The NetBASILISK (NETwork Border At Scale Integrating and Leveraging Individual Security Components) project enables researchers and network engineers at the University of Michigan to introduce the next level of security and privacy protection scaled to the vast volume of generated research data. As attackers develop more sophisticated tools to acquire student and faculty private data, institutional financial information, and proprietary, often classified, research information, it is imperative for information technology staff to detect and stop these attacks. By observing patterns of network traffic, NetBASILISK will accomplish these goals with a minimal impact on the speed or volume of network traffic.
Current threat prevention systems do not scale to the growing volume of research data at an affordable cost. The University of Michigan solution, a novel framework combining open source and proprietary components, significantly improves system performance and accuracy in detecting and preventing threats to institutional data. NetBASILISK comprises powerful load balancing threat prevention mechanisms, data filtering tools, and threat detection technology. NetBASILISK will create a secure network perimeter while facilitating science such as cryo-electron microscopy, Large Hadron Collider particle research, and non-distorted Internet measurement, as well as enabling innovative network enhancements such as technologies to circumvent web censorship.
NetBASILISK will be used to inform the design of advanced network security devices for universities that scale to accommodate the network traffic requirements of data intensive science. Lessons learned and technology enhancements discovered by the project will be shared with the university networking community, as well as commercial partners. The science community will be informed of lessons learned from new design patterns employed for border security. The science drivers of the project, including advances in cryo-electron microscopy, networking, and physics will provide broad, impactful benefits. Project funding will also be used to support faculty, graduate students, and a postdoctoral researcher.
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.
