New security software flies with FAA

George Mason University researchers have developed software that they say helps nip cyber attacks in the bud by recognizing weak links across networks, not just in individual systems.

Creation of this Center for Secure Information Systems software, dubbed CAULDRON ( Combinatorial Analysis Utilizing Logical Dependencies Residing on Networks), was funded by the Federal Aviation Administration, plus the defense and intelligence communities. The FAA is also using the software to prioritize security problems and sniff out attack paths, according to GMU.

CAULDRON's unique approach, according to GMU, is its ability to add up what multiple vulnerabilities across a network might lead to in terms of an attack.

"Currently, network administrators must rely on labor-intensive processes for tracking network configurations and vulnerabilities, which requires a great deal of expertise and is error prone because of the complexity, volume and frequent changes in security data and network configurations," says Sushil Jajodia, university professor and director of the Center for Secure Information Systems, in a statement. "This new software is an automated tool that can analyze and visualize vulnerabilities and attack paths, encouraging ‘what-if analysis'."

Jajodia describes the project in a paper along with Steven Noel and Pramod Kalap.

CAULDRON boasts an analysis engine that examines attack dependencies and enables mapping and visualization of vulnerability paths.

According to the researchers, they plan to license the software and are currently in discussion with multiple companies.

Blogger Roland Piquepaille writes that the technology has been extensively tested and was even the subject of a Master's thesis by a student from the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.

• Security