New emerging networks and applications raise more than ever the question about how to provide security and privacy in a world where everything is connected via wired or wireless networks. Critical infrastructure such as the power grid and SCADA systems can be accessed and controlled remotely, sensitive applications such as healthcare are envisioned to be run on cloud computing systems, large-scale adoption and use of online social networking applications, and new paradigms such as network coding are proposed to revolutionize the way to build and use networks. Security and privacy play a critical role in the adoption and success of these applications, as well in the safety of every day life. Understanding the implications on security and privacy raised by these new emerging applications requires collaboration between theoreticians, system builders, and others.

The goal of the Special Focus on Cybersecurity is to look to places where the scope and scale of new applications require new models and better understanding, as well as places where known solutions might be adapted to new situations. We seek to bridge the gap between theory and practice by bringing together people such as cryptographers, information theorists, protocol designers, and systems designers in a series of workshops built around several themes.

Special focus themes address critical infrastructure systems such as the power grid and SCADA systems, applications that will have a high societal, industrial and governmental impact such as the changing landscape of cyber attacks, mechanisms for identity management, and security for new paradigms like cloud computing, but also the fundamental cryptographic services such as hash functions, information theoretic paradigms such as unconditional security that underlie many security solutions, and basic mathematical topics such as coding theory that underlie modern communication protocols. Some workshops will also reach out to other communities, such as economists, computer-human interaction specialists, machine learning researchers, and experts on the interaction of technology and policy.

The Themes of the Special Focus Include:

• Critical Infrastructure Systems such as the Power Grid
• SCADA Systems
• Applications that will have a high societal, industrial and governmental impact such as the changing landscape of cyber attacks
• Mechanisms for Identity Management
• Security for new Paradigms like Cloud Computing,
• Fundamental Cryptographic Services such as Hash Functions
• Information Theoretic Paradigms such as Unconditional Security
• Basic Mathematical Topics such as Coding Theory that underlie modern communication protocols

Opportunities to Participate:

• Workshops: A variety of workshops and mini-workshops are being planned

• Working Groups: Interdisciplinary "working groups" will explore special focus research topics.

• Tutorial: A tutorial will provide background knowledge to those who wish to participate in the special focus or just get an introduction to some of the fundamental issues in the field.

• Seminar Series: There will be a mix of research talks and practitioner presentations.

• Visitor Programs: Applications for research and graduate student visits to the center are invited. Some funds may be available for travel and local support.

• Graduate Student Support: Funds will be set aside for graduate students interested in attending workshops. Students interested in visiting DIMACS during the special focus are encouraged to apply to the special focus organizers.

• Publications: We anticipate that a variety of publications, including AMS-DIMACS volumes, technical reports, abstracts and notes on the WWW, and DIMACS modules will result from the special focus.

Index of Special Focus on Cybersecurity

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