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A new research area called Information Systems Security has been started in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Iowa State University. This new research startup was motivated by the need for advanced security technologies that will protect Information Systems at all four levels: Channel, Network, Computer, and Data. Currently, security research across the US concentrates on the Network, Computer, and Data levels but the coming age of Wireless Multimedia Personal Communication Systems will create an urgent need for advancing the state-of-the-art in communication channel security. All areas of communications will be affected: from private and business phone calls to automated teller machine transactions and from automated vehicle navigation to emergency public services. Information Systems Security, can be divided into four broad, and overlapping, areas:
Researchers at Iowa State have formed this new research collaboration to collectively address these areas of Information Systems Security. The following paragraphs will describe our research motivation and define Wireless Channel Security.
In the past two decades, the public communication system infrastructure has undergone a major revolution. The breakup of the Bell System, cellular radio-telephone, low-cost wireless technology, and dramatic increases in public network (Internet) use have created a public demand for Wireless Multimedia Personal Communication Systems. Currently, standards and designs for public communication systems have not addressed the security and electronic warfare (EW) issues they will face in the future. The goal of this research effort is to develop and recommend electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) for security weaknesses in public wireless communication systems.
We will identify methods of attack for denial of service (DoS) and disclosure of data in wireless networks using the spread spectrum TIA/EIA/IS-95-A (CDMA) [1], and Groupe Spècial Mobile (GSM) [2] standards, and develop and assess appropriate countermeasures. An enhanced network architecture with a Security Management Overlay will be developed. A team analysis approach will be used to determine weaknesses and develop network and wireless channel protocols to make the network, associated systems, and their implementations more resistant to attack. Strong analytical tools will be developed that can assess the security of:
· network protocols (verification) · wireless waveforms (interference) · airlink protocols (intrusion)
Artificial intelligence (AI) methods will be employed to carry out intelligent intrusion detection in real time. The tools will be based on wireless theory, networking theory, AI concepts, and statistics. A top-down description of the network and security overlay will be developed.
Wireless Channel Security - This research initiative will provide new solutions to the problems of interference, denial of access, and spoofing that will be needed as the wireless telecommunications infrastructure expands. Specifically, the identification of weaknesses in wireless networking technology and the development of appropriate countermeasures (Rockwell Corp., Dickerson/Russell)
