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| April 2008 |
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The "Mason Connection" is Mason’s electronic newsletter, designed to keep you informed of the latest developments at the university. The newsletter is sent monthly when the General Assembly is in session and every other month when it is not in session. |
Mason Researchers Create Software to Identify Complex Cyber Network AttacksResearchers in Mason’s Center for Secure Information Systems (CSIS) in the Volgenau School of Information Technology and Engineering have developed new software that can reduce the effect of cyber attacks by identifying potential weaknesses in an organization’s networks. By their very nature, networks are highly interdependent, and each machine’s overall susceptibility to an attack depends on the vulnerabilities of the other machines in the network. The software developed at Mason is called CAULDRON (Combinatorial Analysis Utilizing Logical Dependencies Residing on Networks). By providing an informed risk analysis, CAULDRON identifies all possible attack paths into a network. These attack paths are then visually displayed on an attack graph, or diagram that maps out the effect of combined vulnerabilities on overall security. "Given the massive amount of data, it can be especially difficult to extract relevant information and connect the dots," says Sushil Jajodia, University Professor and director of CSIS. "Similarly, network administrators must rely on labor-intensive processes for tracking network configurations and vulnerabilities. This requires a great deal of expertise and is error prone because of the complexity, volume, and frequent changes in security data and network configurations."
Did You Know?
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In The NewsMonday, March 31, USA Today Global Warming, Global Health: Campaign to Raise Awareness "From deadly heat waves in the Midwest and Northeast to more intense Gulf Coast hurricanes and Southwest droughts, the effects of climate change will have an unprecedented impact on the health of Americans, a report said Monday. . . . In a telephone conference, report contributor Edward Maibach of George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., said, 'Climate change is affecting our health now and will [continue to do so] more in the future.'" Saturday, March 29, CBS News Pressure Grows for Hillary Clinton to Step Down from Campaign Michael Fauntroy, assistant professor of public policy, was interviewed on CBS’ The Saturday Early Show about his views on Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and the Obama supporters urging her to step out of the race. "I think the key point is to note that these are Obama supporters making these charges. We don’t yet know whether or not Sen. Obama is the best nominee for the party." Wednesday, March 26, Washington Post Proposal Would Clarify Law on Sharing Student Information "The U.S. Department of Education has proposed regulations to clarify when colleges can release confidential information about students who might be a danger to themselves or others. . . . 'This gives us a little more flexibility to help people who aren't in a position to help themselves and to keep others safe,' said Jeff Pollard, director of counseling and psychological services at George Mason University." |
Imagine a chemist, a biologist with a PhD, an accountant, a restaurant manager, a West Point graduate, and many others who bring their content specializations, life skills, and maturity into Virginia’s classrooms. I am in awe of their transference of skills and their passion to teach," says Anastasia Samaras, the program’s coordinator. 
"By assessing the psychological and sociological ecosystems that affect adolescents as they make decisions about alcohol, we hope to break new ground that will lead to a meaningful reduction in the rate of adolescent alcohol consumption in the future," says Hugh Gusterson, professor of sociology, anthropology, and cultural studies who will codirect the study along with David Anderson, professor of education and director of the Center for the Advancement of Public Health.