Software defined networking (SDN) is a relatively new technology expected to have wide use in the Internet due to its technical flexibility and potential for cost-savings. However, given the rapid adoption of SDN technologies, security concerns have emerged. The proposed project from the University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) brings together a team of faculty with expertise in computer networks and SDN, as well as faculty with expertise in cybersecurity, to build a comprehensive curriculum to address the various security aspects of SDN. The goal is to train a skilled workforce in SDN technology and its security. Students graduating from this program will acquire the necessary skills to build, deploy, and operate an SDN based networks in academia, industry and the government. The course modules and set of capstone projects in SDN security will be made available to academia and industry so that security of this technology keeps pace with wide-spread adoption.
The proposed project aims to design a number of course modules; develop several capstone projects; and build a laboratory setup for students to implement prototype systems to test their solutions to the security issues in the capstone projects. Topics covered in the educational materials will include: cybersecurity including system security, network security, data and application security, security of cyber physical systems, and language based security, as well as in next generation computer networks, network management and SDN. The products will be incorporated into several existing graduate-level cybersecurity courses at UT Dallas, and be made available to other institutions that want to expand their curriculum to cover SDN technologies. Further, the project will involve undergraduate students in SDN research activities, and serve as a recruitment tool for students interested in furthering their education in the security of emerging technologies.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
