CfP: First Workshop on Security in Softwarized Networks: Prospects and Challenges (SecSoN)

The First Workshop on Security in Softwarized Networks: Prospects and Challenges (SecSoN) will be held in conjunction with ACM SIGCOMM 2018 in Budapest, Hungary, on August 20-24, 2018.

Operators and enterprises in general are increasingly moving towards a softwarization of their networks. Former dedicated network elements are virtualized and placed on commercial-off-the-shelf hardware. Technologies for softwarization are Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV). They allow for a more efficient management of the network. Whereas NFV replaces the tightly integrated middlebox appliances by flexible Virtualized Network Functions (VNFs) running as software instances on standard servers, SDN enables a fine-granular and programmable selection and redirection of flows in the network. On one hand, this softwarization reduces the costs for network equipment. On the other hand, it broadens the attack surface as novel networking devices and protocols are deployed, which needs to be considered during the risk assessment. Especially due to their critical role within the softwarized management of the network, these devices and protocols are high ranked targets for potential attackers and thus, require extensive testing and hardening. In addition, the adaptation of these technologies in enterprise networks remains limited. This is due to the fact, that the integration of new technologies into an existing network infrastructure is a highly complex task, as the compatibility with systems such as network management and cloud management must be assured for production environments.

SecSoN 2018 will focus on the prospects and challenges of softwarized networking with particular attention to the following topics.

Papers can be submitted via https://sigcomm18secson.hotcrp.com/

List of Topics
-Securing softwarized network architectures and virtualized environments
-Security for 5G, particularly secure network slicing and isolation
-Integration of hardware security components in a softwarized world
-Cognitive and automated network security management
-Integration of programmable data planes and stateful data path solutions  of security functions, e.g., firewalls, intrusion detection systems
-SDN/NFV interface hardening
-Pentesting and test automation in softwarized networks
-Security considerations for placement and orchestration
-Security monitoring of and with softwarized networks and threat analysis
-Trust relationships between softwarized entities
-Forensics, attack analysis and risk evaluation methods tailored to softwarized networks
-Security Events Processing and Configuration Verification and Validation

Workshop co-chairs
-Theophilus Benson, Brown USA
-Pascal Bisson, Thales France
-Rastin Pries, Nokia Germany
-Thomas Zinner, JMU Germany

Important dates
-Abstract submission deadline:                       March 18, 2018
-Paper submission deadline:                            March 25, 2018
-Acceptance notification:                                 April 30, 2018
-Workshop:                                                         August 20 or 24, 2018