Tulane Engineering Forum

Linda Bright Lankewicz

Linda Lankewicz received her Ph.D. from Tulane University in 1992. Her research at Tulane on Intrusion Detection with Mark Benard was the basis of the methodology patented by Haystack Labs of Austin, Texas, in 1994, implemented in their intrusion detection products. Her nonparametric statistical approach to anomaly detection is discussed in a recently published book on intrusion detection by R. G. Bace, formerly with the National Security Agency. Her more recent work includes applying machine learning techniques to the problem.

Professor Lankewicz is currently an associate professor at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. Appointed as the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Assistant Professor, she was the first computer scientist on the faculty. Progress during her five years there includes revision of the curriculum, approval of a new major, acquiring a visiting professor position, and hiring another computer scientist for a new tenure track position. A working relationship with Carnegie Mellon has been established with internships for Sewanee undergraduates. Three of her undergraduate students have entered the CMU graduate program to study artificial intelligence; several more are in other graduate programs. Four of her students have presented papers at ACM conferences on their undergraduate research. Linda currently has a grant to investigate applying machine learning techniques to the problem of information classification and extraction; two of her students are working with her on this.

Linda's administrative experience includes strategic planning for information technology at the University of the South and both institutional research and chairing the SACS Self-Study at Spring Hill College. She has experience as a consultant developing database systems and teaching computer applications for various business organizations.

Linda has strong interests in the computer science curriculum. She recently assisted Spring Hill College with the development of an e-commerce curriculum for their business information system program of study. She has worked in a similar capacity to develop curricula for the study of computing at the secondary and elementary levels. In the early 1980s she helped develop a state-wide curriculum guide. During the past year she developed a distance learning course. Students Bishop Moore College in Mavelikara, Kerala, India, took an introductory computer science course jointly with students at the Unversity of the South. In August Linda went to India to assist Bishop Moore College with further development of their computer science program.

Presentation Topic: Intrusion Detection

By Linda Bright Lankewicz

Summary

With greater connectivity, incidents of illicit entry to computer systems have increased. Rather than being more protected from such incidents, systems are more vulnerable. Greater dependence upon networked computer systems for business transactions and information access has increased the need for reliable intrusion detection systems. A relatively new area of research, intrusion detection is challenging because of the technical difficulty of implementing solutions and because of its complicated relationship with privacy and legal issues.