Dorothy E. Denning facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dorothy Denning
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|---|---|
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| Born |
Dorothy Elizabeth Robling
August 12, 1945 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater |
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| Known for |
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| Spouse(s) |
Peter J. Denning
(m. 1974) |
| Awards | ACM Fellow (1995) National Cyber Security Hall of Fame (2012) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computers Information security |
| Institutions |
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| Thesis | Secure Information Flow in Computer Systems (1975) |
| Doctoral advisor | Herbert Schwetman |
Dorothy Elizabeth Denning (born August 12, 1945) is an American computer scientist. She is famous for her work in information security. She helped create ways to control who can see information (called lattice-based access control). She also developed systems that find unwanted visitors in computer networks (called intrusion detection systems).
Dorothy Denning has written four books and over 200 articles about computer security. In 2012, she was honored by being added to the National Cyber Security Hall of Fame. She is now a retired professor at the Naval Postgraduate School.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Dorothy Elizabeth Robling grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She was born to C. Lowell and Helen Watson Robling.
She went to the University of Michigan. There, she earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1967. She then got her master's degree in 1969. Later, she earned her PhD from Purdue University in 1975. Her PhD research was about keeping information safe in computer systems.
Career and Important Work
Dorothy Denning started her teaching career at Purdue University in 1975. She taught there until 1983. During this time, she wrote her first book, Cryptography and Data Security, in 1982. This book helped many people learn about cryptography, which is the science of secure communication.
From 1983 to 1987, she worked at SRI International. There, she helped create one of the very first intrusion detection systems. These systems are like security guards for computers. They watch for anyone trying to break in.
After working at Digital Equipment Corporation, she became the head of the Computer Science Department at Georgetown University. She later became a special professor there. In 2002, she joined the Naval Postgraduate School. She retired from there in 2016.
Throughout her career, Dorothy Denning always thought ahead about computer security problems. She was the first president of a group called the International Association for Cryptologic Research. With her husband, Peter, she edited a book in 1997 called Internet Besieged: Countering Cyberspace Scofflaws. This book was a big collection of ideas on how to make the internet safer. She also wrote Information Warfare and Security in 1998.
She often spoke to government groups about technology and online safety. Her new ideas won many awards.
Key Innovations in Computer Security
Dorothy Denning has received over 20 awards for her amazing work in computer security. Here are some of her most important contributions:
Controlling Access to Information
In 1976, she introduced a way to control who can access data. This method is called "A Lattice Model of Secure Information Flow." It is still used today to make sure only the right people can see sensitive information.
Detecting Intruders
Finding intruders is very important for protecting computer systems. While at SRI International, Dorothy Denning and Peter G. Neumann created a model for intrusion detection systems (IDS). Their system used statistics to find unusual activity. This idea is still the basis for many intrusion detection systems today.
Their system, called IDES (Intrusion Detection Expert System), ran on computers and looked at both user actions and network data. It combined rules to find known attacks with a way to spot strange behavior.
Improving Data Security with Encryption
Dorothy Denning also made data safer using encryption. Encryption scrambles information so only authorized people can read it. She introduced new ways to use timestamps in security protocols. She also found ways to make digital signatures more secure. Her book Cryptography and Data Security became a classic. It taught many people about how encryption works.
Database Security
In database security, she found ways to reduce "inference threats." These threats happen when someone tries to guess secret information from a database that has different levels of classified data. She helped solve problems that came from working with data that had different security levels.
Geo-Encryption
With L. Scott, Dorothy Denning wrote about using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) for "geo-encryption." This means data can only be unlocked when you are in a specific location. This helps make data even more secure.
Thinking About Ethics and Society
Even though she was a technical expert, Dorothy Denning also thought about the legal, ethical, and social sides of computer security. She looked at topics like online crime, cyber terrorism, and cyber warfare. Her later papers focused on current online threats and how to defend against them.
Challenges and Discussions
Dorothy Denning sometimes faced challenges and discussions because of her work.
Talking with Hackers
She interviewed hackers for her research on hacking. Some people criticized her because she found some positive things to say about their actions. She explained her views in a paper in 1995.
The Clipper Chip Discussion
Dorothy Denning was involved in discussions about the "Clipper chip." This was a government idea to allow law enforcement to access encrypted private communications. She reviewed the secret "Skipjack" encryption method. She told Congress that if the method was made public, people could use it without allowing law enforcement access. She believed in strong security but also supported ways for law enforcement to decrypt information when needed. However, she did not say that key escrow should be required for everyone. Eventually, the Clipper chip idea was stopped.
Software Responsibility
Dorothy Denning also suggested that companies that make software should be responsible for errors in their products. This was a big discussion point. Some companies worried they would be sued too much. However, some large companies are now starting to accept responsibility for software in their products, like self-driving cars.
Awards and Honors
Dorothy Denning has received many awards for her important work:
- In 1995, she was named an ACM Fellow by the Association for Computing Machinery. This is a very high honor in computing.
- In 1999, she received the National Computer Systems Security Award. This award recognized her "outstanding contributions to the field of computer security."
- Time magazine called her a security innovator in 2001.
- The Augusta Ada Lovelace Award in 2001 recognized her great work in computer security and cryptography. It also honored her contributions to national discussions on cyber terrorism.
- In 2004, she received the Harold F. Tipton Award for her "sustained excellence" in information security.
- In 2008, a special interest group of ACM gave her their Outstanding Innovator Award.
- She was named a fellow of the International Information Security Certification Consortium (ISC2).
- In 2010, she was named a distinguished fellow of the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA).
- In 2012, she was one of the first people to be added to the National Cyber Security Hall of Fame.
The New Jersey City University even named its new security center after her. It is called the Dr. Dorothy E. Denning Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education.
Personal Life
Dorothy Elizabeth Robling married Peter J. Denning in 1974. This was while she was studying for her PhD at Purdue University.
Books
- Cryptography and Data Security (1982)
- Internet Besieged: Countering Cyberspace Scofflaws (edited with Peter J. Denning, 1997)
- Information Warfare and Security (1998)
