James Bret Michael

Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

Professor of Computer Science and Electrical & Computer Engineering

Naval Postgraduate School (https://nps.edu/)

Email: bmichael@nps.edu

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

IEEE Fellow

Associate Editor-in-Chief, Computer (Electronic ISSN: 1558-0814)

See my official biographical sketches at https://nps.edu/faculty-profiles/-/cv/bmichael

RECENT AND UPCOMING TEACHING ASSIGNMENTS

· EC4765, Cyber Warfare (fall AY24)

· EC3740, Reverse Engineering in Electronic Systems (spring AY25)

· EC3760, Information Operations Systems (winter AY26)

PATENTS

· D. Drusinsky and J. B. Michael, Multiagent pathfinding for non-dynamic programming problems. U.S. Patent no. 11,882,023 B2, 23 Jan. 2024.

· D. Drusinsky, M. Litton, and J. B. Michael, 2023. Machine-learned verification and advance notice oracles for autonomous systems. U.S. provisional patent application filed Aug. 2023.

SELECTED RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Over 300 publications, including books, chapters, journal articles, conference papers, and technical reports.

· J. Weiss, J. B. Michael, and M. T. Swearingen, “Physics-based cyberattacks against electric power grids and alternating current equipment,” Computer, vol. 58, no. 10, 2025, in press.

· D. Drusinsky and J. B. Michael, “Generative AI regulation is an undecidable problem,” Computer, vol. 58, no. 10, 2025, in press.

· J. Weiss and J. B. Michael, “Bridging the gap between engineering and cybersecurity to better protect critical infrastructures,” Computer, vol. 58, no. 7, pp. 157-160, 2025.

· A. Grünert, J. B. Michael, R. Oppliger, and R. Rytz, “On the measurability and testability of IT security,” Computer, vol. 58, no. 3, pp. 120-126, 2025.

· M. L. Litton, D. Drusinsky, and J. B. Michael, “Discovering decision manifolds to assure trusted autonomous systems,” IEEE Syst. J., vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 413-424, 2025.

· M. L. Litton, D. Drusinsky, L. Bridget, and J. B. Michael, “Machine learned correctness properties, runtime verification, and advance-warning oracles for autonomous systems,” Computer, vol. 57, no. 10, pp. 118-130, 2024.

· A. Grünert, J. B. Michael, R. Oppliger, and R. Rytz, “Why probabilities cannot be used in cyber risk management,” Computer, vol. 57, no. 10, pp. 86-89, 2024.

· M. L. Litton, D. Drusinsky, J. B. Michael, “Reliable autonomous vehicles: How do we get there?” IEEE Rel. Mag., vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 41-50, 2024.

