New Security Paradigms Workshop 2007

September 18-21, 2007

White Mountain Hotel and Resort

New Hampshire, USA


http://www.nspw.org/current/cfp.shtml

Call for Papers and Participation

NSPW is a unique workshop that is devoted to the critical examination
of new paradigms in security. Each year, since 1992, we examine
proposals for new principles upon which information security can be
rebuilt from the ground up. We conduct extensive, highly interactive
discussions of these proposals, from which we hope both the audience
and the authors emerge with a better understanding of the strengths
and weaknesses of what has been discussed.

In his seminal book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Thomas
Kuhn describes the progress of science as "a series of peaceful
interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions." These
revolutions, which he called "paradigm shifts", are periods during
which "one conceptual world view is replaced by another."

A paradigm shift is thus not an incremental contribution to an
established branch of science; it is an attempt to replace the
fundamental dogma of a branch of science with a different, and
completely incompatible, set of core principles.

The New Security Paradigms workshop is dedicated to the proposition
that what Kuhn called "anomalies"---signs that the prevailing paradigm
can no longer explain phenomena observed in the real world---are
already visible in the science of information security, and, indeed,
that the anomalies are so obvious and so serious that the prevailing
information security paradigm is or soon will be in crisis. NSPW
aspires to be the philosophical and intellectual breeding ground from
which a revolution in the science of information security will emerge.

We solicit and accept papers on any topic in information security
subject to the following caveats:

   1. Papers that present a significant shift in thinking about
      difficult security issues are welcome.
   2. Papers that build on a recent shift are also welcome.
   3. Contrarian papers that dispute or call into question accepted
      practice or policy in security are also welcome.
   4. We solicit papers that are not technology-centric, including
      those that deal with public policy issues
      and those that deal with the psychology and sociology of
      security theory and practice. 
   5. We discourage papers that represent established or completed
      works as well as those that substantially overlap other submitted or
      published papers.
   6. We discourage papers which extend well-established security
      models with incremental improvements.

   7. We encourage a high level of scholarship on the part of
      contributors. Authors are expected to be aware of related prior work
      in their topic area, even if it predates Google. In the course of
      preparing an NSPW paper, it is far better to read an original source
      than to cite a text book interpretation of it.

Our program committee particularly looks for new paradigms, innovative
approaches to older problems, early thinking on new topics, and
controversial issues that might not make it into other conferences but
deserve to have their try at shaking and breaking the mold.

Participation in the workshop is limited to authors of accepted
papers, conference organizers, and a small number of other
invitees. Each paper is typically the focus of one hour of
discussion. Authors should expect a highly interactive session, with
frequent questions and brainstorming.

Prospective authors are encouraged to submit ideas that might be
considered risky in some other forum, and all participants are charged
with providing feedback in a constructive manner. The resulting
intensive brainstorming has proven to be an excellent medium for
furthering the development of these ideas. The proceedings, which are
published after the workshop, have consistently benefited from the
inclusion of workshop feedback.

We welcome three categories of submission:

   1. Research papers. These should be of a length commensurate with
      the novelty of the paradigm and the amount of novel material that the
      reviewer must assimilate in order to evaluate it.
   2. Position papers. These should be 5-10 pages in length and should
      espouse a well reasoned and carefully documented position on a
      security related topic that merits challenge and / or discussion.
   3. Discussion panel proposals. Discussion panel proposals should include
         1. an in-depth description of the topic to be discussed,
         2. a convincing argument that the topic will lead to a lively
            discussion, and
         3. materials supporting the proposal, optionally including
            the credentials of the proposed discussants, that can aid in the
            evaluation of the proposal.
Discussion topic proposers may want to consider involving conference
organizers or previous attendees in their proposals.

Submissions must include the following:

   1. The submission in PDF format, viewable by Adobe Acrobat reader.

   2. A justification for inclusion in NSPW. Specify the category of
      your submission and describe, in one page or less, why your submission
      is appropriate for the New Security Paradigms Workshop. A good
      justification will describe the new paradigm being proposed, explain
      how it departs from existing theory or practice, and identify those
      aspects of the status quo it challenges or rejects. The justification
      is a major factor in determining acceptance.
   3. An Attendance Statement specifying how many authors wish to
      attend the workshop. Accepted papers require the attendance of at
      least one author for the entire duration of the workshop. Attendance
      is limited, and we cannot guarantee space for more than one author.

No submission may have been published elsewhere nor may a similar
submission be under consideration for publication or presentation in
any other forum during the NSPW review process. NSPW, like other
research and technical conferences and journals, prohibits these
practices and may, on the recommendation of a program chair, take
action against authors who have committed them. In some cases, program
committees may discreetly share information about submitted papers
with other conference chairs and journal editors to ensure the
integrity of papers under consideration. If a violation of these
principles is found, sanctions may include, but are not limited to,
barring the authors from submitting to or participating in future NSPW
meetings for a set period, contacting the authors' institutions, and
publicizing the details of the case.

Authors uncertain whether their submission meets the NSPW guidelines
should contact the program chairs.

Papers accompanied by nondisclosure agreement forms will not be
considered. All submissions are treated as confidential, both as a
matter of policy and in accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of
1976.

Important Dates

   1. The submission deadline is May 1, 2007.
   2. Notification of acceptance will be July 3, 2007.
   3. Camera-ready papers for pre-proceedings due August 28, 2007.
   4. Camera-ready papers for proceedings due November 1, 2007.

Workshop proceedings will be published by the ACM and put in the ACM
digital library. In order to ensure that all papers receive equally
strong feedback, all attendees are expected to stay for the entire
duration of the workshop. We expect to offer a limited amount of
financial aid to those who require it.

See http://www.nspw.org/ for details of the workshop policies and for submission procedures.