"The 9-11 attacks exposed how fragile our information technology infrastructure is and how critically dependent we are on this technology in areas such as health, transportation and energy," Masson says. "It's a tragedy that it took an event like this to raise the public awareness about these vulnerabilities, but universities are obligated to respond to the need for more research and education opportunities in this area. Experts in information security are drawing higher salaries today, and more students are seeking an exposure to this field."
Masson played a leading role in founding the university's Information Security Institute, which draws on experts from nearly every Johns Hopkins school and division. ISI pursues an interdisciplinary approach, focusing on issues ranging from confidentiality of computer data and the security of computer systems to health records and e-business transactions. Its experts also address public policy questions related to information technology. The institute promotes research and is preparing to offer a master of science degree in security informatics.
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