Spring 2017 – Speaker Profiles & Talks

Prof. John Cook – Herkimer College

Title: Exploring Embedded System Vulnerabilities

Presentation Slides

Abstract:

Embedded systems have extensive applications in consumer, commercial, automotive, industrial and healthcare markets. Examples of embedded devices include TVs, household appliances, banking ATM machines, routers, POS (point of sale) terminals, automobiles and cell phones. Internally, many of these devices are much like a traditional personal computer, running static versions of Linux and Windows. Often times, these devices are connected to the Internet but have no way of patching against discovered vulnerabilities. This presentation will explore methods of accessing the underlying systems in these devices as well as demonstrate methods of discovering vulnerabilities.

Bio:

Prof. Cook is the head of the Computer Network Tech program at Herkimer College. His research interests include embedded systems security, operating system and network security. He is a US Air Force veteran that has completed degrees in Data Processing, Programming and Systems as well as a BS and MS in Telecommunications from SUNY Poly. John’s career experience includes: government contracting at Rome Labs, and over 20 years as an independent IT consultant.

 
 

Mr. Michael Moore – Harris Corp.

Title: Neuromorphic Computing

Presentation Slides

Abstract:

The emergence of main stream artificial intelligence has been a prediction of computer scientists for more than fifty years; yet, there are still no robots among us. After a half century of research and development, predictions by Ray Kurzweil of a break-through in less than two decades have refueled speculation. The renewed interest is aligned with ‘neuromorphinc computing,’ an approach inspired by biology. Reaching a break-through will involve much more than computer science alone can provide. It will rest on new foundations of nano technology, neuroscience, mathematics and behavioral sciences.

Bio:

Michael Moore is a principle engineer and project manager at Harris Corporation in Rome NY. His career interests have focused on high performance computing, neuroscience, embedded systems, domain specific languages and distributed computing. Mr. Moore has published technical papers on the real-time emulation of a cortical visual track using CELL-B technology. He also published a book on real-time embedded software design, and has contributed to multiple defense system developments. Mr. Moore has a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Detroit, an MS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Dayton, and forty years of involvement with computer engineering. He has also served for the past 21 years as a School Board member at Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES.

 
 

Dr. Jeanna N. Matthews – Clarkson University

Title: Big Data’s Big Problems

Presentation Slides

Abstract:

The data that we record daily about ourselves through our cell phones, credit card purchases, emails, social media postings, etc., helps us connect with each other and improve our quality of life. However, we are also enabling a set of societal harms that we have not yet begun to grapple with seriously. I will be discussing some of the problems of big data including insufficient anonymization and unfairness in automated decision making.

Bio:

Jeanna Neefe Matthews is an associate professor of Computer Science at Clarkson University (Potsdam, New York). Her research interests include virtualization, cloud computing, computer security, computer networks and operating systems. At Clarkson, she leads several hands-on computing laboratories including the Clarkson Open Source Institute and Clarkson Internet Teaching Laboratory. Students in these labs and in her classes at Clarkson and Cornell have been winners in a number of prestigious computing contests including the 2001, 2002, and 2004 IBM Linux Challenge, the 2005 IBM North American Grid Scholar’s Challenge, the 2005 Unisys Tuxmaster competition, and the 2006 VMware Ultimate Virtual Appliance Challenge. She is currently a member of the Executive Committee of ACM as the Chair of the Special Interest Group Governing Board. She has written several popular books including Running Xen: A Hands-On Guide to the Art of Virtualization and Computer Networking: Internet Protocols in Action. Jeanna received her Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California at Berkeley in 1999, a B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science from Ohio State University in 1994 and a B.A. in Spanish from the State University of New York at Potsdam in 2015.