Cornell scientist to lead Griffiss Institute

CNY Business Journal (1996+), Dec 06, 2002 by Dickinson, Casey J

ROME - The director of Cornell University's Information Assurance Institute will take on the role of chief scientist of the Griffiss Institute for Information Assurance. The Institute's board appointed Cornell professor of computer science Fred B. Schneider as chief scientist at its first meeting Nov. 14. Schneider will retain his posts at Cornell while serving as chief scientist for the Griffiss Institute.

"The Institute is a means of joining together New York State's cybersecurity assets," says Scneider. "Griffiss will become a focal point, rather than a new competitor."

The competition for New York's information-assurance research community comes from Silicon Valley, Boston, and Pittsburgh, he explains. The Institute will concentrate New York's resources in a single location, with easy access to federal research resources. The former Griffiss Air Force Base is still home to the Information Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory. The lab oversees 1,800 active contracts worth more than $3.1 billion. Out of the total number, New York State companies have 231 active contracts with a value of $229 million, according to the Information Directorate.

New York State has provided $4.5 million in startup funding for the Institute, and U.S. Rep. Sherwood L. Boehlert (R-New Hartford) has included federal funding in a pending budget bill.

"The state is providing the Institute with seed money," explains Schneider. "There will be a great deal of federal money for future research."

The Cyber Security Research and Development Act, now awaiting presidential approval, authorizes more than $900 million for information-security projects over the next five years.

Institute members include Syracuse University and Utica College of Syracuse University, Cornell University, Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC), Herkimer County Community College, The Air Force Research Laboratory, The National Institute of Justice, Mohawk Valley Economic Development Growth Enterprise (EDGE), and Griffiss Local Development Corp. Area businesses such as Wetstone Technologies, The Bank of New York, PAR Technology, ITT Industries, BAE Systems, Dart Communications, and a number of other technology companies are also Institute members. The Institute's work will address the safety and security of information and information-systems security for critical uses, including financial, transportation, and utility systems.

The number of employees who work directly for the Institute likely will be very few, says Schneider. The Institute will provide its economic impact through project budgets rather than direct employment, he explains.

History in the field

Schneider earned his undergraduate degree at Cornell, and has completed a master's degree and doctorate at SUNY Stony Brook. He joined Cornell's faculty in 1978. From 1998 to 2000, Schneider served as chairman of the National Academy of Sciences' study committee on information system trustworthiness. Since 2000, Schneider has served as director of Cornell's Information Assurance Institute. The Institute works closely with the Information Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory.

Schneider is no stranger to computersecurity researchers, says Dolphin Technology Chief Executive Officer Michael A. Miravalle, chairman of the board of the Griffiss Institute.

"Dr. Schneider is known internationally as one of the foremost researchers and deep thinkers in the field of information assurance," he says. "We were honored he would consider the position."

Each year, Schneider travels to Norway for a week-long lecture series to fulfill his duties as professor-at-large at the University of Tromsoe, the world's northernmost university.

Schneider is the author of two books and more than 100 technical papers on information-security issues. He serves on scientific advisory boards at Microsoft, IBM, and Cigital.

EDGE is happy to see the Institute land a big name as chief scientist, says spokesman Rob Duchow. "Dr. Schneider is a world-renowned researcher," he says. "His appointment gives immediate credibility to the Griffiss Institute."

Group effort

Planned for more than two years, the Griffiss Institute is a partnership of private industry, academic institutions, and government agencies. The Institute has its headquarters in a former B-52-simulator building at the Griffiss Business and Technology Park. Much of the Institute's initial budget will go toward refurbishing the facility and purchasing equipment.

The Institute's new home is located at 725 Daedalian Drive in the Griffiss Business and Technology Park. The Air Force built the 20,100-square-foot, twostory structure in 1982. The building comes with 2,000 square feet of raised, computerready floor space. Space for large computers is typically equipped with raised flooring for hidden cable runs and for static-electricity protection.

Griffiss Institute board members include Todd Hutton, president of Utica College; David Gillette, executive assistant to the president for Brooklyn Polytechnic University; Douglas Robinson, president and chief executive officer of Utica National Insurance; Utica attorney J.K. Hage III; Shiu-Kai Chin, director of Syracuse University's CASE Center; Raymond von Dran. dean of Syracuse University's School of Information Studies; Michael Schaefer, president of MVCC; Jeff Brandstadt, president of Black River Systems, Inc.; PAR Technology Chief Executive Officer John Sammon; Mason Somerville, president of SUNYIT; and Robert Constable, dean of computing and information science at Cornell University. There are six vacant seats on the Institute's board.