Ross J. Anderson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ross Anderson
FRS FREng FIMA FIET
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Ross Anderson in 2008
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| Born |
Ross John Anderson
15 September 1956 |
| Died | 28 March 2024 (aged 67) Cambridge, England
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| Nationality | British |
| Education | High School of Glasgow |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge (MA, PhD) |
| Known for |
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| Awards | Lovelace Medal (2015) |
| Scientific career | |
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| Institutions | |
| Thesis | Robust Computer Security (1995) |
| Doctoral advisor | Roger Needham |
| Doctoral students |
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Ross John Anderson (15 September 1956 – 28 March 2024) was a British expert in security engineering. This field is all about making sure computer systems and information are safe from attacks. He was a professor at the Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge. Ross Anderson was known for his important work in keeping our digital world secure. He passed away at his home in Cambridge when he was 67 years old.
Contents
Ross Anderson's Education Journey
Ross Anderson went to school at the High School of Glasgow. Later, in 1978, he earned degrees in mathematics and natural science from the University of Cambridge. He also studied computer engineering. Before becoming a professor, Ross worked in industries like avionics (making planes safe) and banking. In 1992, he returned to the University of Cambridge to study for his PhD. He earned his PhD in 1995 and started teaching that same year.
What Ross Anderson Researched and Did
Ross Anderson was very interested in how to make computers and information safe. He studied cryptography, which is the science of secret codes. He also looked at how reliable computer systems are and how technology rules affect people.
Designing Secret Codes
In the world of secret codes, Ross Anderson helped create several important tools. He worked with another expert, Eli Biham, to design codes like BEAR, LION, and Tiger. He also helped create a special code called Serpent. This code was so good that it was considered for a very important standard called the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). Ross also found weaknesses in other codes and designed his own, called Pike.
Thinking About Computer Security in Real Life
Ross Anderson believed that computer security wasn't just about computers. He thought it was also about people, society, and even politics. For example, when talking about online voting, he said that voting from home could make it easier for people to be pressured or for votes to be bought. He showed that security is more than just stopping hackers; it's about how technology affects our lives.
Helping Shape Technology Rules
In 1998, Ross Anderson started a group called the Foundation for Information Policy Research. This group was like a "think tank" that studied how technology rules affect everyone. They also worked to influence these rules. He also helped start a group called UK-Crypto and a new area of study called the economics of security. This field looks at the costs and benefits of making things secure.
Speaking Up for Academic Freedom
Ross Anderson was well-known at Cambridge University for speaking up. He defended the freedom of professors and students to research and share their ideas. He was also interested in how universities are run. He was even elected to the Cambridge University Council. In 2004, a student newspaper called him the university's "most powerful person."
Questioning New Technologies
Ross Anderson was not afraid to criticize new technologies if he saw problems. For example, he spoke out against "trusted computing" ideas, like Microsoft's Palladium system. He thought these systems might give too much control to companies.
He also had a famous idea called Anderson's Rule. He said that very large databases, which store lots of information, can never be perfectly safe. If you make them easy to use, they become less secure. If you make them super secure, they become very hard to use. It's a tricky balance!
Writing Books and Articles
Ross Anderson wrote an important book called Security Engineering in 2001. This book taught many people about how to build secure systems. He also started and edited a magazine called Computer and Communications Security Reviews.
Thoughts on Government Spying
After a lot of secret information about government spying was leaked in 2013, Ross Anderson shared his thoughts. He suggested that some government spy agencies might need to be changed or even ended. He also pointed out that big internet companies like Facebook and Google collect a lot of data. He believed this data collection made it easier for intelligence agencies to gather information.
He also had concerns about smart meters, which are devices that measure energy use. He worried about privacy and how secure our energy systems would be with them.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Ross Anderson received many important awards for his work.
Becoming a Fellow of the Royal Society
In 2009, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK. His nomination said that he was a "pioneer and world leader in security engineering." It also mentioned that he started new areas of research in hardware, software, and systems.
The nomination also highlighted his work on how systems fail. This helped people understand how to build safer systems for things like banking and healthcare. He also helped start new research topics like:
- How easy security systems are to use.
- Making hardware that can't be easily tampered with.
- Hiding information.
- Analyzing how different computer programs connect.
The Royal Society also recognized him for helping to create the study of information security economics. This field helps us understand where attacks might happen and how to defend against them. It's also important for making rules about our information society.
Ross Anderson was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng) in 2009. He was also a fellow at Churchill College, Cambridge.
Images for kids
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Ross Anderson in 2008
