Tensor Decomposition Methods for Cybersecurity

Maksim E. Eren
A-4, Advanced Research in Cyber Systems
Los Alamos National Laboratory

12 pm – 1 pm
Friday, March 29, 2024
Remotely via WebEx: https://umbc.webex.com/meet/sherman

Recording of Talk

Abstract:

Tensor decomposition is a powerful unsupervised machine learning method used to extract hidden patterns from large datasets. This presentation aims to illuminate the extensive applications and capabilities of tensors within the realm of cybersecurity. We offer a comprehensive overview by encapsulating a diverse array of capabilities, showcasing the cutting-edge employment of tensors in the detection of network and power grid anomalies, identification of SPAM e-mails, mitigation of credit card fraud, and detection of malware. Additionally, we delve into the utility of tensors for classifying malware families, pinpointing novel forms of malware, analyzing user behavior, and utilizing tensors for data privacy through federated learning techniques.

 

About the Speaker:

Maksim E. Eren is an early career scientist in A-4, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Advance Research in Cyber Systems division. He graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Computer Science Bachelor’s at University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) in 2020 and Master’s in 2022. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. at UMBC’s DREAM Lab, and he is a Scholarship for Service CyberCorps alumnus. His interdisciplinary research interests lie at the intersection of machine learning and cybersecurity, with a concentration in tensor decomposition. His tensor decomposition-based research projects include large-scale malware detection and characterization, cyber anomaly detection, data privacy, text mining, knowledge graphs, and high-performance computing. Maksim has developed and published state-of-the-art solutions in anomaly detection and malware characterization. He has also worked on various other machine learning research projects such as detecting malicious hidden code, adversarial analysis of malware classifiers, and federated learning. At LANL, Maksim was a member of the 2021 R&D 100 winning project SmartTensors, where he has released a fast tensor decomposition and anomaly detection software, contributed to the design and development of various other tensor decomposition libraries, and developed state-of-the-art text mining tools. Maksim is currently the lead for the Cyber Science Research Program (CSRP), a cybersecurity research internship at LANL. Email: maksim@lanl.gov

Host:

Alan T. Sherman, sherman@umbc.edu

Upcoming CDL Meetings:

  • (In March and early April there will be several cybersecurity talks by faculty candidates, to be scheduled at various times)
  • April 12, Anupam Joshi
  • April 26, Dan Ragsdale, National Cybersecurity Policy
  • (May 3, CSEE Research Day)
  • May 10, Enis Golaszewski, Automatically Binding Cryptographic Context to Messages Using Formal Methods

Support for this event was provided in part by the National Science Foundation under SFS grant DGE-1753681.

The UMBC Cyber Defense Lab meets biweekly Fridays 12-1 pm. All meetings are open to the public.