Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Science Foundation's Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure awarded San Diego State University Research Foundation a $599,880 Project Grant under the Computer and Information Science and Engineering program (CFDA 47.070) for the Cyberinfrastructure Robustness Understanding Through Data Extraction (CRUX) project, running from September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2028. CRUX delivers a data-driven approach to understanding the robustness and security vulnerabilities of Research and Education (R&E) networks through continuous network measurement-based data collection and curation. The project employs innovative active and passive measurement techniques to map the R&E ecosystem, detect attacks and misconfigurations, and catalog organizational resources and connectivity patterns.

The primary deliverables include three curated datasets that fuse network measurement data: the R&E Ecosystem dataset, the R&E Network Connectivity dataset, and the R&E Network Activity dataset. These datasets provide actionable insights into network composition, robustness, and cybersecurity activity for R&E network operators, policy makers, and security researchers. The project combines state-of-the-art active measurement techniques for rapid connectivity mapping with passive measurement methodologies and diverse metadata collection. Additionally, CRUX includes a community engagement and dissemination component designed to ensure widespread utilization of the datasets and enable the broader R&E network community to leverage these insights for improved infrastructure resilience and security.