UALR, in collaboration with UAPB, will receive $149,910 from the National Science Foundation to advance research on how to protect large-scale computer systems from hackers, viruses, and other intrusions.

Professors Jessie J. Walker of UAPB and Remzi Seker, in UALR’s Department of Computer Sciences are the co-principal researchers on the grant, announced by Arkansas’ senators Blanche Lincoln, Mark Pryor, and by Congressmen Marion Berry, Mike Ross, and Vic Snyder.

Three faculty members, two undergraduate students and one doctoral student at UAPB will work with a professor at UALR to analyze intrusions, such as spyware, viruses and hacking, and develop solutions to proactively combat them. The research will help create predictive models to forecast and prevent future attacks on important computer systems, such as those that support power grids.

“Computer security breaches can wreak havoc on people’s lives and threaten national security,” Pryor said. “These federal funds will allow UAPB and UALR to conduct important research that will help us prevent attacks on computer systems and protect sensitive information.”