IST professor receives Fulbright Cyber Security Award

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Anna Squicciarini, associate professor of information sciences and technology, has received a Fulbright Cyber Security Award to conduct research in London in summer 2021.

During the four-month program, Squicciarini will work with former and new collaborators at King’s College in London. Her research will focus on cloud computing security, particularly as it relates to the perspective of end users.

"A lot of daily online users heavily rely on cloud computing platforms to store and share content, but they have very little understanding of the mechanisms implemented to protect their content,” she said. "[This research is] about users' perceptions, particularly when it comes to content deletion practices and sharing content on the cloud."

Squicciarini has found in her pilot studies that, on the user end, there is little understanding of security measures on cloud services such as Google Drive.

“Who is in charge of the content? How long does the content stay in your profile?” she said. “Do you have full control over it? If you don't, what are the possible mechanisms that you can use to protect that content?”

She added, “It's very important to not only increase our awareness but also come up with a better understanding of possible misconceptions so that more user-friendly mechanisms can be deployed.”

Squicciarini’s long-time research focus has been in the area of data security and privacy, with emphasis on access control mechanisms.

"This specific project in particular regards to the cloud is a somewhat new angle," she said. "So I'm very excited about it. And I think it would be good to have some dedicated space and time to explore this more in depth."

The Fulbright Cyber Security Award is presented annually to cybersecurity scholars who are experts in the field, as part of collaboration between the U.S. and the United Kingdom. The cooperative program was launched in 2015 following a visit from Prime Minister David Cameron to the White House.

"I'm honored because it's very prestigious, and I am excited to reconnect with the European and British academic communities," said Squicciarini. "I've always considered a Fulbright a goal of my career, because it positions you as an international scholar."