The Georgia Tech Information Security Center (GTISC) will begin its inaugural 2001 Distinguished Lecture Series on September 6 with a visit by Dr. Michael Rabin, Thomas J. Watson Sr. Professor of Computer Science at Harvard University. Rabin will speak on "Hyper-Encryption and Ever Lasting Secrets" at 3 p.m. in Student Services Building, room 117.

The lecture series is generously sponsored by Atlanta-based SecureWorks Inc., which offers a 24x7 real-time intrusion prevention service to protect networks from security breaches.

Created in 1998, GTISC is an interdisciplinary center focused on conducting research and providing education and outreach programs on information security issues. Recently, the National Security Agency named GTISC a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Security Assurance Education.

Some 20 faculty and 45 students from across the Georgia Tech campus are involved in approximately $6 million of funded research in information security through GTISC. The Center also offers a number of courses on the topic and expects to offer a Master's in Information Security starting sometime in 2002.

"Information security is one of the most important and challenging issues facing our society today," said Dr. Peter Freeman, acting director for GTISC and John P. Imlay, Jr. dean and professor in the College of Computing.

"As we understand more about the subject, it is clear that there are a myriad of opportunities for cutting-edge research in computer science as well as policy studies. This set of outstanding speakers has been chosen to help us all better understand the intellectual challenges and policy decisions we face."

About SecureWorks

SecureWorks is the first "next generation" network security service designed to prevent network intrusions by professional hackers. The company provides comprehensive intrusion prevention by offering three key components: real-time intervention, data fingerprint correlation and dynamic inoculation technology. SecureWorks' proactive security solution is based on its information security appliance, the iSensor, and its technology working in concert with security specialists located at the company's security operations center.

The complete schedule for the 2001 Fall lecture series follows:

September 6
Dr. Michael O. Rabin
Thomas J. Watson Sr. Professor of Computer Science
Harvard University

October 4
Dr. Eugene H. Spafford
Purdue University
Professor of Computer Science and Philosophy
Director, Center for Education Research Information Assurance and Security

October 18
Dr. Edward W. Felten
Princeton University
Associate Professor of Computer Science

November 8
Dr. Matthew A. Bishop
University of California, Davis
Associate Professor of Computer Science

December 6
Dr. Donald Prosnitz
Department of Justice
Chief Scientist