Abstract

Computer security is a branch of computer technology known as "information security" as applied to computers and networks.  The objective of computer security includes protection of information and property from theft, corruption, or natural disaster, while still allowing the information and property to remain accessible and productive to its intended users. The term computer security generally refers to the collective processes and mechanisms by which sensitive and valuable information and services are protected from publication, tampering, or collapse by unauthorized activities or untrustworthy individuals and unplanned events.

This talk presents an overview of various computer security threats, risks and vulnerabilities. Using several examples such as personal and enterprise computing systems, discussion will center on how to reduce or close these vulnerabilities.  Topics include a security-related focus for the design of computer networks or implementation and performance analysis of enterprise networks.

Biography

Burkhard Englert is a professor in the department of Computer Engineering and Computer Science at California State University Long Beach. He earned his PhD from the department of Mathematics at the University of Connecticut in 2000. His doctoral research was in the area of computability theory (recursion theory) and dealt with lattice embeddings into the computably enumerable degrees. He also worked on distributed algorithms. In 1992, he received a BS degree in mathematics from the University of Tuebingen in Germany.

After finishing his PhD in 2000, Burkhard came to University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as an adjunct assistant professor in the program in computing. At UCLA he received the Sorgenfrey Distinguished Teaching Award for visiting faculty members for outstanding achievements in teaching by the department of Mathematics. Currently, Burkhard teaches a broad range of graduate and undergraduate courses concentrating on computer security, net-centric computing, and distributed systems.

Burkhard's research interests are distributed computing, distributed algorithms, computer security, and transportation network modeling and optimization. Burkhard also serves as a reviewer and a member of program committees on a number of national and international conferences.

Schedule

6:00PM - Social

6:30PM - Dinner

7:00PM - Presentation