UMBC’s Cybersecurity Graduate Program Director Dr. Rick Forno and Homer Minnick, Director of UMBC Training Centers’ Cyber Academy, were featured in a recent Daily Record article examining how local universities support the cybersecurity education and training needs of corporate, military, and intelligence employers.
More information:
UMBC’s Graduate Cybersecurity Program
UMBC Training Centers Cyber Academy
Robotic technologies can provide people with disabilities invaluable tools to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). Few studies have investigated how effective and accessible the control of robotic aids is for people with severe physical disabilities with respect to their needs and current facility with technology. Though present-day robotic aids can help people with disabilities with important daily living tasks, there is still room for improvement.
What has been needed, and heretofore unavailable, is a self-directed transferring, repositioning, and personal care robotic device that is capable of increasing independence for people with physical disabilities without the assistance of caregivers. This thesis proposal will serve as the base of the research study to design and develop self-directed transferring, repositioning, and personal care robotic systems with a focus on accessible user interfaces for control that are feasible for persons with severe physical disabilities. The interface should allow local and remote control, and thus must be aware of network constraints to ensure safe and accurate control.
Committee Members: Dr. Tim Oates (Chair), Dr. Dan Ding, Dr. Tim Finin, Dr. Charles Nicholas, Dr. Yelena Yesha
Simulating physics on a quantum computer can be reduced to solving mathematical problem using quantum mechanics. In this PhD dissertation proposal, I present two important mathematical problems to be investigated using quantum mechanical techniques. In the case of the first problem, the Graph Isomorphism problem, I, with another co-researcher, Kenneth M Zick, are able to present a quantum annealing algorithm with promising result. I am proposing to extend this idea so that we could study the Hamiltonian complexity of graph isomorphism. I propose to transform our previous work, the compact objective function, into a k-local Hamiltonian problem and investigate quantum adiabatic algorithms to solve it. In the case of the second problem, classification of knots, I present a mathematical framework with two restricted problems solved using quantum annealing. The restricted problems are defined for unknots embedded in two dimensional integer lattice. I propose to generalize them to higher dimension and complexity. I present how I envision to continue the rest of the study while writing the dissertation.
Committee: Drs. Samuel J. Lomonaco Jr. (chair), Alan T. Sherman, Yanhua Shih, William Gasarch
Dr. Stephen Freeland, an astrobiologist from the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, thinks that convergent evolutionary pressures are strong and that we are bound to run into other human-like creatures out in the universe. Dr. Kevin Omland, evolutionary biologist from the Department of Biological Sciences, challenges that claim and counters with the observation that evolution works rather unpredictably and thinks that the lifeforms that we will encounter in space will be beyond our imagination as intelligence is just one possibility.
The debate will take place from 4:00 to 5:00pm on Wednesday, December 3 in Lecture Hall 2 in the Chemistry building on the UMBC campus. It is sponsored by the Biology Council of Majors and is part of their B-Ethical series.
The Fall 2014 Town Hall meeting for Computer Engineering majors will be held at 12 noon this Friday, November 21, in ITE 104. The agenda includes discussion about changes in the program, Spring 2015 registration, the BS/MS program, and undergraduate research opportunities. All CMPE majors are invited.
Please complete the survey before Thursday, November 20 at noon to register your attendance.
Got Linux? If you’ve ever wanted to try Linux but didn’t know where to start, bring your computer to the Linux Installfest this Thursday between noon and 4:00pm at the UMBC Commons Mainsteet.
The UMBC Linux Users Group will hold a Linux Install Fest from Noon to 4:00pm on Thursday, November 20th on Main Street in the Commons. Experts will help you install a free copy of Linux on your computer using any of several options — dual boot, virtual and more. LUG members can also advise you about the hundreds of legal, free apps available for many Linux versions. See the LUG site for more information and pictures from the 2010 LUG Installfest.
UMBC Professors Nilanjan Banerjee and Ryan Robucci were recently featured in a video developed by Microsoft Research. The video showcases Banerjee, Robucci, and UMB professor Sandra McCombe Waller, as they discuss the application of Microsoft’s Lab of Things to the team’s wearable sensing system project. (The Lab of Things is Microsoft’s home automation tool.)
In addition, the video features Arjmand Samuel, Senior Research Manager for Microsoft Research, and Buz Chmielewski, a partial quadriplegic who served as a patient and consultant for the project. UMBC Professor Chintan Patel, not featured in the video, was also involved with this project.
The team’s wearable sensing system project is an example of an inter-disciplinary collaboration between the medical school at UMB, and UMBC’s computer science and computer engineering departments.
