Activities at this year’s conference explored defensive strategies, legal policies, and unique approaches for handling cyber-threats to critical infrastructures. “The topics we explored this year addressed pressing issues for critical infrastructure protection on a global level,” general conference chair and I3P Associate Director of Research and Operations Heather Drinan explains. “Not only did we discuss new methods for defending against cyber threats, but we also addressed proper response protocols for attacks which originate from foreign entities.“
This year’s speakers were highly respected and recognized experts in their field. Delivering the opening keynote lecture was I3P research director Shari Lawrence Pfleeger, who earlier this year testified before a congressional subcommittee on government involvement during major cyber events. Her lecture, “Human in the Loop: Remembering the User in Critical Infrastructure Protection,” focused on the effect insiders have on security.
Also on the agenda was Alessandro Acquisti, an expert who has been making headlines in major news outlets such as The New York Times and MSNBC regarding the effects that social networking has on online privacy. He participated in a session on the legalities of cyber response titled, “Docket Analysis of Data Breach Litigation,” along with colleagues Sasha Romanosky and David Hoffman.
The conference marked its third year at the Dartmouth campus. “The College has a deeply rooted interest in information technology,” says Dartmouth Vice Provost Martin Wybourne. “We are pleased to have explored topics that hold such importance on a global scale. The meeting was a great success; presenters and attendees engaged in thought-provoking and fruitful discussions.” I3P Executive Director Martha Austin adds, “The I3P is proud to host an event that has garnered such a positive reputation in the international cyber community.” Proceedings from the conference will be published in fall 2011 by Springer as the fifth volume in the series “Critical Infrastructure Protection: Issues and Solutions.”
The I3P is a 27-member consortium of universities, federally funded labs, and research institutions managed by Dartmouth College. The I3P identifies critical challenges in information infrastructure protection and sustains a collaborative community of multi-disciplinary researchers to address them. The I3P serves as a trusted partner for industry and government, and provides an independent forum to facilitate the open exchange of ideas.
Story by the Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection.