REU Site: Cloud Computing Security and Privacy

Boise State University, Boise ID

Investigators

Abstract

This project will establish a new REU site in Cloud Computing Security and Privacy at Boise State University (BSU). Cloud computing is a relatively new internet computing paradigm, having been developed and popularized only in the last decade. With the widespread applications deployed in the internet, both the volume and types of cyberattacks continue to increase and target every internet user. National infrastructure, individuals, businesses, and agencies have fallen victim to cyber-attacks. Developing a secure cloud computing environment requires computer science and cybersecurity professionals with interdisciplinary knowledge and skills of software engineering, network security, system security, cryptography, risk analysis, ethics and human behaviors, security policies and laws, and many other security practices. To better defend the valuable digital assets against cyber-attacks, it is an urgent national priority to make the internet/cloud more secure. To answer the call, this REU site will recruit self-motivated students and provide them with a variety of cutting-edge research topics in cloud security and privacy. This will also help address the shortage in the cybersecurity workforce for the nation. This REU site will offer a nine-week summer research program for ten undergraduate students each year to gain research experience. The objectives of this project are to (1) recruit a diverse pool of motivated students from underrepresented groups and institutions with limited research opportunities; (2) help students develop broad research skills by conducting timely and important research projects; and (3) promote cybersecurity education – encourage students to pursue graduate studies and to develop a career interest in cybersecurity. In order to provide students a better research experience and scaffold their development as a researcher, in addition to the research training, weekly seminars, and professional talks in the field of cloud security and privacy, students will also have the chance to attend a variety of activities to enhance their research skills offered by the BSU summer research community. These additional activities include: (1) seminars for discussing an array of topics, including responsible and ethical conduct of research, critical thinking, library research activity, poster presentation, and tips to presenting research to a public audience; and (2) a two-day Idaho Conference of Undergraduate Research (ICUR) that brings together undergraduate students of diverse disciplines to showcase their original work in poster presentations to public audience. At the end of the summer program, the faculty mentors will continue to work with students to publish their research results and advise them with graduate program applications or career planning as needed. This project is jointly funded by CISE and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.