Background The Computer Security Foundations Workshop is an annual invitational workshop for researchers in computer security, to examine current theories of security, the formal models that provide a context for those theories, and techniques for verifying security. It was created in 1988 as an IEEE Computer Society workshop, in cooperation with the Technical Committee on Security and Privacy, in response to a 1986 essay by Don Good entitled "The Foundations of Computer Security - We Need Some."
The atmosphere of the Workshop is informal, with a classroom sized attendance, in a peaceful, rural setting that encourages an exchange of thoughtful technical discussion by all attendees both during and after scheduled presentations. It has usually been held in mid-June; the original location was the Franconia Inn, Franconia, New Hampshire, USA.
The program includes papers, panels, and working group exercises. Topics of interest include access control, information flow, covert channels, secure protocols, database security, verification techniques, integrity and availability models, and broad discussions concerning the role of formal methods in computer security and the nature of foundational research in this area. The Workshop program is chosen from among submissions by prospective participants. Invitations to the Workshop are extended to program participants, Workshop organizers, and a small number of others at the discretion of the General Chair.
The purpose of this document is to help preserve the spirit and style of the Workshop by outlining its objectives and its present mode of operation, and by establishing a steering committee to serve as an institutional memory, to assist the current organizers of the Workshop in their duties, and guide the evolution of the Workshop particulars.
Organization The following functions should be filled: General Chair, Program Chair, Publication Chair, Steering Committee, and Program Committee. It is envisioned that the current assignments of organizers may be split, combined, or otherwise reapportioned by the General Chair among an equal, greater, or smaller number of organizers to ensure a workable allocation of the organizational burden.
The duties and obligations of each function are specified in separate sections below. A separate guide will be prepared containing additional details for organizers.
Term The General Chair is appointed by the Steering Commitee and normally serves for two years. A General Chair is expected to suggest at least one nomination who is willing, able, and qualified to be his or her successor.
Appointment of Organizers The General Chair appoints a Publication Chair and any other organizers (but not the Program Chair) he or she deems appropriate for the general running of the Workshop.
Planning and IEEE coordination Soon after the Workshop, the General Chair for the following year's Workshop must plan for it by applying for IEEE Computer Society sponsorship and/or other institutional affiliations. The planning process includes establishing a location and date for the Workshop, a schedule, and an estimated budget. The General Chair is also responsible for workshop announcements and advertising.
Registration and Financial The General Chair sends out invitations to the Workshop. The General Chair also acts as the treasurer for the Workshop. This requires establishing an account according to the procedures of the IEEE Computer Society, and collecting and depositing registration fees. A financial report to the IEEE Computer Society and the closing of the account are required after the Workshop.
Hotel Arrangements The General Chair arranges agreements with the hotel or inn hosting the Workshop, with regard to Workshop dates, room rates, and charges for meals, breaks, and meeting room use.
Oversight of Program and Publication Chairs The General Chair must see that the Program and Publication Chairs perform their duties on schedule, and must review all announcements prior to publication.
Term The Program Chair is appointed by the Steering Committee and normally serves for two years. A Program Chair is expected to suggest at least one nomination who is qualified to be his or her successor.
Program Committee The Program Chair appoints a Program Committee to help review the submissions.
Preparation of Call for Papers The Program Chair composes a Call for Papers, reviewing it with the General Chair before publication. The Call for Papers should list topics of current interest, indicate the needs of the program with respect to panels, working group exercises, or other special activities, and show important dates.
Management of Review Process The Program Chair distributes copies of submitted papers and other activity proposals to suitable members of the Program Committee, with an eye toward matching paper topics to the Committee members' areas of expertise. The Program Chair must instruct Committee members with regard to the form of the review desired.
Preparation of Program The Program Chair selects papers for presentation and other Workshop activities, considering, but not necessarily following, the recommendations of the Program Committee. The Program Chair creates a preliminary program and reviews it with the General Chair, who should receive a summary of the papers and proposals that were submitted.
Term The Publication Chair is appointed by the General Chair for one year, though the difficulty and relatively thankless nature of the job is such that Publication Chairs are normally retained for as many years as they are willing to serve.
Publication of Proceedings This task requires coordination with the publisher, the Computer Society Press, and with authors to give them instructions and to ensure that they prepare final copies of their papers on schedule. The Publication Chair may also obtain preliminary machine-readable versions of papers, if they are available, for electronic distribution prior to the Workshop.
Past Publication Chairs The past publication chairs to date are Teresa Lunt, William Young, and Joshua Guttman.
Constituency Membership on the Steering Committee is open to all past and current General and Program Chairs. Membership on the Steering Committee is contingent on continued support of the Workshop, as evidenced by attendance at one or more of the last three Workshops, or by participation as a member of the program committee or in other supporting roles. In 1997, Joshua Guttman was added to the Steering Committee, in recognition of continuing excellent support as Publication Chair since 1992.
Meetings The Steering Committee meets once each year in person at the Workshop. In addition, the Steering Committee may convene electronically at various times when its advice is needed.
Selection of General Chair and Program Chair The Steering Committee appoints a General Chair and Program Chair each year. Normally, a special action will be necessary only at the second Workshop conducted by the current General Chair and Program Chair. In each case, selection of a new Chair is by vote among the members present, although members unable to attend the Workshop may appoint proxies or specify their votes before the meeting.
Chair The Chair of the Steering Committee is appointed by consensus of the Steering Committee. The present Chair is Jonathan Millen.
Consultation The Steering Committee provides advice to the General Chair with regard to selection of a Program Chair, and changes in the organization or conduct of the Workshop. The Steering Committee is also a resource for advice at any time with regard to current and past procedural details.
Amendment of Charter The Steering Committee can amend the charter. A reasonable attempt must be made to notify all Steering Committee members of proposed changes, at least two weeks prior to a vote. Changes must be approved by a vote with a greater number in favor than against.
Current Members At this writing, the Steering Committee consists of: