networks
- Systems to protect sensitive data from potential computer theft
- Fault-checking capabilities for processor hardware, designed to increase chip performance and shorten the concept-to-market cycle
- Persistent memory systems that retain their speed while tolerating system crashes
- The integration of smart cards-inexpensive yet effective-into the security fabric of computing systems
- Tools for designing hardware tolerant of failures in the manufacturing process
- Verification techniques to ensure that security protocols accomplish intended goals
