Avishai Wool, Ph.D.
Avishai Wool
Associate Professor
School of Electrical Engineering, Tel Aviv University
Speech Title: 
"Do we still need to teach computer and network security until 2025?"
Abstract: 
Computer and network security research has been an ongoing activity for several decades, and most computer systems have fairly sophisticated security components embedded in them. One may think that security has become a "commodity". Therefore, as we look into the future, it is worth asking how much focus should be devoted to teaching security to EE and CS undergraduate students. In this talk I would like to point out two trends that indicate that the place for computer and network security should actually grow in the EE/CS curriculum over the next decade. The first is the expansion of the attack surface: many systems that were never perceived as "computers" actually are computers, and becoming more and more accessible over a variety of communication networks. Systems such as industrial control systems, home appliances, surveillance cameras and cars all include networked computerized components, that are subject to attack. The second trend is that there is a huge and growing interest in all aspects of computer (in)security. "Hacking" is considered "cool" by young people - as can be observed by the amazingly high attendance of conferences like DefCon. Moreover, attackers are becoming professional - with worldwide criminal organizations operating large financially-driven attacks, and nation-states using computer networks to cyber-attack their adversaries. From these observations my conclusion is that EE/CS faculties need to focus more on this field, to meet the growing demand for "white hat" professionals.
Bio: 

Wool earned a B.Sc. in Mathematics and Computer Science at Tel Aviv University in 1989 and graduated with honors. He earned a M.Sc. in computer science with thesis titled: “Approximating bounded 0-1 integer linear programs” from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel in 1992. He earned a Ph.D. in computer science with a thesis titled: “Quorum Systems for Distributed Control Protocols” from the Weizmann Institute of Science in 1997.

He was named an associate professor in the School of Electrical Engineering at Tel Aviv University in 2006 and has been with the School since 2002. Previously he was a member of the technical staff in the Secure Systems Research Department of Bell Labs Research, Lucent Technologies from 1996 to 2000.

October 16-17, 2012

The Rose Project

Western Digital