Category Archives: Processors

Job ad: pre- and post-doctoral posts in processor, operating system, and compiler security

Jobs, Operating systems, Processors, Programmable logic, Programming languages, Security engineering

The CTSRD Project is advertising two posts in processor, operating system, and compiler security. The first is a research assistant position, suitable for candidates who may not have a research background, and the second is a post-doctoral research associate position suitable for candidates who have completed (or will shortly complete) a PhD in computer science or a related field.

The CTSRD Project is investigating fundamental improvements to CPU architecture, operating system (OS) design, and programming language structure in support of computer security. The project is a collaboration between the University of Cambridge and SRI International, and part of the DARPA CRASH research programme on clean-slate computer system design.

These positions will be integral parts of an international team of researchers spanning multiple institutions across academia and industry. Successful candidate will provide support for the larger research effort by contributing to low-level hardware and system-software implementation and experimentation. Responsibilities will include extending Bluespec-based CHERI processor designs, modifying operating system kernels and compiler suites, administering test and development systems, as well as performing performance measurements. The position will also support and engage with early adopter communities for our open-source research platform in the UK and abroad.

Candidates should have strong experience with at least one of Bluespec HDL, OS kernel development (FreeBSD preferred), or compiler internals (LLVM preferred); strong experience with the C programming language and use of revision control in large, collaborative projects is essential. Some experience with computer security and formal methods is also recommended.

Further details on the two posts may be found in job ads NR27772 and NR27782. E-mail queries may be sent directly to Dr Robert N. M. Watson.

Both posts are intended to start on 8 July 2013; applications must be received by 9 May 2013.

Interviews on the clean-slate design argument

News coverage, Operating systems, Processors, Security engineering

Over the past two years, Peter G. Neumann and I, along with a host of collaborators at SRI International and the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, have been pursuing CTSRD, a joint computer-security research project exploring fundamental revisions to CPU design, operating systems, and application program structure. Recently we’ve been talking about the social, economic, and technical context for that work in a series of media interviews, including one with ACM Queue on research into the hardware-software interface posted previously.

A key aspect to our argument is that the computer industry has been pursuing a strategy of hill climbing with respect to security; if we were willing to take a step back and revisit some of our more fundamental design choices, learning from longer-term security research over the last forty years, then we might be able to break aspects of the asymmetry driving the current arms race between attackers and defenders. This clean-slate argument doesn’t mean we need to throw everything away, but does suggest that more radical change is required than is being widely considered, as we explore in two further interviews:

CFP: Runtime Environments, Systems, Layering and Virtualized Environments (RESoLVE 2013)

Call for papers, Operating systems, Processors, Programming languages

This year, we presented two papers at RESoLVE 2012 relating to the structure of operating systems and hardware, one focused on CPU instruction set security features out of our CTSRD project, and another on efficient and reconfigurable communications in data centres out of our MRC2 project.

I’m pleased to announce the Call for Papers for RESoLVE 2013, a workshop (co-located with ASPLOS 2013) that brings together researchers in both the OS and language level virtual machine communities to exchange ideas and experiences, and to discuss how these separate layers can take advantage of each others’ services. This has a particular interest to the security community, who both want to build, and build on, security properties spanning hardware protection (e.g., VMs) and language-level protection.

Runtime Environments, Systems, Layering and Virtualized Environments
(RESoLVE 2013)

ASPLOS 2013 Workshop, Houston, Texas, USA
March 16, 2013

Introduction

Today’s applications typically target high-level runtime systems and frameworks. At the same time, the operating systems on which they run are themselves increasingly being deployed on top of (hardware) virtual machines. These trends are enabling applications to be written, tested, and deployed more quickly, while simplifying tasks such as checkpointing, providing fault-tolerance, enabling data and computation migration, and making better, more power-efficient use of hardware infrastructure.

However, much current work on virtualization still focuses on running unmodified legacy systems and most higher-level runtime systems ignore the fact that they are deployed in virtual environments. The workshop on Runtime Environments, Systems, Layering, and Virtualized Environments (RESoLVE 2013) aims to brings together researchers in both the OS and language level virtual machine communities to exchange ideas and experiences and to discuss how these separate layers can take advantage of each others’ services.

