US-Africa EAGER Research: An Inititative to Promote CERT Capacity Building in Africa

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)提供资金的。乔治梅森大学的Arun Sood教授将领导这一项目，以促进非洲的CERT(计算机应急响应团队)能力建设，因为非洲的漏洞可能会影响美国计算机界的安全。智力优势：世界发达国家和新兴国家拥有相互连接的信息和通信技术网络和信息系统，构成全球信息基础设施。由于这种连通性，以及现代ICT漏洞的现实，在一个充斥着恶意行为者的世界里，从黑客到经常发动成功网络攻击的民族国家，都是一个连续体。发达国家受到发展中国家脆弱、高风险系统的威胁，这些系统可能在不知情的情况下成为网络攻击的发射台。因此，发达国家显然有兴趣与新兴国家结成伙伴关系，以促进国家网络安全能力，特别是CERT，并在发展中国家之间以及与区域和全球组织之间建立一个合作框架，以管理和降低风险，并加强协调准备，以应对网络攻击和从中断中恢复。这一拟议倡议的核心是与关键的内部和外部利益攸关方合作，推动对这些挑战和机遇采取战略性和协调一致的方法，以过去的努力为基础，利用已经取得的进展和正在取得的一些进展。非洲国家和非洲大陆内的主要利益攸关方一般必须参与该战略的制定和执行，特别是每个国家应急中心商业案例的制定和执行。这一倡议在倡议的每个阶段都需要现代专业知识和固有的跨学科方法。有些人可能认为这是一种“高风险-高回报”，因为它涉及的方法与传统的方法截然不同。在这种情况下，这些传统方法没有、也不会奏效。这项研究的方法将是与选定的非洲国家、整个非洲大陆以及区域和全球CERT和英才中心的主要利益攸关方合作，通过采取以下步骤来促进CERT在非洲的能力：(1)清点政府、学术界和私营部门现有的人力、技术和其他资源，以促进和支持CERT的发展和成功；(2)确定那些处于有利地位的非洲国家有能力发展或增强建设国家CERT的能力；以及(3)为非洲CERT发展的几种方法提供模式。这项研究的结果将是一项优先、成本效益高的非洲应急中心发展计划，以及将提交非洲联盟的新兴应急小组之间以及与全球组织和英才中心之间的协作和信息共享框架。更广泛的影响：一般而言，这一努力将有助于在信息和通信技术风险以及应对和恢复准备方面加强国际信息共享与合作。更具体地说，这一努力的最大好处将是两方面的：(1)对非洲信息技术基础设施发展的积极影响及其对社会经济进步的影响；(2)对美国和其他发达国家特别有利的是，这一努力将导致非洲对加强全球和区域信通技术风险评估和缓解以及对国际形势的认识和反应作出重大贡献。学生们将发现跨学科和以非洲为中心的焦点很有吸引力。我们相信，这一努力将吸引少数族裔学生考虑计算机科学的高等教育。参与这个项目的美国研究生将有机会在国际和跨学科的环境中工作。参与这项活动的教职员工，将能够与学生分享这一经验。PI经常使用国际和跨学科的经验来激励和说明课堂主题，他希望将这些经验包括在他的课堂上提供现实生活中的例子。为CERT建设倡议做准备需要在这个非洲国家进行教育和培训。不可避免的是，一些参与者将决定到美国攻读研究生课程，并为学生群体增添一个新的维度。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). Professor Arun Sood of George Mason University will lead this project to promote CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) capacity building in Africa, since vulnerabilities in Africa have the potential to affect the security of the US computing community. Intellectual Merit: The developed and emerging nations of the world have ICT networks and information systems that are connected, comprising the global information infrastructure. Because of this connectivity, and the reality of modern ICT vulnerabilities in a world rife with malicious actors in a continuum from hackers to nation states that regularly launch successful cyber attacks. The developed world is threatened by vulnerable, high-risk systems in the developing world, which can serve as unwitting launching pads for cyber attacks. Accordingly, it is in the manifest interest of the developed nations to partner with emerging nations to promote national cyber security capacity, in general, and CERTs, in particular, and a collaboration framework among developing nations and with regional and global organizations to manage and reduce risk and enhance coordinated preparedness to respond to cyber attacks and recover from disruptions. The heart of this proposed initiative is to partner with key internal and external stakeholders to drive a strategic and coordinated approach to these challenges and opportunities that will build on past efforts and leverage progress that has been made and some that are ongoing. Key stakeholders within African countries and the continent must participate in the formulation and execution of the strategy, generally, and the development and implementation of the business case for each national CERT, in particular. This initiative requires modern expertise and an inherently interdisciplinary approach at each stage or phase of the initiative. Some may view this as a "high risk-high payoff" because it involves approaches that are radically different than those that are traditionally undertaken. Those legacy approaches have not, and will not work, in this context. The methodology of this research will be to collaborate with key stakeholders within selected African nations, across the continent of Africa, and with regional and global CERTs and centers of excellence to promote CERT capacity in Africa, by taking the following steps: (1) conduct an inventory of the human, technological, and other resources available in government, academia, and the private sector, to promote and support CERT development and success; (2) identify African nations that are well positioned to develop or enhance capabilities to build a national CERTs; and (3) to model several approaches for CERT development in Africa. The outcome of this research will be a plan for prioritized, cost-effective CERT development for Africa and a framework for collaboration and information sharing among the emerging CERTs and with global organizations and centers of excellence to be presented to the African Union. Broader Impacts: Generally, this effort will contribute to greater international information sharing and collaboration regarding ICT risk and response and recovery preparedness. More specifically, the greatest benefit of this effort will be two-fold: (1) the positive impact on development of information technology infrastructure in Africa and its effect on socio-economic progress, and (2) of particular benefit to the United States and other developed nations, this effort will result in significant African contribution to enhancing global and regional ICT risk assessment and mitigation, and international situational awareness and response. Students will find the interdisciplinary and Africa centric focus attractive. We believe that this effort will attract minority students to consider Computer Science for higher studies. The US based graduate students involved in this project will have the opportunity to work in an international and interdisciplinary setting. The faculty involved in this activity, will be able share this experience with the students. The PI has often used international and interdisciplinary experience to motivate and illustrate class topics and he expects to include this experience to provide real life examples in his classes. Getting prepared for a CERT building initiative requires education and training in the African country. It is inevitable that some of the participants will decide to undertake graduate studies in the US and add a new dimension to the student body.