CAREER: A Dynamic Program Monitoring Framework Using Neural Network Hardware

软件漏洞和安全攻击每年造成超过1500亿美元的损失，使美国经济陷入瘫痪。然而，在这一背景下并没有重大创新。本研究项目旨在借助基于神经网络的硬件来改变这一事实。如果该项目成功，将对当前的行业做法产生重大影响，并刺激一种新的趋势。它将鼓励公司投资于使用神经网络硬件进行调试和安全攻击分析的新技术，并为硬件实施制定令人信服的用例，从而影响对神经网络硬件的持续投资。此外，该项目还将促进一个少数群体服务机构的研究和教育活动。学生将通过论文、论文工作和本科生研究工作紧密地融入到这个项目中。PI将把新兴的建筑设计及其编程纳入本科生和研究生的课程。此外，PI将通过暑期实习让当地高中生参与与计算机科学相关的项目。神经网络是一种模仿人脑的机器学习技术。因此，神经网络硬件提供了一些独特的功能，可以通过许多不同的方式来利用。该项目提出利用神经网络硬件进行“程序监控”。程序执行监控通常用于检测软件错误、性能问题、安全攻击等。神经网络硬件将学习程序的正常“行为”。然后，它将检测到此类行为的任何偏差。这种偏差可以归因于软件错误、性能问题或安全攻击。拟议的方法为处理这些问题提供了一个总体框架。由于神经网络硬件的在线学习和测试能力，该框架将适应程序输入、代码和平台的任何变化。

Software bugs and security attacks cripple US economy by costing more than $150 billion a year. However, there has been no major innovation in this context. This research project aims to change that fact with the help of neural network based hardware. If the project is successful, it will significantly affect current industry practices and spur a new trend. It will encourage companies to invest in new techniques for debugging and security attack analysis using neural network hardware and make a compelling use case for the hardware implementation, thereby influencing continuous investment in neural network hardware. In addition, the project will contribute to the research and educational activities of a minority serving institution. Students will be tightly integrated into the project through dissertation, thesis work, and undergraduate research work. The PI will incorporate emerging architecture design and its programming in undergraduate and graduate coursework. Moreover, the PI will involve local high school students in computer science related projects through summer internships.Neural network is a machine learning technique that mimics human brain. Therefore, neural network hardware provides some unique capabilities that can be utilized in many different ways. This project proposes to utilize neural network hardware for "program monitoring". Program execution monitoring is often used to detect software bugs, performance issues, security attacks etc. Neural network hardware will learn the normal "behavior" of the program. Then it will detect any deviation of such behavior. Such deviation can be attributed to software bugs, performance issues or security attacks. The proposed approach provides a general framework for handling these issues. Due to online learning and testing capability of neural network hardware, the framework will be adaptive to any change in program inputs, code, and platforms.