Cyber Security

Research Areas and Capabilities

Cyberspace research includes firewall management, intrusion detection /prevention systems, security monitoring, log monitoring/retention, vulnerability management, multi-agents for memory and network monitoring, visualization concepts and technologies, unified threat management, cyber resilience, reliability, efficiency and information security management.

Current research is focused on the design and development of framework to detect cyber threat for different Operating Systems and develop innovative ways to detect and monitor rootkits and malware through memory forensics with machine learning. ARC has the state of art Cyberspace Technology Testing and Training Center lab to perform sponsored research work.

Technology Testing

Cyber Research

Cyber Workforce

Technology Testing

ARC is supporting the Department of Defense (DOD) - Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) in its mission to plan, assess and test cyberspace technology development, acquisition, fielding, and sustainment of defense systems for the Major Range and Test Facility Base (MRTFB).

ARC performs multi-disciplinary cyberspace technology applied research in partnership and collaboration with FIU’s College of Engineering and Computing and College of Arts & Sciences. The Center collaborates with industry experts and infrastructure to support applied research in the areas of cyberspace and information assurance (IA) test technology development and gap analysis. ARC specializes in the following areas of cyber security.

Testing & Evaluation of Cyberspace technologies

Threat Analysis and Penetration Testing

Real Time Monitoring and Forensics

Malicious Software Analysis

Cyber Analytics and Visualization

Machine Learning

Cyber Research

FIU-ARC is conducting Hypervisor research with the purpose to of improving cyberspace monitoring and analysis. This research is being conducted using virtualization technologies to deliver automated and real-time analysis of cyberspace attacks on distributed systems. This approach enables quick deployment and fine-grained monitoring of malware including analysis of their effects on live systems as well as their propagation patterns within the compromised network.

As cyber threats keep evolving, it is very important to develop new custom sensors and custom data analysis tools to understand the new threats, and to disseminate the new knowledge to cyber defenders. The Kernel Q Agent Testbed will develop custom sensors and data analysis tools for Kernel Q injection threat, a novel malware attack techniques

Cyber Workforce

In an effort to develop expertise in Cyber security and developing a Cyber security workforce, FIU ARC has engaged FIU science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) minority students in the areas of cyber space technology testing research work. This Cyber training program provides hands on research and internship opportunities to FIU students. The objective of this workforce development program is to create a “pipeline” of minority scientists and engineers specifically trained and mentored to enter the DOE’s workforce in technical areas of need. Cyberspace Workforce Development Program has the following components:

Actively recruit top minority students at FIU to apply for the Cyber Security Workforce Development Program;

Provide selected FIU students at undergraduate and graduate levels with hands-on training and research opportunities related to cyber security research;

Provide qualified FIU faculty and/or professional ARC staff mentors to the students to guide their training and research;

Improve retention of minority students by exposing undergraduate students to cyber security research and encourage the students to pursue masters degrees at FIU;

Develop thesis topics based on research being conducted under this program;

Encourage and facilitate students to present their research findings at local and national cyber security conferences; and

Secure summer internships at DOD sites and/or DOD contractor locations for students participating in the program.

Collaborators

Department of Defense (DOD) - Test Resource Management Center (TRMC)

Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (DOE EM)

Florida Center for Cybersecurity (FC²) - Florida State University System (FSUS)

Infrastructure

ARC has secured state of art IT infrastructure to support systems developed for various clients like DOE-EM and TRMC-DOD. These systems are housed in the Cyberspace Lab and DOE-EM facility.

Cyberspace Lab:

ARC has set up a cyberspace lab to support DOD’s TRMC STEM support in the areas of cyberspace and information assurance (IA) test technology development. The Cyberspace Lab will be used for following activities.

Design and development of a cyber test bed.

Establish TRMC node by connecting to Joint Mission Environment Test Capability (JMETC) and NST Technology Integration Environment (TIE) laboratory

Identify and assess technologies for testing and evaluation (T&E) of cyber ranges (eg: Emulab used in National Cyber Range (NCR))

DOE-EM Facility:

DOE-EM servers are housed in ARC secured facility supporting D&D KM-IT (Deactivation and Decommissioning Knowledge Management Information Tool) Enterprise System and WIMS (Waste Information Management System). ARC is pursuing Certification and Accreditation (C&A) from Department of Energy and FED RAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program).