Software Assurance Marketplace Operations Officer Brooklin Gore (left) and Chief Technology Officer Myron Livny in the server room of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery building, where the software security tests will be run.
Top software analysis tool providers from around the world are being invited to run their latest assessment tools at the Morgridge Institute for Research on the UW-Madison campus in a months-long series of tests to improve the quality and security of software assurance tools and open-source software.
The project will be led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in collaboration with the Software Assurance Marketplace and U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate.
The effort is part of the fifth Static Analysis Tool Exposition. The exposition involves tool developers from around the world running their software assessment tools to see how many vulnerabilities they can pinpoint within millions of lines of computer code. The ultimate goal is to improve the security of software that underpins our nation’s energy, communications and economic infrastructure.
“Keeping our infrastructure secure requires a sustained effort to enhance software analysis tools,” says Miron Livny, chief technology officer for the Software Assurance Marketplace (SWAMP), UW–Madison computer sciences professor, and director of core computational technology at the Morgridge Institute, where the tests will be run. “This event will demonstrate the ability of the continuous software assurance engine that powers the SWAMP research facility to support this effort.”
The ultimate goal is to improve the security of software that underpins our nation’s energy, communications and economic infrastructure.
Test suites, which are sure to have embedded vulnerabilities, will be selected by the Software Assurance Metrics and Tool Evaluation (SAMATE) team at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Infrastructure to support the testing — known as virtual machines — will be hosted by SWAMP, a national research facility funded by Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate. The virtual machines containing the test suites will be securely hosted for the tool providers during the testing period, which runs from June 1 to Aug. 31.
Analysis of the results by NIST will commence on Sept. 1 with organizers and teams expected to report and discuss their findings at a conference in March 2014. NIST will publish all the test suites and a final report later.
“We’re excited about the added strength and depth of this year’s exposition thanks to the participation of the major partners and the quality of the software assurance tools we expect will be run,” says Paul E. Black, a computer scientist and SAMATE project leader. “We’ve learned that improving the quality and security of software requires expertise in many areas. Automated access to computing power will make it easier for software developers to get additional assurance.”
Kevin Greene, software assurance program manager with the directorate, says the Static Analysis Tool Exposition will advance the agency’s efforts to improve the nation’s cyber defenses. The event is expected to serve as a catalyst to create better-performing tools in the areas of quality and security, while enhancing the ability to perform software assessments.
“Through collaborative efforts like this, we’re creating opportunities for leaders in the software community to come together, share best practices and contribute findings that strengthen software security,” Greene says.
The SWAMP research facility will host a suite of static analysis tools when it opens to the public in January 2014. At that time, SWAMP will begin working with the developers of new software analysis technologies and the open-source community to strengthen the security of software that controls everything from regional electric grids and communication networks to the databases that manage our personal records.
The Town Center at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery is an exceptional destination for scientific exploration. Please join us this summer for our free summer science program, which offers opportunities for elementary and middle school students to explore, engage and discover science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 4 p.m.
The summer science program runs from Wednesday, June 19, until Thursday, August 15. There will be no programming on July 3 and 4.
Adult supervision is always required, with at least one adult (18 years or older) chaperone per 10 youth. Registration is requested; drop-ins are accepted.
Filed under: All Posts, Discovery Events, Town Center | Tags: Discovery Challenge
The 2013 WARF Discovery Challenge Research Symposium took place on May 20.
The winners were:
Matthew Bruss – An in vivo metric of autophagic flux to improve cancer treatment
David Kiefer – Herbal medicine use: A comparison between two research sites
Kaitlin Mitchell – Extracellular matrix mannan in Candida albicans biofilms contributes to antifungal resistance
Harisha Rajanala – Biochemical characterization of bacterial actins
Below are some of the other posters and presenters from the symposium.
Surendra Prajapati discusses the design of an open-source binary micro MLC for small animal radiotherapy.
Michael Rios explains his small scale wind turbine bench for low-cost design testing.
Karen Chen describes her poster on improving employment outcomes in breast cancer survivors.
Katie Brenner explains her poster on early diagnosis of neonatal infection.
Filed under: All Posts, Discovery Events, Town Center | Tags: Discovery Challenge
The Discovery Challenge, part of the WARF Student Ambassador Program, aims to promote campus-wide cross-disciplinary research. It will be a forum for students to share research results, exchange ideas and improve their communication skills. Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers are eligible to compete for a total of $2,000 in cash prizes at a research symposium to be held on Monday, May 20, 2013. Participants and those who attend the symposium may participate in part two of the Discovery Challenge: a mini-grant competition to be held in the fall of 2013. Up to three mini-grants of $5,000 each will be awarded to research teams to advance their innovative and collaborative projects.
Visit warf.org/DiscoveryChallenge to register, view the agenda and download the abstracts.
by Jennifer Sereno
Participants in this year’s Bike to Work Week will find free bike repairs, bagels and coffee at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery building on Monday, May 13, from 7 to 9:45 a.m.
Located on the corner of North Orchard and West Johnson streets near Steenbock’s patio, the commuter station will be the only official stop on the UW–Madison campus as part of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin’s annual Bike to Work Week.
“We’re excited to welcome commuters from campus and the community to the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery for Bike to Work Week,” says Krista Eastman, an avid bike commuter and leader of the institutes’ wellness committee. “The two research institutes in our building — the private Morgridge Institute for Research and the public Wisconsin Institute for Discovery (WID) — were founded to encourage collaboration and innovation. Supporting Bike to Work Week is a great way to bring people together and it’s not a stretch to say that healthy living helps fuel groundbreaking research.”
Among the scientists and staff in the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery building are a number of longtime cyclists with racing and touring experience. Their connections led to David Kohli, owner of Perfect Circle Cycling in Fitchburg, who agreed to provide free bike tuneups to participating commuters.
Kohli, who has spent some 25 years in the cycling industry, has worked as a race mechanic for the Phonak Cycling Team, Cervelo Test Team, Planet Bike Cyclocross Team and The Baraboo Sharks Junior Development Team. An expert on bike fitting, or the process of ensuring bike components are well-suited to an individual rider’s physique, he currently serves as a consultant and contractor to a number of cycling industry partners.
“Bike to Work Week is a great opportunity to get people back out on their bikes. In the process, many people realize they need some minor repairs,” Kohli says. “We’ll have tools on-site to help realign wheels, adjust brakes, lubricate chains and we’ll also check seat height and handlebar adjustments for riders. These are important but often overlooked elements that can improve pedaling power and comfort on the bike.”
Eastman says beyond the obvious physical benefits of cycling, numerous scientific studies have drawn a connection between exercise and brain health. For many, biking to work offers a convenient way to maintain physical and mental fitness — while saving money on transportation and reducing environmental impact.
“We figure that if we can encourage even a few people to take up bicycle commuting on a more regular basis, it will have a beneficial impact on their lives while reducing traffic congestion in the city,” Eastman says. “In addition to the bagels and coffee, we’ll be handing out bike maps. With all of the improvements to area trail systems over the past few years, biking to work has never been easier.”
WSUM, UW–Madison’s licensed student radio station, also will be on hand with music and interviews to mark the day. WSUM offers programming 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 91.7 on the FM dial in Madison and streamed online.
