The vulnerability of highly automated physical systems to cyberspace attacks will be discussed by systems and information engineering expert Barry M. Horowitz on Nov. 28 in the 2018 Oscar Schmidt Lecture on campus.

The free and public event is scheduled to start at 4:20 p.m. in the Lake Room of the Mussallem Union on campus.

Horowitz’s talk on “Cyberattack-Resilient Cyberphysical Systems” will feature elements of his research into developing cyberresilient capabilities for the growing list of highly automated products, including autonomous automobiles, unmanned flying vehicles and 3D printers. Cybersecurity vulnerabilities within these physical systems bring significant risks that can cause property damage, injuries or death.

According to Horowitz, cyberattack resiliency requires defining new system architectures and corresponding technology, then prioritizing their risks. He believes that operators of these automated systems must be prepared to carry out their roles in achieving resilience.

Horowitz is the Munster Professor of Systems and Information Engineering at the University of Virginia. He is leading U.S. Department of Defense-sponsored research on system-aware cybersecurity, recently led a Chief of Naval Operations-sponsored study on cybersecurity, and has served as a member of the Naval Studies Board. He also was former cybersecurity commissioner for Virginia, as a governor appointee.

Before joining academia in 2001, Horowitz had a rewarding career with the MITRE Corporation, rising from a technology innovator to become president and chief executive officer. He also led a Federal Aviation Administration-sponsored research activity that developed a prototype airborne collision avoidance system, which served as the basis for the internationally adopted capability currently implemented on board passenger-carrying commercial aircraft.

Horowitz is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, was awarded the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association’s Gold Medal for Engineering in 1990, and was honored by the U.S. Air Force for leading the development and implementation of a software system for tracking and destroying SCUD tactical ballistic missile carriers.

The Oscar C. Schmidt Lecture brings national leaders to campus to discuss key issues and developments. The lecture was established more than 50 years ago through the generosity of the Cincinnati Butcher's Supply Company in memory of Oscar C. Schmidt, who was a pioneering manufacturer of machinery for the packing industry. His son, Milton, is a 1974 Rose-Hulman mechanical engineering alumnus.