New Security Paradigms Workshop 2007

• Philosophy
  
• Call for Papers and Participation
  
  • Paper Submission
  • Program
  • Accepted Papers
• Dates

• Program Committee

• Organizing Committee

• Location & Activities

• Past Workshops

NSPW is a unique workshop that is devoted to the critical examination of new paradigms in security. Each year, since 1992, we examine proposals for new principles upon which information security can be rebuilt from the ground up. We conduct extensive, highly interactive discussions of these proposals, from which we hope both the audience and the authors emerge with a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of what has been discussed.

In his seminal book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Thomas Kuhn describes the progress of science as "a series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions." These revolutions, which he called "paradigm shifts", are periods during which "one conceptual world view is replaced by another."

A paradigm shift is thus not an incremental contribution to an established branch of science; it is an attempt to replace the fundamental dogma of a branch of science with a different, and completely incompatible, set of core principles.

The New Security Paradigms workshop is dedicated to the proposition that what Kuhn called "anomalies"---signs that the prevailing paradigm can no longer explain phenomena observed in the real world---are already visible in the science of information security, and, indeed, that the anomalies are so obvious and so serious that the prevailing information security paradigm is or soon will be in crisis. NSPW aspires to be the philosophical and intellectual breeding ground from which a revolution in the science of information security will emerge.

We solicit and accept papers on any topic in information security subject to the following caveats:

1. Papers that present a significant shift in thinking about difficult security issues are welcome.
2. Papers that build on a recent shift are also welcome.
3. Contrarian papers that dispute or call into question accepted practice or policy in security are also welcome.
4. We solicit papers that are not technology-centric, including those that deal with public policy issues
and those that deal with the psychology and sociology of security theory and practice.
5. We discourage papers that represent established or completed works as well as those that substantially overlap other submitted or published papers.
6. We discourage papers which extend well-established security models with incremental improvements.
7. We encourage a high level of scholarship on the part of contributors. Authors are expected to be aware of related prior work in
their topic area, even if it predates Google. In the course of preparing an NSPW paper, it is far better to read an original source than to cite a text book interpretation of it.

Our program committee particularly looks for new paradigms, innovative approaches to older problems, early thinking on new topics, and controversial issues that might not make it into other conferences but deserve to have their try at shaking and breaking the mold.

Participation in the workshop is limited to authors of accepted papers, conference organizers, and a small number of other invitees. Each paper is typically the focus of one hour of discussion. Authors should expect a highly interactive session, with frequent questions and brainstorming.

Prospective authors are encouraged to submit ideas that might be considered risky in some other forum, and all participants are charged with providing feedback in a constructive manner. The resulting intensive brainstorming has proven to be an excellent medium for furthering the development of these ideas. The proceedings, which are published after the workshop, have consistently benefited from the inclusion of workshop feedback.

We welcome three categories of submission:

1. Research papers. These should be of a length commensurate with the novelty of the paradigm and the amount of novel material that the reviewer must assimilate in order to evaluate it.
2. Position papers. These should be 5-10 pages in length and should espouse a well reasoned and carefully documented position on a security related topic that merits challenge and / or discussion.
3. Discussion panel proposals. Discussion panel proposals should include
   1. an in-depth description of the topic to be discussed,
   2. a convincing argument that the topic will lead to a lively discussion, and
   3. materials supporting the proposal, optionally including the credentials of the proposed discussants, that can aid in the evaluation of the proposal.
   Discussion topic proposers may want to consider involving conference organizers or previous attendees in their proposals.

Submissions must include the following:

1. The submission in PDF format, viewable by Adobe Acrobat reader.
2. A justification for inclusion in NSPW. Specify the category of your submission and describe, in one page or less, why your submission is appropriate for the New Security Paradigms Workshop. A good justification will describe the new paradigm being proposed, explain how it departs from existing theory or practice, and identify those aspects of the status quo it challenges or rejects. The justification is a major factor in determining acceptance.
3. An Attendance Statement specifying how many authors wish to attend the workshop. Accepted papers require the attendance of at least one author for the entire duration of the workshop. Attendance is limited, and we cannot guarantee space for more than one author.

No submission may have been published elsewhere nor may a similar submission be under consideration for publication or presentation in any other forum during the NSPW review process. NSPW, like other research and technical conferences and journals, prohibits these practices and may, on the recommendation of a program chair, take action against authors who have committed them. In some cases, program committees may discreetly share information about submitted papers with other conference chairs and journal editors to ensure the integrity of papers under consideration. If a violation of these principles is found, sanctions may include, but are not limited to, barring the authors from submitting to or participating in future NSPW meetings for a set period, contacting the authors' institutions, and publicizing the details of the case.

Authors uncertain whether their submission meets the NSPW guidelines should contact the program chairs.

You can submit your papers to the NSPW '07 Submission Web Site .

Papers accompanied by nondisclosure agreement forms will not be considered. All submissions are treated as confidential, both as a matter of policy and in accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976.

Important Dates

1. The submission deadline is May 8, 2007, 23:59 (GMT -12, or Y time).
2. Notification of acceptance will be July 3, 2007.
3. Camera-ready papers for pre-proceedings due August 28, 2007.
4. Camera-ready papers for proceedings due November 1, 2007.