Harry Shum, the Executive Vice President of Microsoft, mentioned this project as the next big thing in his keynote address at the 2014 Microsoft Research Faculty Summit.
In many applications of ad-hoc networks, the bulk of the traffic is targeted to few nodes. For example, in wireless sensor networks the base-station (BS) collects data from a large number of sensor nodes. Another example is a surveillance network in which the gathered intelligence data about criminal activities flow towards field commanders and/or an in-situ BS. Such a network operation model makes the BS a critical asset for these applications. An adversary can nullify the value of a network by simply disrupting or physically damaging the BS, without targeting individual data sources. The failure of the BS can also cause a loss of important data that may not have been processed and can cause a major negative impact if the BS represents a commanding authority for the network. Therefore, concealing the location and role of the BS is of utmost importance for maintaining a robust network operation.
Packet encryption does not achieve BS anonymity since an adversary can intercept the individual wireless transmissions and employ traffic analysis techniques to follow the data paths without knowing the content of intercepted traffic. Since all active routes end at the BS, the adversary may be able to determine the BS’s location and launch targeted attacks. Similarly, camouflaging or hiding the BS does not provide protection when its location is unveiled via traffic analysis. Employing spread spectrum signaling methods is not a sufficient BS anonymity countermeasure as adversaries are becoming more advanced and equipped with sophisticated intercept technologies. In addition, signal spreading reduces rather than eliminates the prospect of transmission detection. This talk will highlight the traffic analysis threat, present anonymity assessment metrics, provide an overview of effective cross-layer techniques developed in the ESNet Lab for increasing the BS anonymity, and outline open research problems.
Dr. Mohamed Younis is an associate professor in the department of computer science and electrical engineering at the university of Maryland, Baltimore County. He received his Ph.D. degree in computer science from New Jersey Institute of Technology. Before joining UMBC, he was with the Advanced Systems Technology Group, an Aerospace Electronic Systems R&D organization of Honeywell International Inc. While at Honeywell he led multiple projects for building integrated fault tolerant avionics and dependable computing infrastructure. He also participated in the development of the Redundancy Management System, which is a key component of the Vehicle and Mission Computer for NASA-s X-33 space launch vehicle. He has published over 150 technical papers in refereed conferences and journals. Dr. Younis has five granted and two pending patents. In addition, he serves/served on the editorial board of multiple journals and the organizing and technical program committees of numerous conferences. Dr. Younis is a senior member of the IEEE.
In 2012-2017, UMBC will support a total of 22 new Cybersecurity students at the BS, MS, MPS, and PhD levels in computer science and related fields. Each scholarship is for the final two years of study (three years for PhD and combined BS/MS). Each scholarship covers full tuition, fees, travel, books, and an academic year stipend of $30,000 for PhD, $25,000 for MS, and $20,000 for BS students.
Interested full-time degree students should submit an application to Dr. Alan T. Sherman, as explained on the CISA website. The same application form is used for the Scholarship For Service (SFS) and Information Assurance Scholarship Program (IASP) scholarships. Clearly state on the cover page to which program you are applying. Be sure to include official transcripts and original signed letters of reference on letterhead (preferably from tenure-track faculty who can comment on your research potential and accomplishments).
The applications must be received by the deadlines: 12noon Monday, November 17, 2014, for scholarships beginning in spring 2015 and 12noon Monday, February 2, 2015, for scholarships beginning fall 2015.
We expect to make up to two new SFS awards for spring 2015, and up to six new SFS awards for fall 2015. We do not yet know if any IASP scholarships will be possible for fall 2015.
Applicants must be US citizens capable of obtaining a secret or top-secret clearance. Each scholar must work for the federal, state, or tribal government (for pay) for one year for each year of award. Each scholar must also carry out an appropriate cybersecurity summer internship (for pay) for each year of support.
Recipients are expected to engage vigorously in cybersecurity education, research, and other cybersecurity activities while at UMBC.
For more information, contact Dr. Alan T, Sherman, Director, UMBC Center for Information Security and Assurance, .
CSEE’S Dr. Marc Olano, Director of the Computer Science Game Development Track and Co-director of the VANGOGH Lab, talked with the Baltimore Sun’s Scott Dance about fluctuations in the local video game industry.
In recent years, the local gaming industry has been subject to major upheavals, resulting in the closure of several well-known gaming companies. Fortunately, the local gaming industry finally seems to be on the uptick, with announcements of new titles from two studios. Firaxis released “Civilization: Beyond Earth” on October 24th, and the newly resurrected Big Huge Games will be launching “DomiNations” in 2015. These announcements signal a rebirth of sorts for the Maryland gaming industry.
The Baltimore Sun article can be found here.