Symposium and Bootcamp on the Science of Security (HotSoS)

Hot SoS is a research event centered on the Science of Security. The key motivation behind developing a Science of Security is to address in a principled manner the fundamental problems of security. Security has been intensively studied, but a lot of previous research emphasizes the engineering of specific solutions without first developing the scientific understanding of the problem domain. All too often, security research conveys the flavor of identifying specific threats and removing them in an apparently ad hoc manner. The motivation behind the nascent Science of Security is to understand how computing systems are architected, built, used, and maintained with a view to understanding and addressing security challenges systematically across their life cycle. In particular, two features distinguish the Science of Security from previous research programs on security. Scope. The Science of Security considers not just computational artifacts but incorporates the human, social, and organizational aspects of computing within its purview. Approach. The Science of Security takes a decidedly scientific approach, based on the understanding of empirical evaluation and theoretical foundations as developed in the natural and social sciences, but adapted as appropriate for the artificial science (in Herb Simon's term) that is computing. Following a successful invitational SoS Community Meeting in December 2012, Hot SoS 2014 will be the first open research event in what is expected to be a continuing series of such events.