Old Westbury, NY – New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) announced that Kiran Balagani, Ph.D., assistant professor in its School of Engineering and Computing Sciences, is the most recent faculty member to be awarded a prestigious research grant.

Dr. Balagani is principal investigator on a project called "Investigating Cognitive Rhythms as a New Modality for Continuous Authentication." The three-university team he is leading has been granted nearly $500,000 by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

"We are thrilled that our faculty are receiving prestigious federal funding for their scholarship in areas vital to society at large and to the competitiveness and safety of our nation, such as in the increasingly important area of cyber security," said Nada Marie Anid, Ph.D., dean of NYIT's School of Engineering and Computing Sciences.

Breakthroughs in Validating Identities

NYIT's Balagani, along with co-principal investigators Vir Phoha, Ph.D., of Louisiana Tech University, and Andrew Rosenberg, Ph.D., of The City University of New York (Queens College), will work with eight graduate student researchers to develop a novel cognition-centric paradigm for continuously validating the identities of computer users.

"Password-based methods are currently the standard for validating identities in the cyber world. But, passwords require humans to do something that is inherently difficult: create, remember, and manage long, complex strings. In addition, password-based methods are not suitable for continuously validating user identities," said Balagani. He added, "If successful, the project will result in building the scientific foundations underlying new password-free and cognition-centric algorithms for continuously validating user identities for government computer systems. This could lead to similar security for today's popular information systems and applications, including cloud-based systems, email systems, and social networking systems if the commercial sector were to adopt the technology."

By sponsoring revolutionary, high-payoff research that bridges the gap between fundamental discoveries and their military use, DARPA's mission is to maintain the technological strength of the U.S. military and prevent technological surprise from harming national security. DARPA has worked to enhance national security by funding research and technology development that have not only improved military capabilities but have also changed the way Americans live.

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About NYIT

New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) offers 90 degree programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, in more than 50 fields of study, including architecture and design; arts and sciences; education; engineering and computing sciences; health professions; management; and osteopathic medicine. A non-profit independent, private institution of higher education, NYIT has 14,000 students attending campuses on Long Island and Manhattan, online, and at its global campuses. NYIT sponsors 11 NCAA Division II programs and one Division I team.

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