image: UVA assistant professor of computer science Wajih Ul Hassan.
Credit: UVA Engineering
Wajih Ul Hassan, assistant professor of computer science at the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, has received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award in the Division of Computer and Network Systems.
The award, totaling around $725,000, will fund Hassan’s research in cybersecurity. As enterprises are targeted by increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, there’s room to improve security measures. Data provenance, which involves collecting where data comes from, how it’s handled and how it changes, can be leveraged to more accurately identify suspicious activity.
Hassan and his team at DART Lab aim to create advanced techniques for efficiently collecting and integrating data provenance and to develop scalable models for threat detection. They will also use insights from data provenance to streamline an AI-powered automated threat response framework.
"This research not only addresses today’s cyber threats but also paves the way for a more secure digital future, helping enterprises efficiently defend against evolving and sophisticated attacks” Hassan said.
The project also includes educational initiatives, such as hands-on cybersecurity labs for students and outreach programs to engage K-12 students in cybersecurity, preparing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.
NSF CAREER Awards are one of the foundation’s most prestigious awards, supporting early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department.
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