IT networks and systems are at the core of modern society which has become reliant on the effective operation of these networks and the information systems they support.
Dr. John McHugh, Dalhousie University
IT networks and systems are at the core of modern society which has become reliant on the effective operation of these networks and the information systems they support. Defending against malicious activities targeting these systems is the main thrust of computer security research and practice. In the past year, the project team focused on finding a quantitative approach for the efficient protection of IT networks against threats such as denial-of-service attacks, where the attacker floods the network so that legitimate users can no longer have access to the services they require; and large networks of compromised computers called botnets, used by the attacker to perpetrate criminal and other nefarious activities. Mathematical models were developed to indicate the optimal trade-offs between the level of security required and the cost needed to achieve it, be it in terms of system performance, usability or equipment cost. This project ended in 2008.