One
of the country's pioneering figures in computer security
was honored in a special ceremony at the Commerce Department's
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today.
Peter
G. Neumann of SRI received the 2002 Computer System Security
Award, which is given annually by NIST and the National
Security Agency. The award is granted for outstanding contributions
toward the advancement of computer security technology and
is generally considered the most prestigious award in the
area of information security and assurance.
Neumann
has helped create many of the fundamental principles in
building secure computer and communications systems. During
the late 1960s, Neumann had a leadership role in the design,
development and management of the Multiplexed Information
Computing Services (MULTICS) operating system along with
researchers at leading universities and computer companies.
This work was used as the security test-bed for some of
the most important and seminal security ideas.
In
the 1970s, Neumann led the design of the Provably Secure
Operating System (PSOS), which was the first design based
on formal security analysis.
Neumann
has energized and led debates on national issues related
to security, reliability, human safety and trustworthy design.
He has participated in several National Academy of Sciences
studies, including two that produced highly regarded reportsComputers
at Risk: Safe Computing in the Information Age in 1990 and
CRISIS (Cryptography's Role in Securing the Information
Society), a report on U.S. cryptographic policy in 1996.
His book, Computer-Related Risks, is in its fourth
printing.
A nominee must meet at least one of the following criteria
to be considered for the Computer System Security Award: