2009 December, 5th

Kristen Nicole

How about a computer system that recognizes when someone is trying to do something malicious with its code? That’s one goal of a consortium focusing on cyber research, with an ultimate focus on recognizing and preventing cyber threats or terrorism.

Northrop Grumman, the defense and intelligence community contractor, is funding the consortium in partnership with Purdue University’s Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security, MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, and Carnegie Mellon University’s Cybersecurity Education and Research Center.

The exact investment amount, while in the millions, has not been revealed. Yet the research taking place through this consortium could push the limits of cyber research. The ability to pose a threat to another organization or military system is a major concern in this day and age.

As individuals we rely heavily on virtual access to our valuables, from financial information to our medial records. Governments and military groups are equally as interested in the potential of technology, as everything from the judicial system to weapons are utilizing technological breakthroughs for their respective advancements.

So will we soon see a talking program that refuses to let the hero push the red “self-destruct” button? Perhaps, but the current concern contains far less melodrama and has more immediate ramifications. The moral concerns surrounding artificial intelligence are still the same, however. Creating a self-reflective system is one way in which that system could generate a social form of recognition.

Giving a system a “mirror” with which to see various aspects of its self, particularly concerning malicious activity, sounds quite similar to giving a system a personality. Such a concept is something that can be applied to a number of technology systems, even those social interfaces with which we interact every day.

Could such a system either replicate or manage certain tasks we normally operate with our own brain? Could we alleviate the necessity of monitoring a system from an external view, and merely teach it to be so self-sufficient that we’re no longer needed?

It’s a lot to think about, and much of what I’m surmising is a little far-fetched. But it’s fun to think about. More importantly, it’s good to know that our top academics are researching cybersecurity for the benefits surrounding our safety.

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About the Author

Kristen was the lead writer and Field Editor of Mashable, a popular publication that covers social media and tech. She has contributed to a number of other publications including CenterNetworks, VentureBeat, Bubblicious and The Industry Standard. Her work has been syndicated across a number of main stream media outlets, including Reuters, The New York Times, and NBC. Her latest accomplishment has been co-authoring The Twitter Survival Guide, which you can purchase here. She is also completing her second book, Twitter for Women.

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