• M. T. Swearingen, J. B Michael, J. Weiss, and R. Radvanovsky, “Resilient without Zero Trust,” Computer, vol. 57, no. 1, pp. 120-122, 2024.
• D. L. Litton, D. Drusinsky, and J. B. Michael, “Assuring reliability of autonomous commercial drones in the national airspace,” in Proc. 70th Annual Reliability & Maintainability Symposium, Albuquerque, N.M., 6 pp., Jan. 2024.
• J. Weiss, J. B. Michael, and M. T. Swearingen, “There is no chilling when your control system cybersecurity is unfulfilling,” Computer, vol. 56, no. 12, pp. 120-124, 2023.
• D. Drusinsky, M. Litton, and J. B. Michael, “Machine-learned verification and advance notice oracles for autonomous systems,” Computer, vol. 56, no. 7, 121-130, 2023.
• T. C. Wingfield and J. B. Michael, “Waterfall: Cascading effects of a strategic cyber campaign,” Computer, vol. 56, no. 4, pp. 143-148, 2023.
• Q. Lu, L. Zhu, J. Whittle, and J. B. Michael, “Software engineering for responsible AI,” Computer, vol. 56, no. 4, pp. 13-16, 2023.
• J. Michael, D. Drusinsky, and M. Litton, Update on machine-learned correctness properties, Tech. report NPS-CS-23-001, Department of Computer Science, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif., Jan. 2023.
• D. Drusinsky, J. B. Michael, M. Litton, “Machine-learned specifications for the verification and validation of autonomous cyberphysical systems,” in Proc. 33rd IEEE International Symposium on Software Reliability Engineering, Charlotte, N.C., pp. 333-341, Nov. 2022.
• J. Weiss, M. Hood, N. Miller, C. Potorieko, and J. B. Michael, “Using machine learning to work around the operational and cybersecurity limitations of legacy process sensors,” Computer, vol. 55, no. 11, pp. 106-111, 2022.
• J. B. Michael, “Taking a measured approach to investing in information infrastructure for attaining leading-edge trustworthy artificial intelligence,” IEEE Security & Privacy, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 4-6, 2022.
• J. B. Michael, “Understanding conversational artificial intelligence,” Computer, vol. 55, no. 9, pp. 115-119, 2022.
• J. B. Michael, G. C. Dinolt, F. B. Cohen, D. Wijesekera, “Can you trust in Zero Trust,” Computer, vol. 55, no. 8, pp. 103-105, 2022.
• J. B. Michael, “Placing trust in automated software development processes,” Computer, vol. 55, no. 7, pp. 78-81, 2022.
• J. B. Michael and M. Orescanin, “Developing and deploying artificial intelligence systems,” Computer, vol. 55, no. 6, pp. 15-17, 2022.
• D. Drusinsky, M. Litton, and J. B. Michael, “Lightweight verification and validation of cyberphysical systems using machine-learned correctness properties,” Computer, vol 55, no. 2, pp. 102-108, 2022.
• J. B. Michael, “Trusting human-machine teaming,” Computer, vol. 54, no. 11, pp. 104-107, 2021.
• J. B. Michael and T. C. Wingfield, “Defensive AI: The future is yesterday,” Computer, vol. 54, no. 9, pp. 90-96, 2021.
• J. B. Michael, D. Drusinsky, and D. Wijesekera, “Formal verification of cyber-physical systems,” Computer, vol. 54, no. 9, pp. 15-24, 2021.
• J. B. Michael, D. Drusinsky, and D. Wijesekera, “Formal methods in cyber-physical system,” Computer, vol. 54, no. 9, pp. 25-29, 2021.
• T. Carter, J. B. Michael, J. A. Kroll, “Lessons learned from applying the NIST Privacy Framework,” IT Professional, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 9-13, 2021.
• M. J. Lanoue, J. B. Michael, and C. A. Bollmann, “Spoofed networks: Exploitation of GNSS security vulnerability in 4G and 5G mobile networks,” Int. Symp. on Performance Evaluation of Computer and Telecommunication Systems Conf., Fairfax, Va., pp. 1-8, July 2021.
• D. Drusinsky and J. B. Michael, “Multiagent pathfinding under rigid, optimization, and uncertainty constraints,” Computer, vol 54, no. 7, pp. 111-118, 2021.
• J. Viega and J. B. Michael, “Struggling with supply-chain security,” Computer, vol. 54, no. 7, pp. 98-104, 2021.
• J. B. Michael, “Security and privacy for edge artificial intelligence,” IEEE Security & Privacy, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 4-7, 2021.
• J. A. Kroll, J. B. Michael, and D. B. Thaw, “Enhancing cybersecurity via artificial intelligence: Risks, rewards, and frameworks,” Computer, vol 54, no. 6, pp. 64-71, 2021.
• J. F. DeFranco, C. S. Eagle, J. B. Michael, J. Viega, and J. M. Voas, “Hackathons 101,” Computer, vol. 54, no. 5, pp. 65-69, 2021.
• P. Denning, D. Drusinsky, and J. B. Michael, “Military intelligent systems pose strategic dilemmas,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, Apr. 2021.
• M. Lanoue, C. A. Bollmann, J. B. Michael, J. D. Roth, and D. Wijesekera, “An attack vector taxonomy for mobile telephony security vulnerabilities,” Computer, vol. 54, no. 4, pp. 76-84, 2021.
• S. Peisert, B. Schneier, H. Okhravi, F. Massacci, T. Benzel, C. Landwehr, M. Mannan, J. Mirkovic, A. Prakash, and J. B. Michael, “Perspectives on the SolarWinds incident,” IEEE Security & Privacy, vol.19, no.2, pp. 7-13, 2021.
• R. D. Riehle and J. B. Michael, “Improving the trustworthiness of software through rigorous data type design,” Computer, vol 54, no. 1, pp. 89-95, 2021.
• N. Thiem, M. Orescanin, and J. B. Michael, “Reducing artifacts in GAN audio synthesis,” in Proc. 19^th Int. Conf. on Machine Learning and Applications, Miami, Fla., pp. 1268-1275, Dec. 2020.
• J. B. Michael and J. Voas, “Algorithms, algorithms, algorithms,” Computer, vol. 53, no. 11, pp. 13-15, 2020.
• J. B. Michael, R. Kuhn, and J. Voas, “Security or privacy: Can you have both? Computer, vol. 53, no. 9, pp. 20-30, 2020.
• J. B. Michael, R. Kuhn, and J. Voas, “Cyberthreats in 2025,” Computer, vol. 53, no. 6, pp. 16-27, 2020.
• J. B. Michael, “Practical aspects of employing antireverse engineering.” IT Professional, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 11-13, 2020.

• J. B. Michael, G. W. Dinolt, and D. Drusinsky, “Open questions in formal methods,” Computer, vol. 53, no. 5, pp. 81-84, 2020.
• D. Drusinsky and J. B. Michael, “Obtaining trust in executable derivatives using crowdsourced critiques with blind signatures,” Computer, vol. 43, no. 4, pp. 51-56, 2020.
• L. E. Peitso and J. B. Michael, “The promise of interactive shared augmented reality,” Computer, vol. 53, no. 1, pp. 45-52, 2020.
• J. B. Michael, “Trustworthiness of autonomous machines in armed conflict,” IEEE Security & Privacy, vol. 17, no. 6, pp. 4-6, 2019.
• J. B. Michael, “Assessing the trustworthiness of electronic systems,” Computer, vol. 52, no. 11, pp. 80-83, 2019.
• Tallinn Manual 2.0 on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Operations, M. N. Schmitt, gen. ed., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K., 2^nd ed. 2017.

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Last updated on 6 August 2025