Herbert S. Lin

Catalyzing Inquiry at the Interface of Computing and Biology

This study is the first comprehensive NRC study that suggests a high-level intellectual structure for Federal agencies for supporting work at the biology/computing interface. The report seeks to establish the intellectual legitimacy of a fundamentally cross-disciplinary collaboration between biologists and computer scientists. That is, while some universities are increasingly favorable to research at the intersection, life science researchers at other universities are strongly impeded in their efforts to collaborate. This report addresses these impediments and describes proven strategies for overcoming them. An important feature of the report is the use of well-documented examples that describe clearly to individuals not trained in computer science the value and usage of computing across the biological sciences, from genes and proteins to networks and pathways, from organelles to cells, and from individual organisms to populations and ecosystems. It is hoped that these examples will be useful to students in the life sciences to motivate (continued) study in computer science that will enable them to be more facile users of computing in their future biological studies.

Cryptography's role in securing the information society

Отчет Совета по информатике и телекоммуникациям (Computer Science and Telecommunications Board - CSTB), опубликованный в ноябре 1996 года. Отчет был восторженно провозглашен прессой за хорошо подобранные и весьма уместные материалы. В нем описано возрастание интересов к шифрованию, внимание правительства к распространению и управлению криптографией, даны рекомендации по перспективным направлениям развития криптографии.

Fluency with information technology

Abstract This article contrasts “computer literacy” with a deeper kind of knowledge and understanding called “fluency with information technology.” Computer literacy generally focuses on skills—the ability to use a few computer applications. But skills become obsolete with new technologies, and so skills with specific applications are thus necessary but not sufficient for individuals to adapt to new information technologies in the future. By contrast, fluency with information technology includes a skills component—but also includes an understanding of the foundational concepts of information technology and the ability to use problem-solving intellectual capabilities in an information technology context.

Cryptography and public policy

Abstract Cryptography has been at the center of an often obscure but bitterly fought policy battle for the past several years. The National Research Council (NRC), at the request of Congress, compiled a comprehensive review of national cryptography policy. The NRC’s report, Cryptography’s Role in Securing the Information Society , presents its view on national cryptography policy in force at the time the report was released. The Executive Summary from that report is reprinted, followed by a description of major events since the report was released in May 1996 through mid-1997.

A virtual necessity: Some modest steps toward greater cybersecurity

Revelations about the Stuxnet computer worm raise the possibility of damaging cyberattacks on the US electrical power grid or other critical infrastructure. Several approaches might mitigate cyberthreats to critical infrastructure and information technology targets. Among them are efforts to defend the information systems that support important infrastructure, to deter enemies from cyberattacks on those systems, to reduce or eliminate the forces that might be used in cyberattacks, or to reach arms control agreements that limit or proscribe such cyberattacks. Although each of these approaches is unlikely to be successful in and of itself, each is worthy of further exploration. Taken together, they may yield benefits that make cyberspace more secure.

Lifting the Veil on Cyber Offense

Cyber attacks are deliberate actions to alter, disrupt, deceive, degrade, or destroy computer systems or networks or the information and/or programs resident in or transiting these systems or networks. The use of cyber attack as an instrument of US policy is rarely discussed but is an important topic to the nation.

Technology's limited role in resolving debates over digital surveillance

Teasing apart technical issues from social and political issues Although it has been known for many years that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) has engaged in electronic surveillance, its scope and scale were not widely understood in the United States or abroad before the revelations of the past year based on documents obtained from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. Today, an important public debate is over how policy-makers balance between two goals: identifying evil-doers and thwarting their activities without unduly intruding on the rights and lives of law-abiding people who pose no threat to society.

Emerging and Readily Available Technologies and National Security

T maintain technological military superiority over U.S. adversaries, government agencies invest significantly in research and development (R&D) that can lead to new applications of science and technology for national security uses. Some of these developments, however, raise complex ethical, legal, and societal issues (ELSI) that can have a considerable impact on many stakeholders, including the American public. For instance, what limits, if any, should be placed on the development of cyber weapons, given their potential to cause extensive economic damage? What are the ethics of enhancing the physical or cognitive capabilities of soldiers with drugs or implants? A wider variety of ELSI concerns may arise with emerging and readily available technologies whose relatively low cost puts them within the reach of less technologically advanced nations, nonstate actors, and even individuals. To encourage awareness of and attention to ELSI concerns, this report provides a framework developed to help policy makers, researchers, and research sponsors identify and address ELSI implications of R&D on technologies with potential military application. The report also presents findings and recommendations for government agencies and research institutions seeking to implement this framework.

Laying an Intellectual Foundation for Cyberdeterrence: Some Initial Steps

This paper considers the basic question of how to effectively prevent, discourage, and inhibit hostile activity against important U.S. information systems and networks. It contains four main sections (Sections 2.1-2.3 of this paper are es- sentially a reproduction of The NRC letter report for the committee on deterring cyberattacks: informing strategies and developing options for U.S. policy, available at http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12886&page=2, 2010. Section 2.4 is based on material contained in National Research Council, in Proceedings of a workshop on deterring cyberattacks: informing strategies and developing options for U.S. policy, 2010). Section 2.1 describes a broad context for cybersecurity, es- tablishing its importance and characterizing the threat. Section 2.2 sketches a range of possible approaches for how the nation might respond to cybersecurity threats, emphasizing how little is known about how such approaches might be effective in an operational role. Section 2.3 describes a research agenda intended to develop more knowledge and insight into these various approaches. Section 2.4 provides a sum- mary of 15 papers by individual authors that address various aspects of the research agenda.