Air Force launches new studies in information forensics, process integration

  • Published
  • By William J. Sharp
  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research
ARLINGTON, Va. --  The Air Force Office of Scientific Research here completed its first Information Forensics and Process Integration Program Review recently at Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.

The review kicked off new basic research funding in the two new areas of interest concentrating on topics such as incomplete information, active querying, and cognitive processing.

The IF/PI Program Manager, Maj. (Dr.) Amy L. Magnus of AFOSR's Mathematics and Information Sciences Directorate, said two key concepts to remember about the program are "actionable information" and the "network effect." Actionable information is information associated with consequence such as evidence of a crime or an enemy's attack plan discovered before its execution. Information forensics is both the identification and authoritative communication of actionable information. The network effect ensures that as new users, information, and services are added to a network, network utility increases. Process integration seeks to achieve the network effect by promoting processes that share resources and user knowledge.

Information forensics and process integration are important study areas for the military because of the growing emphasis on networked operations. The military tends to be a complex culture "where we collect more data than can be efficiently processed," Magnus said. "With net-centric communications, we may soon have the ability to ask more questions than we can answer."

"The best way to deploy a network and prevent its collapse from overload is to work smart and disciplined," Magnus said. "Our goal is to make every operator more like a special operations operator and bring a broad set of skills to every fight. Done correctly, net-centric operations give us the capability to project the military's expertise simultaneous to a projection of force."

The new portfolio is an outgrowth of an AFOSR commissioned study on information science and technology from the National Research Council.

"The NRC study recommended AFOSR implement a team-focused, network-enabled IS&T program," Magnus said. Two new portfolios as a result of the recommendation. Information forensics and process integration is the first. The second portfolio, information management, is expected to kick off in 2007.

Dozens of researchers and subject matter experts are involved in the AFOSR studies representing the Air Force Research Laboratory and universities and research industries across the United States.