Contact: Bob Ratliff
A report originally completed for a computer security class at Mississippi State is the first-place winner in student competition of the 2000 National Information Systems Security Conference.
Gregory A. Moorer of Clinton, a May computer science graduate of the university, last spring wrote "The Case for Beneficial Computer Viruses and Worms: A Student's Perspective" as a semester term paper. His teacher was so impressed that he encouraged the senior to enter a competition traditionally dominated by graduate students.
"Computer security is a top priority at the national level and one of our emphasis areas in the computer science program," said associate professor Rayford Vaughn. Moorer is the third MSU student receiving a top research paper award over the past two years, he added.
Last year, an MSU graduate student took highest honors at the NISS Conference, while this summer another won the Canadian Information Security Symposium competition.
Moorer's 11-page report was honored at the recent NISSC conference in Baltimore, Md. In it, he examines possibilities for turning a major security problem into something positive for computer systems.
"Greg's approach is that the self-replicating programs that are the basis for computer viruses and worms can be beneficial if properly used and controlled," Vaughn said. "As part of the research, he conducted telephone and e-mail interviews with some of the nation's leading computer security experts."
Vaughn said Moorer concluded that the same technology responsible for this year's notorious "Love Bug" virus and similar destructive programs "can be used to create programs that handle such jobs as checking the health of computer networks and updating software."
Though there is no direct tie-in with the former MSU student' recent award, Moorer's expertise was earlier recognized in another meaningful way. Following graduation, he went to work for the Department of Defense in the Washington, D.C., area.