Modern computer hackers are quite adept at exploiting the vulnerabilities inherent in low-level programming languages like C/ C++. They are able to corrupt main memory with raw data, divert the control flow of program execution, and ultimately, gain access to sensitive information. I will research a hardware extension which protects memory from being corrupted by attackers. More specifically, I will implement a data type tagging scheme to enforce instruction level policies that will distinguish between raw data forged by malicious users and valid transfer addresses, defeating code reuse attacks.

I became interested in computer security after a brief research project in network security my sophomore year. Through my research I hope to gain insight into how a computer operates at the hardware-level and the intricacies of the OS. I am excited to push the limits of a tagged architecture such that it can be implemented into modern systems with minimal effort and cost.