Continue reading CFP: Runtime Environments, Systems, Layering and Virtualized Environments (RESoLVE 2013) →

ACM Queue interview on research into the hardware-software interface

News coverage, Operating systems, Processors, Programming languages

ACM Queue has posted my August 2012 interview on research into the hardware-software interface. We discuss the importance of a whole-stack view in addressing contemporary application security problems, which are often grounded in how we represent and execute software over lower-level substrates. We need to consider CPU design, operating systems, programming languages, applications, and formal methods — which requires building collaborations that span traditional silos in computer science research. I also consider the impact of open source on software security research methodology, and how we might extend those ideas to CPU research. A motivation for this investigation is our experimental CHERI hybrid capability processor, part of the CTSRD Project, a long-term research collaboration between the security, operating systems, and computer architecture groups at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory and the systems and formal methods groups SRI International Computer Science Laboratory.

Job ad: post-doctoral researcher in security, operating systems, computer architecture

Jobs, Operating systems, Processors, Programming languages

We are pleased to announce a job opening at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory for a post-doctoral researcher working in the areas of security, operating systems, and computer architecture.

Research Associate in compiler-assisted instrumentation of operating system kernels
University of Cambridge – Faculty of Computer Science and Technology
Salary: £27,578-£35,938 pa

The funds for this post are available for up to two years:

We are seeking a Post-doctoral Research Associate to join the CTSRD and MRC2 projects, which are investigating fundamental revisions to CPU architecture, operating system (OS), programming language, and networking structures in support of computer security. The two projects are collaborations between the University of Cambridge and SRI International, and part of the DARPA CRASH and MRC research programmes on clean-slate computer system design.

This position will be an integral part of an international team of researchers spanning multiple institutions across academia and industry. The successful candidate will contribute to low-level aspects of system software: compilers, language run-times, and OS kernels. Responsibilities will include researching the application of novel dynamic instrumentation techniques to C-language operating systems and applications, including adaptation of the FreeBSD kernel and LLVM compiler suite, and evaluation of the resulting system.

Continue reading Job ad: post-doctoral researcher in security, operating systems, computer architecture →

Three-paper Thursday: capability systems

Operating systems, Processors, Programming languages, Three Paper Thursday

This week, my contribution to our three-paper Thursday research reading list series is on capability systems. Capabilities are unforgeable tokens of authority — capability systems are hardware, operating, or programming systems in which access to resources can occur only using capabilities. Capability system research in the 1970s motivated many fundamental insights into practical articulations of the principle of least privilege, separation of mechanism and policy, and the interactions between program representation and security. They also formed the intellectual foundation for a recent renaissance in capability-oriented microkernels (L4, sel4) and programming languages (Joe-E, Caja, ECMAScript 5). Capability systems have a long history at Cambridge, including the CAP Computer, and more recently, our work on Capsicum: practical capabilities for UNIX. I’ve selected three “must read” papers, but there are plenty of other influential pieces that, unfortunately, space doesn’t allow for!
Continue reading Three-paper Thursday: capability systems →

Job ad: post-doctoral researcher in security, operating systems, computer architecture

Hardware & signals, Jobs, Operating systems, Processors

We are pleased to announce a job opening at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory for a post-doctoral researcher working in the areas of security, operating systems, and computer architecture.

Research Associate
University of Cambridge – Faculty of Computer Science & Technology

Salary: £27,428 – £35,788 pa
The funds for this post are available for one year:

We are seeking a Post-doctoral Research Associate to join the CTSRD Project, which is investigating fundamental improvements to CPU architecture, operating system (OS), and programming language structure in support of computer security. The CTSRD Project is a collaboration between the University of Cambridge and SRI International, and part of the DARPA CRASH research programme on clean-slate computer system design.

This position will be an integral part of an international team of researchers spanning multiple institutions across academia and industry. The successful candidate will contribute to low-level aspects of system software: compilers, language run-times, and OS kernels. Responsibilities will include researching the application of novel dynamic techniques to C-language operating systems and applications, including adaptation of the FreeBSD kernel and LLVM compiler suite, and measurement of the resulting system.

An ideal candidate will hold (or be close to finishing) a PhD in Computer Science, Mathematics, or similar with a strong background in low-level system software development, which should include at least of one of strong kernel development experience (FreeBSD preferred; Linux acceptable), or compiler internals experience (LLVM preferred; gcc acceptable). Strong experience with the C programming language is critical. Some background in computer security is also recommended.

Candidates must be able to provide evidence of relevant work demonstrated by a research publication track record or industrial experience. Good interpersonal and organisational skills and the ability to work in a team are also essential. This post is intended to be filled as soon as practically possible after the closing date.

Applications should include:

  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Brief statement of the particular contribution you would make to the project
  • A completed form CHRIS6

Completed applications should be sent by post to: Personnel-Admin,Computer Laboratory, William Gates Building, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0FD, or by email to: personnel-admin@cl.cam.ac.uk

Quote Reference: NR10692
Closing Date: 10 January 2012

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