Past CAST Research Projects

The signals and commands used for remote monitoring and control of power distribution grids can be vulnerable to hackers, resulting in the loss or delay of data critical to efficient grid operation. Drs. Ali and Dasgupta are leading a team to explore this security threat and to develop a protective relay system that can prevent cyber attacks. “The relay technology we develop will help transform our existing power grids into future smart grids that are resilient and reliable,” Dr. Ali says.

Automated Document Classification - Sensitive Information Disclosure

Zhuo Lu, Su Chen

In today’s information systems, data documents are generated every day in large volumes. There is a growing need to ensure that sensitive information for government and business operations are classified correctly, properly secured, and disseminated only to people with the proper security clearance. With so much data being generated, manual classification of documents has become a huge burden. That, in turn, prevents efficient data processing and management, increases the chance of human error, and increases risk. Drs. Lu and Chen are developing a new, automated approach to security classification of government and business documents using statistical models, big data analytics, and cyber security technologies. With their new approach, they hope to not only make classified documents more secure but also streamline the entire classification process.

Technology Dependency Perspectives on Cybersecurity Failures

Thomas Stafford, Sanderford Schaeffer

Understanding human behavior is critical to the success of cyber security–related warnings. Drs. Stafford and Schaeffer have teamed up to study the effect fear-inspiring messages have on Internet users, ones that warn of likely consequences from not engaging in pro-security behaviors. According to Dr. Stafford, people take their computer safety for granted. They generally expect that the technology they use will protect them. “They are wrong,” he says. “The confluence of social media, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing will present new and unexpected threats to personal computing security, so a vigilant mindset to computer use is ever more important as we move forward.” The researchers are conducting their study in a special neuro cognitive lab that allows them to watch how people react to their computers and security threats and gather information they could not obtain from traditional surveys.

The Effects of Gamification on Security Compliance

Bill Kettinger, Chen Zhang, Ruby Booth

How can companies ensure that their employees comply with security rules and regulations? Drs. Kettinger, Zhang, and Lee think making a game of it might be just the answer. They are looking at how “gamification,” the use of game-inspired techniques, influences security compliance among employees. Traditional security awareness training offered by organizations can be boring and tends to have only a short-term effect on employees’ behavior, according to Kettinger. “We believe our research will show that gamification is a more fun and engaging way to improve security awareness and compliance,” he says, “and it will have a more sustainable and long-term effect.”

Exploring a Data-Centric Approach to Securing Smart Homes

Lan Wang

Investigating Characteristics of Cyberbullying in Higher Education

Mitsunori Misawa

Cybersecurity Employment Pipelines: Successful Paths to Careers in Cybersecurity

Judy Simon, Sandi Richardson, Ruby Booth

Criminology and Cyber Security Dimensions of Public Health in Urban Environments

Marian Levy, Andy Kitsinger, Debra Bartelli, KB Turner

Privacy Data Impact on Retail Consumers and Suppliers

George Deitz, Mohammed Amini

Cloud Computing Security and Privacy Assessment

Sajjan Shiva

Security Online - Healthcare Communities

Naveen Kumar, Deepak Venugopal, Robin Poston, Dipankar Dasgupta

Cognitive Neuroscience - Security Behaviors in Information Security Contexts

Thomas Stafford, George Deitz