RINGS: Resilient Edge Ecosystem for Collaborative and Trustworthy Disaster Response (REsCue)

该项目解决了下一代公共安全和灾害应对网络中的联网和安全挑战，在这些网络中，需要使用有限的幸存基础设施来执行关键任务紧急行动(例如，搜索和救援)，并可能使用第一响应者部署的各种设备进行增强。这些关键任务操作是在具有挑战性的环境中执行的，只有解决了特定于它们的基本安全和架构挑战才能有效，这是本项目的目标。该项目的创新之处在于：(I)将不同的自治网络(如公用事业和智能家居)有效地集成到一个弹性、协作和安全的网络网络中；(Ii)一个在广泛中断期间支持网络运营的系统，包括强制执行对数据和服务的访问控制，以及(Iii)对不受信任用户的通信进行高效验证。该项目的广泛意义和重要性有两方面：(I)提供网络、近用户计算、低延迟无线通信和网络安全方面的新研究成果，从而创建容忍中断的网络，其用途不仅限于有效的灾害/应急响应，还包括其他应用，如农村网络和分布式制造；(Ii)通过招募和培训不同的学生群体，为不同的劳动力做出贡献。该项目确定了零散网络中的基本架构和安全挑战，如无缝多模式通信、弹性和可验证的计算以及信任管理，并解决了这些挑战，以便在灾难应对方案中进行可行的部署。由此产生的结果是设计以边缘为中心、值得信赖且具有弹性的命名数据网络体系结构的通用蓝图。该项目还调查了基本的弹性挑战，包括在由独立网络片段拼接而成的网络中在没有中央证书颁发机构的情况下产生信任，为数据/服务提供灵活且可撤销的访问控制和授权，以及在具有挑战性的环境中实现超可靠的低延迟无线通信。建议的设计和解决方案以严格的分析框架和理论模型为基础，并辅之以真实世界的实验评估，将形成未来EDGE网络创新的基础。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project addresses networking and security challenges in next generation public safety and disaster response networks, where mission-critical emergency operations (e.g., search and rescue) need to be performed with limited surviving infrastructure, potentially augmented with diverse devices deployed by first responders. These mission-critical operations are performed in a challenging environment and can only be effective if the fundamental security and architectural challenges specific to them are addressed, which is the goal of this project. The project's novelties are: (i) effective integration of diverse autonomous networks (e.g., utilities and smart homes) into a resilient, cooperative, and secure network-of-networks; (ii) a system for supporting network operations during broad disruptions including the enforcement of access control to data and services, and (iii) efficient verification of untrusted users' communications. The project's broader significance and importance are two-fold: (i) providing new research outcomes in networking, near-user computing, low-latency wireless communications, and cybersecurity, leading to the creation of disruption-tolerant networks, whose use extends beyond effective disaster/emergency response to other applications, such as rural networking and distributed manufacturing; and (ii) contributions to a diverse workforce through recruitment and training of a diverse student population. The project identifies the fundamental architectural and security challenges in fragmented networks, such as seamless multi-modal communications, resilient and verifiable computing, and trust management, and addresses them for viable deployment in disaster-response scenarios. The resulting outcome is a generic blueprint to design an edge-centric, trustworthy, and resilient named data networking architecture. The project also investigates foundational resilience challenges including engendering trust without a centralized certificate authority in a network stitched-together from independent network fragments, providing flexible and revocable access control and authorization for data/services, and ultra-reliable low latency wireless communications in challenging environments. The proposed designs and solutions, grounded in rigorous analytical frameworks and theoretical models, reinforced by real-world experimental evaluations, will form the basis for future edge network innovations.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.