Cybersecurity
Despite reassurances, election security risks continue to mount
Prof. J. Alex Halderman is profiled in this piece on Philadephia-region PBS affiliate WHYY. The interview summarizes Halderman's background as a security researcher and interviews him on the details of the vulnerabilities that exist in our election infrastructure.False claims about machines "switching" votes are going viral. Here's what to know.
As viral claims about "switching" votes circulate, experts have said that there is no evidence of machines being hacked or programmed to alter ballots in an actual election. However, the "gold standard protection" for Americans are hand-marked paper ballots, according to Prof. J. Alex Halderman.Hacked voting machine donated to Henry Ford museum
The machine was used by Prof. J. Alex Halderman for election cybersecurity research, and in a demonstration during which then-Senator Kamala Harris voted on it.Visiting researcher assesses Starlink as path to avoid government censorship
The study is the first to technically describe how and to what extent Starlink can be used to access the internet from inside Iran.Researchers earn USENIX Test of Time for work in exposing network key vulnerabilities
The award recognizes “Mining Your Ps and Qs” for its lasting contributions to the field of security and encryption.U-M spin-off Agita Labs releases always encrypted computing product
TrustForge, based on U-M research spearheaded by Austin and Bertacco, provides users with the ability to protect data using a process called sequestered encryptionKang G. Shin recognized with Distinguished Leadership Award by IEEE Computer Society Technical & Conference Activities Board
His work in the area of real-time computing has spanned decades and has had impact in a broad range of applications.New legislation could bring mobile voting to the District
New proposed legislation could bring mobile voting to Washington DC. Prof. J. Alex Halderman comments on why we may not be ready for this.Feds oppose immediate release of voting machine report
A federal cybersecurity agency is reviewing a report under seal by Prof. J. Alex Halderman that indicates security vulnerabilities exist in voting machines used by Georgia and other states. Halderman has advocated to make his findings public in a limited and responsible way so that problems could be addressed.The Catch-22 of Addressing Election Security
Prof. J. Alex Halderman comments on election security vulnerabilities versus current threats to the democratic process in this article that asks the question: How do politicians contend with the weaknesses in the voting system without fueling baseless claims of election fraud?Five ways to keep vaccine cold storage equipment safe from hackers
A medical security expert outlines the risks and how hospitals can protect themselves.Ransomware attacks put availability of medical devices at risk: FDA cyber chief
Kevin Fu, acting director of cybersecurity at the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, says that "You can't have a safe and effective medical device if it's unavailable" due to ransomware.G.O.P. Election Reviews Create a New Kind of Security Threat
Election security experts, such as Prof. J. Alex Halderman, are concerned about the security risks that are being introduced as non-election officials are granted broad access to voting equipment.Trump Says More Countries Should Ban Twitter: 'Perhaps I Should Have Done It While I Was President'
In this article, Prof. Roya Ensafi comments on how the June 2018 repeal of net neutrality in the U.S. has set the stage for potentially blocking websites nationwide.Experimental Morpheus CPU is ‘mind-bogglingly terrible’ to crack
Cybersecurity researchers have found the Morpheous chip, designed by a U-M team lead by S. Jack Hu Professor of Computer Science and Engineering Todd Austin, to virtually eliminate whole classes of exploits.Ransomware, other cyber threats mount as medtech industry tries to adapt
Prof. Kevin Fu is interviewed on how cyber threats to the medical technology industry, including ransomware and other malware, are growing in sophistication and potentially putting patient safety at risk.Marina Minkin chosen for Facebook Fellowship
DARPA pitted 500+ hackers against this computer chip. The chip won.
After five years, Let’s Encrypt, a non-profit based on tech developed at Michigan, has helped to secure the internet
Winner of NSA’s 8th Annual Best Scientific Cybersecurity Research Paper Competition
The National Security Agency’s Research Directorate selected “Spectre Attacks: Exploiting Speculative Execution” as the winner of its 8th Annual Best Cybersecurity Research Paper competition. Prof. Daniel Genkin is one of the authors.Will Georgia’s new voting machines solve election problems — or make them worse?
Prof. J. Alex Halderman participates in a conversion about whether the latest voting technology being used in Georgia provides a stronger defense against meddling than the traditional paper ballot.NIST finalists for post-quantum security standards include research results developed by Prof. Chris Peikert
Hacker Lexicon: What Is a Side Channel Attack?
