
Working with industry to improve Cyber Security technology
Ron MullinԻScott Vanstonedevelops a better Cyber Security technology to safeguardwireless data
Ron MullinԻScott Vanstonedevelops a better Cyber Security technology to safeguardwireless data
By Brian Caldwell Faculty of EngineeringFew people outside government and the military paid any attention to cryptography whenGord Agnewbegan pioneering work in the field in the early 1980s.
So when the electrical and computer engineering professor at the University of ݮƵ teamed up with math professorsԻScott Vanstoneto develop a better Cyber Security technology to safeguardwireless data, the world didn’t exactly beat a path to their door.
The trio’s number theory breakthrough sped up the encryption process that ensures only the intended recipient can decode sensitive data.
By using the algebraic structure of elliptical curves to generate the encryption key – rather than existing methods that relied on the multiplication of large prime numbers – they were able to produce shorter keys that were still just as secure.
When they launchedin 1985 to commercialize their elliptical curve cryptography (ECC) technology, however, selling its value wasn’t easy. “We called it our missionary work,” says Agnew.
Nor were academics flocking to the field. When Agnew started teaching a graduate course in cryptography, he felt lucky to attract five or six students.
Three decades later, of course, Cyber Security is a multi-billion-dollar issue and the focus of headlines, government task forces and commercial lawsuits. ECC technology underpinsand Agnew’s classes attract 80-plus students.
Even so, Agnew still finds himself proselytizing about the need for robust encryption measures in the ever-growing Internet of Things, where price point often trumps security. He points to wireless home-security systems that can be jammed,that leak personal information andthat can be hacked to deliver a fatal dose.
“We’re getting these systems coming online that have to be cheap, and they’re just not secure in any way, shape or form,” says Agnew, who doesn’t sport a Fitbit and still relies on an old-fashioned, hard-wired burglar alarm.
Although you can’t make anything completely bulletproof, he says, you can create a solid system by addressing security issues at the design phase, identifying the most serious risks and developing ways to mitigate them.
“We really need to think of security from the start instead of adding it on as a patch at the end,” he says.
Agnew hopes his research will help make that happen. He’s currently working on ways to develop a secure, reliable and redundant cloud system that is immune to breaches and catastrophic failure.
He also regularly conducts security reviews for companies, drawing on decades of experience to navigate complex issues.
The fact that ݮƵ gives faculty members time to work with industry partners, Agnew says, sets it apart from other universities – along with thecreator-owned IP policythat was essential to the success of Certicom.
Judging by the number of high-profile information breaches now plaguing businesses and government alike, Agnew won’t lack opportunities to put his expertise to work.
“Cryptography and security is hard … even companies likeԻget it wrong,” he says. “I’m not worried about becoming obsolete.”
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