Purdue computer science professor to receive international award

Eugene Spafford
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. —A Purdue University professor will be honored in Rome next year by an international cybersecurity organization.

Eugene H. Spafford, a professor in the Department of Computer Science, was announced Wednesday (Oct. 19) by the International Federation of Information Processing Societies as the 2017 recipient of the IFIP annual Kristian Beckman Award.

Spafford said he is honored to receive the award, having worked with the federation for almost 25 years. "IFIP is a significant force in research and education in cybersecurity," he said. "Many of the previous recipients of this honor have been mentors and heroes of mine."

The Kristian Beckman Award, which began in 1993, recognizes individuals who significantly contribute to the development of information security, especially achievements with an international perspective.

As a member of the IFIP technical committee devoted to security and privacy protection in information processing systems, Spafford has worked as a subcommittee chairman and served as a member of several IFIP groups. He also worked as academic editor, then editor-in-chief, of Computers & Security, the oldest journal in the field of information security.

IFIP is recognized by the United Nations and represents societies from 56 countries and regions, covering five continents, with a membership of over half a million.

Spafford was selected because of his achievements in research and education as well as his leadership of the Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security. Spafford was a founder of CERIAS in May 1998.

Also noted were his mentorship and guidance of students developing security tools in widespread use.

The award will be given in May as part of the 32nd International Conference on ICT Systems Security and Privacy Protection - IFIP SEC 2017 in Rome. Spafford will give an invited talk at the conference in conjunction with the award.

For Spafford, selection for the IFIP award means the longtime Purdue faculty member has now been recognized with every major award in cybersecurity: the National Computer System Security Award; International Systems Security Association Hall of Fame; Harold F. Tipton Award; Cyber Security Hall of Fame; SANS Institute Lifetime Achievement Award; Outstanding Contribution Award from the Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Security, Audit and Control; and the Joseph Wasserman Award from ISACA. 

Writer: Brian L. Huchel, 765-494-2084, bhuchel@purdue.edu 

Sources: Eugene H. Spafford, 765-494-7825, spaf@purdue.edu