RESILIENCE IS THE CYBERSECURITY OF THE XXI CENTURY: A BLOCKCHAIN EXAMPLE
Abstract: Resilient Computing is attracting attention as an emerging paradigm driven by the shortcomings of cybersecurity techniques in the face of the current challenges to IT systems. These classic paradigms are primarily based on prevention and reaction, assuming static or pre-defined architecture configurations, a system and threat/fault assumptions.
As such, Cyber Resilience became, to some pioneering research teams, the recipe for achieving secure and dependable operation of computer systems and networks in the near future. Resilient computing, as the underlying paradigm, will be a game changer in the craft of designing computer systems of today and the future, improving classic Cybersecurity techniques. The Resilient Computing and Cybersecurity Center at KAUST (RC3) is at the forefront of this research.
We will briefly introduce this status quo, motivating the need for cyber resilience further to cyber security. Our research investigates such paradigms and techniques reconciling Cybersecurity and Dependability, leveraging Distributed and Real-Time Systems theory, as well as Applied AI/ML. We explore novel ways (theoretical and practical) to achieve Cyber Resilience of systems in areas like autonomous vehicles from earth to space; distributed control systems; digital health and genomics; SDN-based infrastructures; or blockchain and cryptocurrencies.
To make matters concrete about the mindset behind resilient computing, we will discuss the challenges faced when conceiving a Blockchain system robust against several threats and ... end up implementing a distributed fault/intrusion tolerant and resilient system. For example, one that is secure against attackers with way more than 51% network computing power, the famous “51% attack” that haunts, still today, Bitcoin-like blockchains.
Speaker: Paulo Esteves-Veríssimo.
Affiliation: Paulo Esteves-Veríssimo is a professor at KAUST University (KSA) and Director of its Resilient Computing and Cybersecurity Center, and research fellow of SnT at the Univ. of Luxembourg (UNILU).
Biography: Paulo Esteves-Veríssimo is a professor at KAUST University (KSA) and Director of its Resilient Computing and Cybersecurity Center, and research fellow of SnT at the Univ. of Luxembourg (UNILU). Previously, he has been a professor and FNR PEARL Chair at UNILU and Head of the CritiX lab. He was a member of the Sci&Tech. Comm. of ECSO EU Cyber Security Org., Chair of IFIP WG 10.4 on Dependable Comp. and F/T, and vice-Chair of the Steer. Comm. of the DSN conference. He is Fellow of IEEE and of ACM, and associate editor of the IEEE TETC journal, author of over 200 peer-refereed publications and co-author of 5 books. He is currently interested in resilient computing, in areas like: SDN-based infrastructures; autonomous vehicles; distributed control systems; digital health and genomics; or blockchain and cryptocurrencies.
Registration: Participation is free. However, registration is required on Eventbrite at the following link: "Resilience IS the cybersecurity of the XXI century: Here’s why, explained through a Blockchain example".