March 2004 - Vol. 47 No. 3

March 2004 issue cover image

Features

Opinion Editorial pointers Mar 1 2004

Editorial Pointers

This month marks my 17th year with Communications. During that time this magazine has chronicled the evolution of practically every known—and heretofore unknown—discipline within computer science. Indeed, we watched the computing field itself evolve into a global arena of unprecedented triumphs and erratic spirals. But with it all, it’s still difficult to accept that events […]

Diane Crawford

Computing Applications

News News track Mar 1 2004

The U.S. Government, bowing to repeated Secret Service requests, is now deliberately obscuring its highest-quality aerial photographs over Washington in an effort to hide visible objects on the roofs of the White House, Capitol, and Treasury departments. The Associated Press reports this blurring policy also includes views of the Naval Observatory where the Vice President […]

CACM Staff

Computing Applications

Opinion Forum Mar 1 2004

Simone Santini’s comment (Forum, Dec. 2003) brought to mind something I constantly tell my students: There is nothing new about computers; they simply mechanize the application of logical principles that have been around since Socrates, a logic that can be formally expressed through the mathematics invented by George Boole. The two best courses I ever […]

Diane Crawford

Computing Applications

Opinion Security watch Mar 1 2004

Superscaled Security

Exponential increases in computational speed, memory capacity, and bandwidth impose futuristic security demands and challenges.

Rebecca T. Mercuri

Computing Applications

News ACM fellows Mar 1 2004

The ACM Fellows Program was established by Council in 1993 to recognize and honor outstanding ACM members for their achievements in computer science and information technology and for their significant contributions to the mission of the ACM. The ACM Fellows serve as distinguished colleagues to whom the ACM and its members look for guidance and […]

CACM Staff

Computing Applications

Opinion The business of software Mar 1 2004

Beware of Counting Loc

Seeking a better method for estimating system size in an attempt to measure knowledge content.

Phillip G. Armour

Computing Applications

Opinion Technology strategy and management Mar 1 2004

Who Is Liable For Bugs and Security Flaws in Software?

Attempting to determine fault and responsibility based on available evidence.

Michael A. Cusumano

Computing Applications

Opinion Viewpoint Mar 1 2004

How Computer Games Affect CS (and Other) Students’ School Performance

Compulsive game playing, especially of the role-playing variety, risks failing grades and withdrawal of financial support from tuition-paying parents.

John G. Messerly

Computing Applications

Research and Advances Emerging technologies for homeland security Mar 1 2004

The catastrophic events of September 11, 2001, dramatically demonstrated the reach and effects of terrorism and made protecting the security of citizens a top priority and a major challenge for many governments worldwide. The formation of the Department of Homeland Security is an exemplar response by the U.S. to such a challenge, drawing upon the […]

John Yen

Computing Applications

Research and Advances Emerging technologies for homeland security Mar 1 2004

Countering Terrorism Through Information Technology

Developing the information-analysis tools for an effective multi-agency information-sharing effort.

Robert Popp, Thomas Armour, Ted Senator, and Kristen Numrych

Computing Applications

Research and Advances Emerging technologies for homeland security Mar 1 2004

Graph-Based Technologies For Intelligence Analysis

Enhancing traditional algorithmic techniques for improved pattern analysis.

Thayne Coffman, Seth Greenblatt, and Sherry Marcus

Computing Applications

Research and Advances Emerging technologies for homeland security Mar 1 2004

Proactive Information Gathering For Homeland Security Teams

Supporting counterterrorism analysts with software agents that dynamically anticipate their information requirements.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Research and Advances Emerging technologies for homeland security Mar 1 2004

Cyber Defense: Art to Science

Seeking the knowledge and means to more methodically detect, defend against, and better understand attacks on networked computer resources.

O. Sami Saydjari

Computing Applications

Research and Advances Emerging technologies for homeland security Mar 1 2004

Cyber Defense Technology Networking and Evaluation

Creating an experimental infrastructure for developing next-generation information security technologies.

Computing Applications

Research and Advances Emerging technologies for homeland security Mar 1 2004

Mobility and the First Responder

Supporting secure wireless access to databases via public telecommunications infrastructure.

Steve Sawyer, Andrea Tapia, Leonard Pesheck, and John Davenport

Computing Applications

Research and Advances Emerging technologies for homeland security Mar 1 2004

Rescue Robotics For Homeland Security

Applying hard-earned lessons to improve human-robot interaction and information gathering.

Robin R. Murphy

Computing Applications

Research and Advances Mar 1 2004

Automatically Detecting Deceptive Criminal Identities

The criminal mind is no match for some of the latest technology designed to determine fact from fiction in suspect identities.

Gang Wang, Hsinchun Chen, and Homa Atabakhsh

Computing Applications

Research and Advances Mar 1 2004

Questioning Lawful Access to Traffic Data

The path to technology-neutral policy is fraught with danger as more legislation is updated to deal with new communications infrastructures.

Alberto Escudero-Pascual and Ian Hosein

Computing Applications

Research and Advances Mar 1 2004

Toward an Integrated Framework For Modeling Enterprise Processes

Enterprise process modeling is the most important element in the design of next-generation ERP systems.

Nikunj P. Dalal, Manjunath Kamath, William J. Kolarik, and Eswar Sivaraman

Architecture and Hardware

Research and Advances Mar 1 2004

How to Manage Your Software Product Life Cycle with Maui

MAUI monitors multiple software engineering metrics and milestones to analyze a software product's development life cycle in real time.

Luigi Suardi

Computing Applications

Research and Advances Mar 1 2004

The Role of Personality in Web-Based Distance Education Courses

Before investing in a Web-based education program, managers should consider how effective it will be when paired with employee personality traits.

Eyong B. Kim and Marc J. Schniederjans

Computing Applications

Careers Mar 1 2004

What Causes Stress in Information System Professionals?

Job stress can lead to burnout and turnover, costing IT organizations countless dollars in replacement costs, and making methods for measuring and minimizing stress a business benefit.

Vikram Sethi, Ruth C. King, and James Campbell Quick

Computing Applications

Opinion Inside risks Mar 1 2004

Risks of Monoculture

The W32/Blaster worm burst onto the Internet scene in August of 2003. By exploiting a buffer overflow in Windows, the worm was able to infect more than 1.4 million systems worldwide in less than a month. More diversity in the OS market would have limited the number of susceptible systems, thereby reducing the level of […]

Mark Stamp

Computing Applications

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