Peter G. Neumann – Page 3 – Communications of the ACM

Opinion Dec 1 2007

Building surveillance technologies into communications networks is risky. Two years ago, Greece discovered that legally installed surveillance software in a cell phone network had been surreptitiously activated by unknown persons: over 100 senior members of their government were tapped for almost a year. Things were no better in Italy, where a number of employees at […]

Computing Applications

Opinion Oct 1 2007

Toward a Safer and More Secure Cyberspace

Readers of this column are familiar with descriptions of cybersecurity threats and potentially dire consequences, particularly as more critical activities become dependent on cyberspace. They also recognize the high ongoing burden of living with and defending against cyberattacks. At the same time, many policymakers (including those with responsibility for security) have a wide range of […]

Computing Applications

Opinion Sep 1 2007

E-Migrating Risks?

The recent denial-of-service attacks in Estonia reprise a running theme in this column space: the prevalence of inherent weaknesses regarding security, survivability, and resilience of our computer-communication infrastructures. These attacks provide another warning of things to come. They also suggest further reasons why renewed energy should be expended on improving the trustworthiness of our infrastructures […]

Computing Applications

Opinion Feb 1 2007

Widespread Network Failures

Networking problems offer many potential lessons that must be assimilated by researchers, developers, and operators of highly distributed systems such as computer networks and electric power distribution. In this column, I briefly revisit some widespread outages and other extreme network behavior, and explore ever-increasing needs for trustworthy distributed control. The 1980 four-hour ARPANET collapse (a […]

Computing Applications

Opinion Sep 1 2006

The Foresight Saga

In hindsight, the lack of foresight is an old problem that keeps recurring. The most prevalent situation seems to be "we had a backup system, but it failed when it was needed." For example, a power blackout shut down the Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center in Palmdale, CA, for three hours on the […]

Computing Applications

Opinion Jul 1 2006

Risks Relating to System Compositions

The challenge of developing systems with complex sets of requirements seems to be inherently complicated, despite persistent advice to keep it simple. However, consider the goal of building trustworthy systems using predictably sound compositions of well-designed components along with analysis of the properties that are preserved or transformed, or that emerge, from the compositions. Conceptually, […]

Computing Applications

Opinion May 1 2006

Risks of RFID

Like most other technologies, RFID (Radio-Frequency IDentification) systems have pluses and minuses. In their most common applications, passive RFID tags enable rapid contactless determination of the tags’ serial numbers, in theory helping to reduce erroneous identifications. However, this technology becomes dangerous whenever the binding between the tag and its context of use is in doubt. […]

Computing Applications

Opinion Feb 1 2006

Trustworthy Systems Revisited

System trustworthiness is in essence a logical basis for confidence that a system will predictably satisfy its critical requirements, including information security, reliability, human safety, fault tolerance, and survivability in the face of wide ranges of adversities (such as malfunctions, deliberate attacks, and natural causes). Our lives increasingly depend on critical national infrastructures that depend […]

Computing Applications

Opinion Aug 1 2005

Disability-Related Risks

People with disabilities often experience difficulties that arise from their interactions with computer technology, above and beyond the usual risks. Their job performance, health, safety, financial stability, and general well-being may all be impaired—for example, because of shortcomings in system interfaces and workplace conditions, human limitations, legal inequities, and other factors. As technologists, we must […]

Computing Applications

Opinion Mar 1 2005

Anticipating Disasters

ACM – Association for Computing Machinery Advanced Search Browse About Sign in Register Advanced Search Journals Magazines Proceedings Books SIGs Conferences People More Search ACM Digital Library SearchSearch Advanced Search Communications of the ACM Magazine Home Latest Issue Archive Authors Affiliations Award Winners More HomeMagazinesCommunications of the ACMVol. 48, No. 3Anticipating disasters article Anticipating disasters […]

Computing Applications

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