CYBERSECURITYNSF Grants to Protect Data, User privacy

Indiana University researchers are working on two new cybersecurity projects, recently funded by the National Science Foundation, to ensure trustworthy cloud computing and increase computing privacy for marginalized and vulnerable populations.

These research projects are part of the NSF’s Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace program, which seeks ambitious and potentially transformative center-scale projects in the areas of cybersecurity and privacy.

“As technology evolves, so does the need for more robust and thoughtful cybersecurity measures,” IU Vice President for Research Fred H. Cate said. “I’m proud that IU researchers are leading the way toward the creation of more comprehensive and inclusive computing protections. The fact that IU faculty play key roles in two of the three teams chosen for these prestigious and important NSF projects showcases the forward-thinking work of our researchers.”

The ‘Holy Grail’ of Data Protection
Advances in artificial intelligence and big data analytics rely on data sharing, which can be impeded by privacy concerns.

Using a $9 million NSF grant, IU researchers are leading a multi-institution effort to understand how to protect data shared across distributed computing systems such as cloud computing environments. Nearly $3 million of the overall grant will go directly to IU.

Computing data has three lifecycle stages: data at rest, data in motion and data in use.

Data at rest has reached its destination and is not being used, such as stored data. Data in motion is en route between a source and destination, such as an email on its way to your inbox. Data in use is currently being accessed, read or updated, such as an open Excel spreadsheet.

Data at rest and data in motion are typically encrypted for protection in case they’re stolen. But data in use is typically unencrypted and therefore more vulnerable to cyber threats.