Cal State Fullerton Professor Helps to Fight Cyberterrorism

A Cal State Fullerton faculty member is working to identify, research and develop plans and technologies to thwart cyberterrorism.

“According to a study completed last year, there is a very distinct and high probability of cyberwarfare somewhere in the world by 2007,” says Rahul Bhaskar, associate professor of information systems and decision sciences. “We in the U.S. are vulnerable to such warfare. Increasingly, infrastructure, such as power plants, water systems and utilities, are being managed using computers and, therefore, they are vulnerable to cyberattack.

“Since 9/11, states across the United States are working to protect their assets against such cyberattacks that could bring basic services of the state to a halt.”

Bhaskar, who also serves as director of the Forum for Advanced Security Technologies (FAST), was awarded a $64,350 contract to work with Wisconsin’s Division of Criminal Investigation on various efforts designed to combat cyberterrorism.

“FAST has been developing location-based services using GIS, or geographic information system, technology,” Bhaskar says. “This will provide needed information directly to responders, rather than to intermediaries. The responders can use that information to fight cyberattacks.”
Bhaskar would like to see GIS technology applied to Internet services to locate where suspicious messages/viruses are originating. “From there, we can use collaborative technology to share this type of information among different law enforcement agencies.”

To enhance computer forensic capabilities immediately, in addition to the research on GIS applications, “we also are working on e-collaboration technology, known as WIKI, to enhance law enforcement communications — particularly to increase the analytical capabilities by collaboration and data sharing.”

Bhaskar, who joined the Cal State Fullerton faculty in 2002, has worked with Wisconsin’s Department of Justice since 1992. Bhaskar holds a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and resides in Irvine.

Media Contacts:
Rahul Bhaskar, associate professor of information systems and decision sciences, at (714) 278-3328 or rbhaskar@fullerton.edu

Pamela McLaren of Public Affairs at (714) 278-4852 or pmclaren@fullerton.edu