Devin Pohly, Ph.D.

Pennsylvania State University, University Park
Ph.D., Computer Science and Engineering

Messiah College
B.A. (Hons), Computer Science

• Computer Science Pedagogy
• Human-Computer interaction
• Reverse engineering
• Secure network protocols
• Data provenance
• Operating systems design
• Programming languages

Secure network protocols, data provenance, reverse engineering, operating systems design, human-computer interaction, programming languages, computer science pedagogy.

Pineda Reyes, David, Josiah Hsu, Claire Wagner, and Devin J. Pohly. Dynamic Security Parameters for Multichannel Secret Sharing Protocols. Proceedings of the 22nd IEEE International Conference on Trust, Security and Privacy in Computing and Communications, November 2023.
Abstract: Multichannel secret sharing protocols exploit path diversity in a way that can bolster confidentiality, data integrity, or availability in addition to throughput. The appropriate balance between these security and performance properties changes over time depending on factor such as network congestion and risk assessment. We extend the ReMICSS protocol with a secure on-line mechanism for adjusting security parameters in response to shifting defensive priorities; this includes designing a novel share-buffering algorithm to address the disconnect between the assumptions of TCP congestion control and the behavior of multi-threaded multichannel protocols.  In our experiments, this algorithm enabled the protocol to come within 10% of theoretical maximum throughput while defending against attackers of various strengths.
Read more on Dynamic Security Parameters for Multichannel Secret Sharing Protocols 


Pohly, Devin J.  Exploiting Our Limits: Finitude in Information Security. Journal of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences (vol. 23), May 2023. Azusa, CA, USA.
Abstract: Finitude is fundamental to many dimensions of the human experience.  Our existence in and movement through space is restricted by basic physics.  Each person has a finite amount of knowledge and command of a finite amount of resources.  Our time on earth is bounded as well, each person's life having its own appointed beginning and end.  The theological idea that this finitude is not a handicap but rather an intentional and good part of creation can be found as early as Thomas Aquinas.  In this paper, we explore the discipline of cybersecurity in light of this theme of finitude, discovering that a recognition and even reliance on human limitation is fundamental to many of the technical principles, practices, and breakthroughs of the field.
Read more on Exploiting Our Limits: Finitude in Information Security 


Pohly, Devin J. and Patrick McDaniel. Modeling Privacy and Tradeoffs in Multichannel Secret Sharing Protocols. IEEE/IFIP International Conference on Dependable Systems and Networks, June 2016. Toulouse, France.
Abstract: Privacy is an important aspect of network communications, but secure protocols require an investment of network resources. In this paper, we develop a practical privacy measure and protocol model for multichannel secret sharing protocols which integrates security properties and measurable network performance, deriving optimality results for the overall privacy and performance of these protocols. After proving these results, we evaluate the effectiveness of our model on a reference implementation, comparing its behavior to the optimality results derived from the model. Our results allow us to understand quantitatively the tradeoffs between privacy and network performance in secret-sharing based protocols.
Read more on Modeling Privacy and Tradeoffs in Multichannel Secret Sharing Protocols 


Pohly, Devin J. and Patrick McDaniel.MICSS: A Realistic Multichannel Secrecy Protocol. IEEE Global Communications Conference, December 2015. San Diego, CA, USA.
Abstract: Flaws in cryptosystem implementations, such as the Heartbleed bug, render common confidentiality mechanisms ineffective. Defending in depth when this happens would require a different means of providing confidentiality, which could then be layered with existing cryptosystems. This paper presents MICSS, a network protocol which uses multichannel secret sharing rather than encryption to protect data confidentiality. The MICSS protocol ensures perfect secrecy against an (n-1)-channel attacker and operates at line speed in a three-channel throughput benchmark. MICSS provides a practical means of securing network communications, and it layers seamlessly with cryptosystems to mitigate the effects of implementation flaws.
Read more on MICSS: A Realistic Multichannel Secrecy Protocol. 

Pohly, Devin J., Charles Sestito, and Patrick McDaniel. Adaptive Protocol Switching Using Dynamically Insertable Bumps in the Stack. IEEE Conference for Military Communications, October 2015. Tampa, FL, USA.
Abstract: Mobile networked devices face a unique set of challenges, particularly when used in an adversarial environment. These devices must be able to respond to changing circumstances in both their physical and network environment. We present DIBS, a system that enables devices to dynamically insert bump-in-the-stack protocols in response to changing conditions. We evaluate this system by measuring connection throughput and CPU usage as it switches between an unmodified protocol stack, a VPN, and a high-secrecy multichannel stack. Our experiments show that DIBS is able to switch seamlessly between protocols without interrupting ongoing connections or introducing additional network or processing overhead. This ability will enable devices to adapt communications rapidly in response to changing cybersecurity and physical environments.
Read more on Adaptive Protocol Switching Using Dynamically Insertable Bumps in the Stack

PRESENTATIONS

Devin J. Pohly, Patrick McDaniel. MICSS: A Realistic Multichannel Secrecy Protocol
IEEE Global Communications Conference San Diego, CA, December 2015

Devin J. Pohly, Charles Sestito, Patrick McDaniel. Adaptive Protocol Switching Using Dynamically Insertable Bumps in the Stack
IEEE Conference for Military Communications Tampa, FL, October 2015

Devin J. Pohly, Patrick McDaniel. Multichannel Communication: Security by Network Diversity
Institute for Networking and Security Research Industry Day State College, PA, April 2014

Stephen McLaughlin, Devin J. Pohly, Patrick McDaniel, and Saman Zonouz. A Trusted Safety Verifier for Process Controller Code.
Proc. ISOC Network and Distributed Systems Security Symposium (NDSS) San Diego, CA, February 2014

Devin J. Pohly, Stephen McLaughlin, Kevin Butler, Patrick McDaniel. Hi-Fi: Collecting High-Fidelity Whole-System Provenance
28th Annual Computer Security Applications Conference (ACSAC) Orlando, FL, December 2012

Kevin Butler, Patrick McDaniel, Stephen McLaughlin, Devin J. Pohly, Radu Sion, Erez Zadok, and Marianne Winslett. Securing End-to-End Provenance: A Systems and Storage Perspective.
19th USENIX Security Symposium, Poster Presentation Washington, D.C., August 2010