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响应网络中的网络和安全挑战，在这些网络中，关键任务紧急行动（例如搜索和救援）需要在有限的幸存基础设施中进行，并可能通过第一响应者部署的各种设备加以增强。这些关键任务操作是在具有挑战性的环境中执行的，并且只有在解决了特定于它们的基本安全和体系结构挑战（这是本项目的目标）的情况下才能有效。该项目的新颖之处在于：(i)将各种自治网络（例如公用事业和智能家居）有效整合为一个有弹性、合作和安全的网络；（ii）在大范围中断期间支持网络运营的系统，包括对数据和服务实施访问控制，以及（iii）对不可信用户的通信进行有效验证。该项目具有两方面的广泛意义和重要性：(i)在网络、近用户计算、低延迟无线通信和网络安全方面提供新的研究成果，从而创建可容忍中断的网络，其用途从有效的灾难/应急响应扩展到农村网络和分布式制造等其他应用；（ii）通过招聘和培训多元化的学生群体，为多元化的劳动力做出贡献。该项目确定了碎片化网络中的基本架构和安全挑战，如无缝多模式通信、弹性和可验证计算以及信任管理，并解决了这些挑战，以便在灾难响应场景中进行可行的部署。由此产生的结果是一个通用蓝图，用于设计以边缘为中心、值得信赖且具有弹性的命名数据网络体系结构。该项目还研究了基本的弹性挑战，包括在由独立网络片段拼接在一起的网络中，在没有集中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提供超可靠的低延迟无线通信。提出的设计和解决方案以严格的分析框架和理论模型为基础，并通过现实世界的实验评估得到加强，将为未来的边缘网络创新奠定基础。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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.