IGP:
Information Security

Mentor / Lab:
Barrett S. Caldwell, GROUPER Lab

Specific Research Area / Project:
Determining System Requirements for Human-Machine Integration in Computer Security Incident Response

Undergraduate Institution:
Purdue University

Lab / Personal work-related websites:

Lab Webpage

Research Profile:

My research dives into the complex domain of Information Security (InfoSec), specifically focusing on "incident response". Defending a network extends beyond just reactive activities, and into remediation, investigation, prevention, and more, which are common activities in InfoSec operations. In order to provide adequate and continuous defense across a wide range of problems, analysts who perform incident response tasks are often organized into teams and shifts that have to work together to solve problems and share knowledge amongst themselves. However, the human angle is often ignored by people developing solutions to "the information security problem". My dissertation research tries to address this gap by investigating information and knowledge sharing in this team-oriented context of incident response.

The analysts who perform incident response tasks tend to spend long hours hovering over multiple screens, constantly working on problems continuously detected by the network. Because of long hours, small team sizes, high incident rates, and repetition, analysts tend to burnout quickly, creating a constant change of team composition. Furthermore, the pipeline of incoming analysts does not currently supply the industry with enough workers to fill open positions. My research recognizes this aspect of the problem by applying findings to inform the next generation of software design, specifically in the realm of automation and artificial intelligence.

About Me:

After working in manufacturing for 5 years, I discovered I had a passion for working on complex problems, especially those that involve humans. More specifically, I enjoy understanding humans and how they work: how they perform a task, how they work together, how they succeed. Oftentimes, this requires stepping back and viewing the larger picture as a system of interconnected parts, which helps provide important context to a problem. As an Industrial Engineer (Purdue BSIE '09), this came naturally to me, and my interests rapidly evolved into something much bigger, stronger, and more purposeful. In 2014, I left my career in industry in pursuit of a graduate degree, starting with a MS in Human Factors, then a PhD in the same field.

Awards:

• Robert E. Savage Fellowship, 2014
• HFES 2016 UX Challenge Winner, 2016

Publications:

• Nyre, M., Caldwell, B. S., Bradlau, M., & Heiden, S. M. (2015, August). A Systems Engineering Analysis of Team Approaches in Higher Education. In Proceedings 19th Triennial Congress of the IEA (Vol. 9, p. 14).

Presentations:

• Nyre-Yu, M., Calwell, B.S. (2018) Using simulation modeling methods to study teams doing taskwork. Paper to be presented at the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 2018 International Annual Meeting.