This document outlines Professor Matt Warren's presentation on future security research topics. It discusses the development of security research and identifies five current hot topics: malware, mobile technology, cloud security, virtualization/visualization, and privacy/security in social media. Potential areas for future research are identified, such as those relating to national broadband, cloud computing, mobile technology, and health informatics. Smart grid security is provided as a specific example for a potential research project proposal.

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A Future Security Research Agenda: Presentation
Business Aspects of Information
Systems (BASIS) Research Cluster Don’t need to take notes, the information is
accessible from my research blog:
PROFESSOR MATT WARREN,
SCHOOL OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, www.mjwarrenresearch.com
DEAKIN UNIVERSITY
WWW.MJWARREN.COM
Development of Security Research The IS View of Security Research
Computer Information (Technology focused);
Information Security (Technology and
Organisationally focused);
Cyber Security (Technology , Organisationally and
society focused).
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Details of Proposed Research Identity Hot Topics
There is growth in large number of ICT areas, these Hot topics are time based.
relate to:
National Broadband Network; My view of current top five security hot research
Cloud Computing; topics.
Mobile Technology;
Carbon Costing and ICT;
Web 2.0;
Health Informatics.
And other future evolving areas.
1) Malware
Hot Topics at the Moment
1) Malware; Malware (Malicious Software) has been with us a
2) Mobile Technology; long time. Covers areas such as viruses, Trojan
Horses, Spyware, etc – topical because of Stuxnet
3) Cloud Security; and Flamer;
4) Virtualisation & Visualisation;
5) Privacy and Security in the Social Media Age. Always been a major issue (threat?) to the overall
information society and still there are no real
solutions;
Organisational as well as technical issues are
relevant.
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2) Mobile Technology 3) Cloud Security
Security issues relating to mobile technology are The impact of cloud computing brings together a
becoming greater due to the sheer number of mobile number of security issues.
technologies and applications and their security Infrastructure issues;
weaknesses; Data integrity;
Back-ups;
Forensics;
Security issues range from malware to data
Other aspects such as availability and privacy and legal issues.
protection to privacy.
The future global growth of cloud computing will
highlight further issues.
4) Virtualisation & Visualisation 5) Privacy and Security in the Social Media Age
Virtualisation The security issue of the social media:
The ability to control distributed hardware and data via a
visual interface. This virtual layer could be attacked or Privacy;
manipulated.
Data Disclosure;
Social media as an attack vector;
Visualisation Identify theft;
The ability to assess large volumes of information security
Other related issues such as social issues.
data, e.g. Firewall logs and trend data in a visual format.
Information Security management and management of data
will become a greater issue due to future complexity of
systems.
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National Research Priorities
Trends
All of these potential research areas have something ARC funding schemes aim to support research and
in common: research training in the Australian Government's four
National Research Priority areas of:
That they require the researcher to consider “the an environmentally sustainable Australia
organisation”; promoting and maintaining good health
frontier technologies for building and transforming
They are all focused (obviously!) on security Australian industries
considerations. safeguarding Australia.
Safeguarding Australia Security Research Opportunities
SAFEGUARDING AUSTRALIA Clear opportunities for industry collaboration
through ARC linkage grants and consultancy
Safeguarding Australia from terrorism, crime, invasive diseases projects;
and pests, strengthening our understanding of Australia’s place
in the region and the world, and securing our infrastructure,
particularly with respect to our digital systems:
To have the ability to be to react to new grants and
funding schemes as they are formed, e.g. NBN
1. Critical infrastructure
2. Understanding our region and the world
funding;
3. Protecting Australia from invasive diseases and pests
4. Protecting Australia from terrorism and crime To have the ability to market our research
5. Transformational defence technologies capabilities to industry.
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Breakdown of a Project
One idea - Smart Grid
A smart grid that uses digital technology to improve
Business / Government
Engagement reliability, resiliency, flexibility, and efficiency (both
Research Outputs
economic and energy) of the electric delivery system
(US – OEDER);
International
Project Idea Engagement
Major outages – India, North America, Europe and
Funding
Opportunities Internal Engagement
Brazil;
Massive impacts to commerce. Global response and
implementation.
Why Smart Grids The Infrastructure
Self-healing from power disturbance events; The Smart grids when fully interconnected will form
Enabling active participation by consumers in a network larger than the Internet;
demand response;
Operating resiliently against physical and cyber The grids will be constructed of smart meters that
attack; connect to appliances which in turn the meters can
Providing power quality for 21st century needs, be used to control, monitor and use electricity
Carbon taxation issues; supply.
Accommodating all generation and storage options
New Business Models.
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Australia A Project Proposal
Research into smart grid systems – numerous areas
Smart Grid is part of the Australian Government's and opportunities such as:
National Energy Efficiency Initiative; adoption issues;
security and risk management;
governance and policy;
The Federal government’s $100 million investment organisational considerations and strategies;
in Smart Grid, Smart City – Project – Sydney, national and international perspectives.
Newcastle, NSW;
Corporate Response – Smart Meter infrastructure.
What I am doing next…
I want to find out the answers to these research Talking to my research contacts at Deakin, as well as
questions. within Australia, Europe, Africa, North America;
Do you? Talking to industry and industry associations;
Talking to the Australian government.
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7. 29/10/2012
Conclusion Next ACS Information Security SIG Talk
Society is being transformed by technology; 26th November
Are we fully aware of what the issues and solutions Title: Security Learning from Incident Response
are?;
Speaker: Dr Atif Ahmad, University of Melbourne
What is the Australian context of this
transformation?
Thank You
For Your Time
Feel free to email or drop by my office anytime to discuss the exciting
world of security research!
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