Researchers from EECS will contribute to the second UK Cyber Research Institute, which focuses on investigating new ways of automatically analysing computer software to reduce its vulnerability to cyber threats.
Researchers from EECS will contribute to the second UK Cyber Research Institute, which focuses on investigating new ways of automatically analysing computer software to reduce its vulnerability to cyber threats. This institute, launched 21 March, will carry out research into techniques for Automated Program Analysis and Verification of computer software. Dino Distefano, Professor of Software Verification, is leading on finding security vulnerabilities in the computer code: “Computer code is ubiquitous now – it’s a major part of our lives, running most of our everyday services, from the nation’s electric grid to credit and debit cards in shops. This new research institute will assist in identifying weak spots within the software code and ensure we can develop resilience to cyber-attacks”. Funded by a £4.5m grant, the new Research Institute is made up of teams from six universities. It has been established by GCHQ in partnership with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through the Research Councils UK (RCUK) Global Uncertainties Programme and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). Dr Pasquale Malacaria from EECS is involved in the first Academic Research Institute, which was established in September 2012. His work focuses on how to make better security decisions and investigates how game theory can be applied to cyber security, for example in protecting computer networks from disruption from malicious parties.