Prof. Daniel Genkin helps to explain why side channel attacks continue to happen in this article. Genkin has been involved in identifying a number of flaws that have been vulnerable to side channel attacks, enabling attacks such as the Meltdown, Spectre, RAMBleed, and Foreshadow attacks.New remote voting risks and solutions identified
Amid Pandemic and Upheaval, New Cyberthreats to the Presidential Election
Fear of the coronavirus is speeding up efforts to allow voting from home, but some of them pose security risks. A new study by Prof. J. Alex Halderman identifies risks to election integrity and voter privacy on the OmniBallot platform, currently in use for the Delaware primaries and in other parts of the country.Probing tech’s soft underbelly
Prof. Kevin Fu's lab has demonstrated weaknesses in the electronic devices and sensors that we rely upon to illustrate the need for improvements in cybersecurity. He is profiled in this article.Todd Austin Named S. Jack Hu Collegiate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering
Real-time monitor tracks the growing use of network filters for censorship
Buggy Iowa Caucus App Is Buggy, Security Experts Say
Here’s why NSA rushed to expose a dangerous computer bug
How Multiple System Failures Produced Debacle in Iowa Caucus
Halderman honored for public engagement efforts
The U-M presidential award honors individuals who provide sustained, dedicated, and influential leadership and service in major national or state capacities.App Used to Tabulate Votes Is Said to Have Been Inadequately Tested
Puerto Rico’s Internet Voting Plan Threatens Election Security: ACLU
Intel Is Patching the Patch for the Patch for Its ‘Zombieload’ Flaw
A research team from Michigan and University of Adelaide has identified a new microarchitectural attack that is capable of bypassing the buffer overwrite countermeasures in INtel's flagship processors.‘Chaos Is the Point’: Russian Hackers and Trolls Grow Stealthier in 2020
Research undercuts arguments from ballot-marking device advocates
Voting machines touted as secure option are actually vulnerable to hacking
EECS-CSE professor Alex Halderman's latest study shows that hybrid voting machines are still vulnerable to hacks.Voters fail mock election, exposing vulnerability to hackers
The latest study from EECS-CSE professor Alex Halderman shows vulnerabilities in ballot-marking devices.Breaking Into a Smart Home With A Laser – Smarter Every Day 229
Researchers design new solution to widespread side-channel attacks
How Let’s Encrypt doubled the percentage of secure websites in four years
How Russia’s online censorship could jeopardize internet freedom worldwide
Researchers take control of Siri, Alexa, and Google Home with lasers
Year of vulnerability hunting uncovers potential attacks on Intel Chips, RAM
All three of these attacks put users’ privacy at risk, exploiting new routes to sensitive data.Remote attack on temperature sensors threatens safety in incubators and industry
New attack on autonomous vehicle sensors creates fake obstacles
Best paper award for analysis of a decade of malware reports
Researchers use Rowhammer bit flips to steal 2048-bit crypto key
Prof. Daniel Genkin's group contributed to the discovery of a new side-channel attack targeting a computer's memory.New speculative execution bug leaks data from Intel chips’ internal buffers
Intel-specific vulnerability was found by researchers including Prof. Daniel Genkin's group, calling their discovery of the attack Fallout.New chip stops hacks before they start
Michigan’s new Election Security Commission holds inaugural meeting on U-M Campus
Halderman co-chairs new commission to protect Michigan votes
Election security: Halderman recommends actions to ensure integrity of US systems
Study reveals new data on region-specific website blocking practices
A secure future for US elections starts in the classroom
Tyche: A new permission model to defend against smart home hacks
Intel processor vulnerability could put millions of PCs at risk
Undocumented immigrants’ privacy at risk online, on phones
Building a security standard for a post-quantum future
Zuckerberg Capitol Hill testimony: Engineering experts offer comments
‘I hacked an election. So can the Russians.’
Michigan researchers discover vulnerabilities in next-generation connected vehicle technology
CSE PhD student Matt Bernhard on the Facebook data breach
Internet-scanning U-M startup offers new approach to cybersecurity
Unhackable computer under development with $3.6M DARPA grant
Chris Peikert Receives TCC Test of Time Award for work in lattice cryptography
Manos Kapritsos and collaborators win USENIX security paper award
BugMD: automatic mismatch diagnosis for bug triaging
Prof. J. Alex Halderman testifies in front of senate intelligence committee on secure elections
Smartphone security hole
Open ports act as security wormholes into mobile devices
Peter Honeyman receives USENIX Test of Time Award
Researchers David Adrian and Alex Halderman receive Pwnie Award for work on DROWN attack
With over 7 million certificates issued, Let’s Encrypt aims to secure the entire web
Two Michigan papers win top awards at IEEE Security and Privacy Symposium
Michigan and Verisign researchers demonstrate new man-in-the-middle WPAD query attack
Hacking into homes: Security flaws found in SmartThings connected home system
Security risks in the age of smart homes
Smart homes, an aspect of the Internet of Things, offer the promise of improved energy efficiency and control over home security. But there are also security risks. Smart home systems can leave owners vulnerable to serious threats, such as arson, blackmail, theft and extortion.Startup founded by U-M assoc. professor gets NSF grant
Security Flaw in New South Wales Puts Thousands of Online Votes at Risk
Zakir Durumeric Selected for Google PhD Fellowship
Duo of CSE Alums Form and Grow Security Company in Ann Arbor
J. Alex Halderman to Teach Course on Electronic and Internet Voting through Coursera
The 5-week course will provide the technical background and public policy foundation that today's citizens need to understand the electronic voting debate.