$50,000 Internet Defense Prize awarded today at USENIX Security

Graduate Research

Today, Facebook awarded $50,000 to a pair of security researchers who authored a peer-reviewed paper at the 23rd Annual USENIX Security Symposium on “Static Detection of Second-Order Vulnerabilities in Web Applications."  The authors intend to use the funds to take their software prototype to the next level. As the program chair of the USENIX Security Symposium, I am delighted that Facebook selected our conference to search for the best defensive work that prevents vulnerabilities and reduces the effectiveness of attacks.  Facebook intends to make this an annual prize, and may even increase the prize amount.

The reason I mention this award here is for the medical device community to think about effective strategies to encourage the security research community to engage in constructive problem solving to improve medical device security.  I think the industry would see a shift in thinking if constructive problem solving were better rewarded.