Research at CISA
Secure Voting
Scantegrity
Scantegrity is a family of security enhancements for optical scan voting systems, providing such systems with end-to-end (E2E) verifiability of election results. Each version of the system uses privacy-preserving confirmation codes to allow a voter to prove to themselves that their ballot is included unmodified in the final tally. As the system relies on cryptographic techniques, the ability to validate an election outcome is both software independent as well as independent of faults in the physical chain-of-custody of the paper ballots. The system was developed by a team of researchers including cryptographers David Chaum and Ron Rivest.
Scantegrity II prints the confirmation codes in invisible ink to improve usability and dispute resolution. Two versions of the system are currently under research and development: Scantegrity III and Remotegrity. Scantegrity III further improves usability through the addition of a receipt printer. Remotegrity is an Internet version of the Scantegrity system.
CISA members that have worked on this project include Alan T. Sherman, Richard T. Carback III, Russell A. Fink, and John Conway.
This description is a reorganization of the information presented on the Scantegrity website.
Punchscan
Punchscan is the predecessor of Scantegrity system. It is the first vote capture system to offer fully end-to-end (E2E) verifiability of election results. Punchscan moves beyond ordinary paper audit trails offering a far more robust and available way for voters to become involved in the election oversight process. The system was invented by cryptographer David Chaum.
CISA members that worked on this project include Alan T. Sherman and Richard T. Carback III.
This description was taken from the Scantegrity website.
Cloud Computing
Secure Cloud Computation
CISA members that worked in this area include F. John Krautheim .
Cloud Forensics
When investigating suspected crimes in and against Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) cloud computing environments, forensic examiners are poorly equipped to deal with the technological and legal challenges. Because data in the cloud are remote, distributed, and elastic, these challenges include understanding the cloud environment, acquiring and analyzing data remotely, and visualizing changes in virtualized data. Today digital forensics for cloud computing is challenging at best. This thesis identifies important issues in this new field and develops new practical forensic tools and techniques to facilitate forensics exams in cloud.
We are working to develop practical forensic tools and techniques to facilitate forensic examinations of the cloud. Forensics capabilities for cloud computing stands to impact cloud adoption on a global scale. Corporate decision makers, government policy makers, researchers, law enforcement and forensics examiners will be better able to evaluate the risks of cloud computing, to conduct forensic exams, and to guide future research and innovations as a result of this work.
CISA members that work on this project include Josiah Dykstra and Alan T. Sherman.
Trusted Computing
Trusted Platform Modules
Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs) are secure cryptoprocessors that provide cryptographic primitives and services to otherwise insecure hardware. Services they provide include pseudo-random number generation, remote attestation (hashing), sealing (encryption), and binding (digital signatures). The hardware is tamper-resistant; it destroys its cryptographic keys if it detects tampering.
We have applied TPMs to provide integrity to the voting process by ensuring correctness of booted software. Scantegrity uses TPMs to increase assurance without being dependent on TPMs for security.
CISA members that work in this area include Russell A. Fink and Richard T. Carback III.
Information Assurance Education
Educational Security Games
In interacting with any secure environment, the user is the weakest link in security. CISA is developing an espionage themed interactive role-playing game targeted for social networking in which players recruit other players, practice sound security practices, and avoid security pitfalls. The project addresses two threats to cyber safety: users act without thinking about the consequences of their actions; and users lack awareness of basic Information Assurance (IA) concepts. This project contributes to the DHS cyber initiative "Stop. Think. Connect.".
Primary objectives include teaching fundamental Information Assurance (IA) concepts to users and expose users to CISSP certification concepts including confidentiality, integrity, availability, authentication, physical security, and personnel security. Auxiliary objectives include enhancing student's critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and by observing the game development process students will learn about software development.
The game will be fielded and tested in Spring 2012 at Meade Senior High School (MHS) in Anne Arundel County as a stand-alone web game accessible via CISA servers. Students will test the game, provide feedback, and suggest improvements for the game.
This work is jointly lead by Alan T. Sherman (CISA), Marc Olano (Game Development Track), and Linda Oliva (Dept. of Education) supported by DoD IASP grant H98230-11-1-0473.
Cyber Battle Lab
The Cyber Battle Lab is a joint venture with Capitol College. CISA serves as a member of the Advisory Board.
CISA members that work on this project include Alan T. Sherman
Cyber Defense Exercises (CDX)
The CDX project is the predecessor to the Cyber Battle Lab.
Cyber defense exercises (CDXs) are hands-on information assurance exercises used in the UMBC computer science undergraduate and graduate curricula. Each exercise is organized in a flexible fashion to facilitate varied use for different courses, levels, and available time. During each exercise, students engage in structured activities using a virtual machine that is run in a lab or on a laptop from a mobile cart that can be rolled into any classroom. The virtual machines are configured to permit a student to make mistakes safely while acting as the system administrator, without adversely affecting any other users or systems.
CISA members that worked on these exercises include Richard T. Carback III.