Brett Tjaden received a B.S. from Haverford College in 1991. From 1991 to 1993, he was a member of the Automated Speech Recognition group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. From 1993 to 1997, he pursued his graduate studies in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Virginia. From 1998 to 2002, Dr. Tjaden was an Assistant Professor in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Ohio University.

Dr. Tjaden is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at James Madison University. His primary research interests are:

• intrusion detection systems,
• vulnerability assessment,
• network monitoring,
• and network security.

Presentation

Training Students to Administer and Defend Computer Networks and Systems

Abstract: The security of computer systems, networks, and the Internet is becoming more critical by the day. Attacks on corporations, banks, schools, and government and international agencies are becoming more and more frequent, and the amount of damage that results is also rising rapidly. Despite these facts, few educational institutions offer courses that teach students the practical knowledge and skills needed to administer and defend computer networks and systems. We describe a semester long Secure Operations course, which offers a unique laboratory experience that makes each student fully responsible for the configuration, administration, defense, and secure operation of his/her own Internet-based server on a 24/7 basis for the entire semester.