Towards a Formal Theory of Computer Insecurity: a language-theoretic approach

Published: Feb. 17, 2011, 8 a.m.

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven’s Len Sassaman and independent researcher Meredith L. Patterson spoke at Dartmouth on February 17, 2011. They discussed the craft of finding weaknesses in computer programs and systems and how this is taught, including how classic case studies in software vulnerabilities can be reduced to familiar principles of the formal languages and computation theory and the implications of this reduction for the future of the current Internet protocols and the design of new secure ones.