Communications of the ACM
Jason: Science of Cyber Security Needs More Work
The JASON independent scientific advisory panel has produced a report on cyber security for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) that says a fundamental understanding of the science of cyber security is needed to improve the country's security approaches. The advisory says the science of cyber security "seems underdeveloped in reporting experimental results, and consequently in the ability to use them." The report notes that the science of cyber security is unique in that the background for events is almost completely created by humans and is digital, and there are good actors as well as adversaries who are purposeful and intelligent.
The JASON report also addresses the importance of definitions, the need for a standard vocabulary to discuss the subject, and the need to devise experimental protocols for developing a reproducible experimental science of cyber security.
"At the most abstract level, studying the immune system suggests that cyber security solutions will need to be adaptive, incorporating learning algorithms and flexible memory mechanisms," the report says. It also says the DoD should support a network of cyber security research centers in universities and elsewhere.
From Secrecy News
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Abstracts Copyright © 2010 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA 
Comments
James Byrd
Somebody please define cybersecurity and we can move forward. Define as in limit, constriain or otherwise characterize so that it's limiting case is something besides "stuff that affects or is affected by computers" - which is a smidge wide. If its human-driven, then why isn't it psychology or sociology or just criminology? If it's technical, why isn't it comp sci or information management? The problem with cybersecurity is that its a way for anybody to collect money with a short compound word and the noise level is so high, virtually nothing actually gets done, but it makes a marvelous 3 ring circus to watch. I know this because I've been in the trade since about 1970-ish and the merry go round of self licking ice cream cones has just begun to get interesting.
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