CREST Center for Security and Privacy Enhanced Cloud Computing (C-SPECC)

University Of Texas At San Antonio, San Antonio TX

Investigators

Abstract

The Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) program supports the enhancement of research capabilities of minority-serving institutions through the establishment of centers that effectively integrate education and research. CREST promotes the development of new knowledge, enhancements of the research productivity of individual faculty, and an expanded presence of students historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. The Center's research topic is of national importance and complexity as security and privacy are two main factors limiting the acceptance of Cloud Computing technology. The Center also addresses the national need to fulfill the shortage of a well-prepared cyber security workforce. The Center encompasses the University of Texas at San Antonio Colleges of Science, Engineering, Business and Education. It will partner with a San Antonio headquartered cloud service provider, Northside Independent School District, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The University of Texas at San Antonio will establish a multi-disciplinary Center for Security and Privacy Enhanced Cloud Computing dedicated to integrated education and research at the intersection of cloud computing and cyber security. Center goals are: (i) to become nationally recognized for excellence in research, innovation and education in security and privacy enhanced cloud computing, (ii) to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM professions, especially high technology computing, and (iii) to pursue innovative research-based educational strategies for grades 8-12, undergraduate and graduate students in this field. The Center articulates three research thrusts: Protection, Detection and Policy. The Protection sub-project will develop access control, private computing and protected computing technologies for cloud computing. The Detection sub-project will focus on system and host monitoring techniques to detect anomalous activity in a cloud along with digital forensic techniques for cloud-based systems. The Policy sub-project will research policy specification, composition and verification techniques for secure cloud computing.