ITM Professor Dr. Atty Mashatan appointed as a Canada Research Chair and receives funding for infrastructure support

Dr. Mashatan was named the Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Quality of Security (QoS) Framework for Internet-of-Things (IoT), which refers to networks of connected digital devices in our homes and businesses – from fridges and lights, to printers and webcams. She will address new threats that have arisen with the widespread adoption of IoT, create new security systems for these networks, and recommend best practices for users, technical audiences and policy-makers.

“Many smart devices are very small and are limited in terms of their memory, power or battery. This means that traditional cybersecurity mechanisms that were designed for more powerful devices, such as laptops or servers, just don’t apply,” says Dr. Mashatan. “This has unfortunately resulted in an all-or-nothing security approach, despite the fact that these devices can be very attractive to attackers given how much sensitive data they accumulate about our daily lives. My CRC program is about enhancing the quality of security of these devices in the specific context in which they are being deployed. With this approach, we will make a device as secure as possible, given the parameters and limitations that we have based on the context of its use-case.”

In addition to the CRC program funding, Dr. Mashatan will receive infrastructure support for her work through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund.