Georgetown College. Georgetown University.

By LiAnna Davis

Dr. Clay Shields’ office reflects his approach to teaching computer science at Georgetown. There are, of course, the computers, on which Dr. Shields researches network security and privacy. Then there’s the large leather sofa, which encourages students to come hang out and discuss their latest ideas. And don’t forget the Dance Dance Revolution pad, often there because well…because it’s fun.

“I love sharing what I think is fun with students,” explains Dr. Shields. “I’m a computer geek. For me, computer science is just really cool. I like exposing students to new things and making new knowledge. Georgetown students are awesome.”

Georgetown computer science students become acquainted with Dr. Shields as the professor who teaches the introductory Computer Science I course, and many continue to learn from him through his Information Assurance course, which covers network security, physical security, data security, operating systems, and networks—all themes from Dr. Shields’ own research.

“Generally, my research is about who people are on the Internet and what they’re doing,” Dr. Shields says. Since he joined the Georgetown faculty in 2001, the D.C. native has two strands of research: anonymity and computer forensics.

His work on anonymity is at the technical level—ensuring that Internet users’ privacy is protected on a network. In today’s world, where much of our personal data resides online, ensuring that data is not compromised or our movements are not tracked and misused is critically important. It is a delicate balance, though, because, as Dr. Shields explains, those who are breaking the law still should be able to be tracked. Thus, the other part of his research investigates where people who break into computers are coming from.

“The question is, how do you maintain anonymity in a responsible way but also find people who are doing bad stuff?” Dr. Shields says. “I’m driven by a sense of what’s right and what’s wrong. It’s right that people have privacy, but it’s also right that people who do bad things get caught.”

Much of his work on anonymity has been done in partnership with Dr. Brian Levine, a friend of Dr. Shields’ from graduate school, who is now teaching at the University of Massachusetts. Dr. Shields and Dr. Levine are currently working on a book together.

Computer forensics, the field to which Dr. Shields has recently devoted his research, provides an academic framework for examining a computer that has been attacked to find evidence and information about the person who broke into it. Computer forensics is used in cases like embezzlement, electronic discovery, or an intellectual property violation—proving, for example, that a former employee stole a confidential document before leaving for a rival company. Dr. Shields, with the help of College undergraduates Chris Wacek and Wade Tandy, looks at how computer forensics can be done better.

With Georgetown Computer Science colleagues Dr. Mark Maloof and Dr. Ophir Frieder, Dr. Shields has filed a patent for a system that proactively records data about all files users have opened in a corporate or governmental network.

“Even if you delete a document, it still leaves a little bit of information behind, so we can tell every computer that opened it,” explains Dr. Shields about the new system. “We’re working on making it more efficient and accurate now.”

“Think Enron's missing emails: The system we are researching would be able to tell us whether or not certain people had emails,” says Wacek, explaining how the system could have been used in a recent case. “The prosecutors would be able to determine whether or not Kenneth Lay had seen an email detailing accounting practices and use that as supplementary evidence.”

Such work also aims at proving intent, which is important from a legal standpoint. Although Dr. Shields admits that intent can be “nebulous,” the computer forensics work he is doing enables him to trace what users have been doing over time. In cases that involve crimes like child pornography, where proving intent is necessary for the law, being able to prove that the user opened the files is critically important.

“The computer is such an amazing tool,” Dr. Shields says. “It’s a tool of our minds, enabling us to communicate with people, and it’s evidence of what’s going on in someone’s mind. The computer keeps a lot of information around, letting you see what’s going on.”

And, as his work in anonymity reminds us, this can be both good and bad. Dr. Shields wants to develop an online tutorial he hopes all incoming Georgetown students take—“a computer self-defense session”—that teaches students how to manage their privacy online. This dedication to incorporating his research work on the student-centered level is important to Dr. Shields, both in terms of practical knowledge and encouraging students to pursue their own research ideas.

“I see teaching students as leading them toward doing their own creations,” he says. It’s a philosophy that can be seen throughout his work—and even the accessories in his office.

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