Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

I. Design for Dependability and Security

• Architectures
  • Fault-tolerant, secure, and safe middleware
  • Intrusion detection and tolerance
  • Firewall technologies; authentication and authorization of users, systems, and applications
  • Network technologies, including protocols, routers, and switches
  • On-line detection and recovery
• System Management and Administration
• Cryptography
  • Application of cryptography techniques
  • Key management
  • Cryptographic protocols and algorithms, and their security
• Use of COTS components

II. Evaluation

• Modeling and Prediction
  • Threat-assessment and intrusion-detection models
  • Availability, performability, and survivability
  • Intrusion tolerance; attack models
  • Modeling methods, including Markov chains, queuing/fluid flow, Stochastic Petri Nets (SPN), SAN models
• Experimental Methods
  • Monitoring and measurement
  • Workload characterization
  • Benchmarking
  • Test-bed design, including fault, error, attack, and workload generation
  • Field monitoring and measurement, including failures, security violations and break-ins, and intrusion detection
  • Statistical methods
• Formal Specification and Verification
• Quality of Service (encompassing performability, security, and safety)

III. Application-Specific Areas

• Survivable Database Design and Transaction Processing
• Electronic Commerce
• Embedded Systems
• File and File System Security
• Distributed and Pervasive Systems
• Smartcards and Biometrics
• Real-Time Systems
• Safety-Critical Systems (e.g., aerospace computing)
• Internet Applications
• Multimedia Applications and Signal-Processing

IV. Software Design

• Operating System Support (for error/intrusion detection and/or tolerance)
• Self-Checking Software Systems
• Dependable, Secure Protocols and Network Interfaces
• Software Testing, Validation, and Verification
• Software Aging and Rejuvenation
• Software Security and Reliability Engineering

V. New Technologies (problems and opportunities)

• Nanoscale Computing
• Ad Hoc Networks
• Pervasive and Embedded Computing
• Networks of Satellites
• Data Mining
• Wearable Computers and Associated Networks
• Quantum Computing
• Cyber-Physical Systems (e.g., mobile health, Smart Grid, and ITS)