Scientists work to improve Web security

Research scientist Lalana Kagal and her team members Fatih Turkmen and Matt Cherian said the standard policy language is being designed to provide security when information is shared between agencies, countries and organizations.

Kagal said one of the primary tools being used is Semantic Web technology, an encryption algorithm that allows the addition of semantics to information, thereby improving automatic retrieval and facilitating data integration.

"We are creating for the first time a policy interchange language, or Interlingua, grounded in Semantic Web technologies that will enable a secure exchange of information between entities using different languages to express their security constraints," she said.

"We would like to see the interchange language become standardized so that there would be widespread use, development of more tools and protocols around it and also possibly its incorporation into Web browsers, commercial applications and databases," Kagal added. "A policy interchange language will allow people to use their own language, while still collaborating securely with others."

The study is being funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

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