NATO science programme aims to secure computer systems and networks
From 3 to 15 August, participants at the NATO-funded International Summer School Marktoberdorf in Munich, Germany, examined various methods for protecting against unauthorized disclosure, transfer, modification and destruction of information on cyber networks.
© Reuters
During this event, a group of 95 leading international researchers and experts from NATO, Partner and Mediterranean Dialogue countries exchanged knowledge gained over 40 years of theoretical foundation and industrial practice. Speakers from Microsoft Research, Intel Corporation and SRI International also attended.
Emerging as a key research topic in computer science, enhanced information security aims to protect against attacks and vandalism that could cause considerable economic and physical damage.
The event focused on the following four areas:
- specification and modelling
- verification
- tools
- methodologies
The summer school demonstrated that cyber security, as well as advanced software engineering methods, depend on an excellent understanding of software systems functionality. With this in mind, the lectures focused on the development of safe and correct software systems to safeguard communication, services and data against catastrophic failure and malicious interference.
As one in a series of Marktoberdorf summer schools, the event shows that discussing, working and learning together are essential for future scientific results that guarantee the safety of large scale software systems.
In 1968, the NATO Science Committee sponsored the ‘Garmisch Conference’, where software engineering was born as a key issue in computer science. This conference was the main catalyst that established the Summer School Marktoberdorf series.
For more information please visit www.nato.int/science (see “Calendar” for organizers’ contact details).