Lecture

Security for Wireless Networked Systems

Speaker:	Panos Papadimitratos, EPFL
Date:	Tuesday, 3 March 2009
Time:	12:00-13:00
Location:	"Stelios Orphanoudakis" Seminar Room, FORTH. Heraklion, Crete
Host:	E. Markatos

Abstract:

Networked systems are central to many activities in modern societies and wireless networking has been expanding fast the reach of information. However, these increasingly many novel computing tools are a double-edged sword: Without appropriate defense mechanisms, the manipulation of networked systems can make antisocial and criminal behavior easy. This can jeopardize the benefits of new technologies or even deter their deployment. With numerous threats and motivated and able adversaries, it is paramount to integrate mechanisms that manage adversarial behavior.
In this talk, I will discuss how to secure wireless networked systems; which not only proliferate but also pose new challenges. I will start with the problem of securing neighbor discovery, which is fundamental to wireless networking. I will show the need of novel verification approaches, through an impossibility result and the development of practical, proven secure protocols. Then, I will discuss how to secure communication across self-organized, open networking infrastructures; in particular, secure and fault-tolerant communication in mobile ad hoc networks. I will also present elements of a security architecture for vehicular communication systems. In such a complex networked system, I will consider security designs in the light of stringent performance requirements and system constraints. Finally, if time permits, I will briefly survey other research interests and activities.

Bio:

Panos (Panagiotis) Papadimitratos earned his PhD degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Cornell University Ithaca, NY, in January 2005. Panos is currently a senior researcher with the School of Computer and Communication Sciences at EPFL. His research is concerned with security and networked systems, with more than 60 technical publications on related topics. He supervises currently two PhD and three MSc students. He has served in the program committees of numerous venues, he is an area editor of the ACM MC2R journal, and he has delivered a number of invited talks and tutorials.