Trustworthy Computing: Making Cyberspace Safe—Guest Editor's Introduction
Susan C. Lee · 2013
n the 21st century, cyberspace has emerged as the foundation for a new way of life and a new approach to warfighting. As a logical domain not subject to the laws of physics and with a complexity greater than its human creators can understand, this foundation is shaky at best. We are in the early stages of conquering this man-made space, as humanity has conquered the sea, air, and outer-space domains in previous centuries. Over the coming decades, researchers will discover the scientific underpinnings and engineering disciplines that will allow us to build confidently on the cyberspace foundation, with no more concern for its reliability and security than we have for brick-and-mortar structures. Researchers at APL are part of that bold endeavor. This issue of the Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest describes their use of formal methods, software analysis, new languages, new hardware, and new protocols to derive the principles and define the techniques that will allow even greater value to be derived from the use of cyberspace, without the current possibility of catastrophic loss.