Blog: Code Breakthrough Delivers Safer Computing

Code Breakthrough Delivers Safer Computing
University of New South Wales (09/25/09) Trute, Peter

Computer researchers at the University of New South Wales and NICTA say they have proven that an operating-system kernel was 100 percent free of bugs. The team verified the kernel known as the seL4 microkernel by mathematically proving the correctness of about 7,500 lines of computer code in a project taking an average of six people more than five years. "What we've shown is that it's possible to make the lowest level, the most critical, and in a way the most dangerous part of the system, provably fault free," says NICTA researcher Gernot Heiser. The research could potentially improve the security and reliability of critical systems used by the medical and airline industries as well as the military. "The verification provides conclusive evidence that bug-free software is possible, and in the future, nothing less should be considered acceptable where critical assets are at stake," Heiser says.

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Blog: Ants Versus Worms: Computer Security Mimics Nature

Ants Versus Worms: Computer Security Mimics Nature
Wake Forest University (09/21/09) Frazier, Eric

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) researcher Glenn Fink is working with Wake Forest University professor Errin Fulp to develop a computer security program that models itself after the defensive techniques of ants. The new anti-malware system uses itinerant digital ants to find problems in a large network. When an ant comes across something suspicious, it leaves behind a "scent trail" that draws an army of ants to the problem. The large group attracts the attention of computer users to a possible invasion. "Our idea is to deploy 3,000 different types of digital ants, each looking for evidence of a threat," Fulp says. Rather than equipping all digital ants with the same memory-heavy defenses, the program apportions certain threats to specific digital ants. The digital ants report to a "sentinel" located at each computer, which in turn is supervised by a "sergeant" of the network. All sergeants are monitored and controlled by human users. To test the program, the researchers sent a computer worm into the system and the digital ants were able to corner the worm. PNNL has given the researchers more time to study the program. If successful, the researchers say the program would be ideal for universities, government agencies, and corporations that rely on large networks.

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Blog: Rethinking the Long Tail Theory: How to Define 'Hits' and 'Niches'

Rethinking the Long Tail Theory: How to Define 'Hits' and 'Niches'
Knowledge@Wharton (09/16/09)

The Long Tail theory suggests that the Internet drives demand away from popular products with mass appeal and directs it to more obscure niche offerings as it eases distribution and uses cutting-edge recommendation systems, but this theory is being challenged by new Wharton School research. A paper by Wharton professor Serguei Netessine and doctoral student Tom F. Tan details their use of data from the Netflix movie rental company to investigate consumer demand for blockbusters and lesser-known films. The researchers have determined that, contrary to the Long Tail effect, mass appeal products retain their high rankings when expanding product variety and consumer demand is factored in. "There are entire companies based on the premise of the Long Tail effect that argue they will make money focusing on niche markets," Netessine says. "Our findings show it's very rare in business that everything is so black and white. In most situations, the answer is, 'It depends.' The presence of the Long Tail effect might be less universal than one may be led to believe." The number of rated film titles at Netflix climbed from 4,470 to 17,768 between 2000 and 2005, and if this diversity is factored in so that product popularity is estimated relative to the total product variety, Wharton researchers do not uncover any proof of the Long Tail effect. Netessine says a relative analysis yields more meaning when applying the Long Tail theory to companies because it accounts for costs involved in maintaining a supply chain to meet demand for many niche products.

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