Kevin Butler’s research as an assistant professor in Computer and Information Science benefits business systems that rely on secure information.

Now he’s benefitting from that work, as well.

Butler recently won a National Science Foundation Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace CAREER Award entitled "Securing Critical Infrastructure with Autonomously Secure Storage."

The $400,000 research grant is the foundation’s most prestigious award in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research.

The grant will support Butler's development of techniques and architectures for securely storing and monitoring embedded systems such as smart grids and industrial control systems. His research team will examine vulnerabilities relating to generating and storing data in critical embedded systems which are often resource-constrained and potentially develop autonomously secure storage devices that act as resilient storage for embedded devices.

Butler focuses on security issues as they relate to storage systems, large-scale systems architectures and networks. His other research interests include cloud computing, Internet security, mobile phone security and privacy, applied cryptosystems and using secure hardware to enforce systems security.

He is the director of the Oregon Systems Infrastructure Research and Information Security (OSIRIS) Laboratory and founder of the annual Oregon Security Day conference.

- by Computer and Information Science