Program Goal:
This initiative proposes to develop an Information Systems Security Laboratory (ISSL) at the IAC. Dedicated to creating a virtual Internet for the purpose of researching, designing, and testing cyber defense mechanisms, the laboratory will be the first of its kind facility in a public university. Unlike computer-based simulations, real attacks will be played out against real equipment. The laboratory will also be used to test key components of the critical infrastructure. Many researchers and vendors are working hard to provide products and services to help defend against cyber attacks. Users of these technologies often do not have any mechanisms to test or even try out these defenses. Researchers and vendors need a facility to test ideas against real-world attacks. The proposed lab will provide a controlled environment where real-world attacks can be played out against different configurations of equipment. It will contain a vast warehouse of attack tools that will be able to simulate point-to-point and distributed attacks against test configurations. The goal of this project is to provide a world-class research and education facility to enhance the current state of the art in information assurance. The proposed one-of-a-kind facility will be the catalyst for bringing together top researchers from several disciplines for a common goal of making computing safer. The proposed lab will provide an integrated environment for them to work on synergistic research projects in information assurance. The information assurance research work at Iowa State deals with overlapping problems and can benefit from a common laboratory. For example, the group working in intrusion detection and the group working in survivable networks often utilize the same attack data and are concerned about the same types of attacks. The proposed laboratory is a critical element needed to elevate research efforts and help provide solutions to these complex problems.

Funding for this lab will come from several sources including industry as well as the federal and state government. We have received $30,000 to help support the initial design of the lab. A U.S. Senate 2003 federal appropriation bill contains $500,000 in funding for the lab. We are working with state leaders to obtain matching money and the lab has been included in the State of Iowa Homeland Security plan. Our goal is to raise $1 million for the lab during 2003 and to have the first phase of it operational by 2004. The creation of the lab will have a major impact on the center, Iowa State, and the nation.

Facilities:
The proposed facilities will consist of a 64 node cluster encased within its laboratory. The laboratory will be located at Iowa State University's Research Park, Suite 2104; Building 2.

Benefits:
This laboratory offers benefits to many defined users, such as: developers, academic researchers, industrial researchers, and government personell. This laboratory will be primarily used by the academic researchers in conjunction with other research projects, but is not immediately limited to academic purposes only.

End-users of security: End users of security are often forced to deploy technology without field-testing. The proposed facility will provide a place for end-users to test out security configurations prior to deployment and to try equipment and configurations from different vendors.

Developers of security: The laboratory will provide a means for which developers can test network configurations for security purposes. The developers can then watch as potential attackers can penetrate their system, as a means of learning how to properly secure a network.

Academic and industrial Researchers:
The lab will be designed with a purpose to facilitate researchers in a quest to learn about better network security measures. Since the primary users will be academic, the laboratory may be used for classes within the Information Assurance department.

Academic Courses:
The laboratory will be used in contention with several graduate level courses; primarily this lab will be for Computer Engineering 530 and 532, but is not limited to these courses. Additionally ISEAGE will be used for an annual cyber defense excercise which will be held in teams to allow the groups of teams to set up security measures of a network and learn about the inherint weaknesses contained within.

Program opportunities:
We are creating several different opportunities for sponsorship of the initiative, which include:

• Equipment donations: Companies providing equipment will be given access to the facility and will be given feedback on the equipment. If they wish the equipment will be made available for use by the users of the facility to test out security solutions.
  
• Monetary donations: Monetary donations are welcome and proper recognition will be given to all gifts.
  
• Facility usage: Access to the facility and staff will be made available with permission from Dr. Jacobson.
  
• Staff training: The facility can be used to provide hands-on training on specific equipment

Current Projects:

ISEAGE:

Purpose: Internet Testbed
Room(s): Suite 2105 - Research Park - Building 2
PI: Dr. Jacobson
Goals:

1. Education- Increase knowledge for IT professionals on primary weaknesses and causes of weakness in a public network.
2. Research Projects - To use the internet testbed as a means for projects to be based from. This should allow a controllable environment that can also allow for uncontrollable situations.

Annual Cyber Defense Exercise :

Purpose: To teach students how to properly secure a network.
PI: Dr. Jacobson

Lab Information:

Researchers:

Currently the Cyber Forensics Lab has 2 PhD, 6 masters, and 6 undergraduate students working on the projects.

Lab Start Date:

Spring 2005

Hardware Information:

A 64-Node Cluster of Processors is used as the backbone of ISEAGE.

Laboratory Sponsors:

National Institute of Justice

John Deere

Iowa State University

Links:

ISEAGE Website
Defense Exercise
For additional information, please contact Dr. Jacobson at dougj@iastate.edu