Editorial: Dependability and Security

Ravishankar K. Iyer F the past four years, it has been my privilege and pleasure to serve as the Inaugural Editor-in-Chief of IEEE’s Transactions on Dependable and Secure Computing. During the relatively short time since its launch, TDSC has become the premier journal in our fi eld. One indicator of success is the impact factor, as measured by the IEEE. TDSC has had one of the highest impact factors among IEEE Computer Society publications, which is especially impressive considering the journal’s young age. We have published nearly 100 papers in 16 issues and we have had four special sections in connection with two of the premier conferences in the fi eld. An outstanding group of colleagues acting as Associate Editors has helped make TDSC the success it is. Each of them has performed the task of review with great care and dedication. Further, the quality of the submissions has steadily and perceptibly increased since the journal’s inception. This is due to the devotion and rigor that several hundred peer reviewers have brought to the process, thus helping the AEs hold all papers to a uniformly high standard. During the past four years, TDSC has also developed and maintained a worldwide perspective, with Associate Editors, referees, and paper submissions from Europe, Asia, and North and South America. The number of submissions has reached approximately 190 papers per year, driven in part by the high expectations of the Associate Editors and reviewers, as well as the recognized quality of the papers published. This is particularly true of our special issues, published each year in conjunction with the IEEE International Conference on Dependable Systems and Networks (DSN) and the IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy. I express my heartfelt thanks to the Editorial Board, Rangachar Kasturi, the former Computer Society Vice President of Publications, Angela Burgess, the IEEE Computer Socety Executive Director, and Suzanne Wagner and Joyce Arnold of the IEEE Computer Society. To Kishor Trivedi go special thanks for his advice in the process of creating the journal. I am also deeply grateful to our many reviewers from the peer community who have worked so hard to maintain a reasonable turnaround time for the journal. My special thanks go to Heidi Leerkamp and Gerasimoula Kokkosis for their wonderful and unqualifi ed support in helping me manage the journal and to Frances Rigberg Baker for her editorial assistance. I extend a warm welcome to the newest Associate Editors, Zbigniew T. Kalbarczyk, Karama Kanoun, Stefan Katzenbeisser, Shubu Mukherjee, Shiuhpyng Shieh, Yervant Zorian and my sincere thanks go to our distinguished outgoing Associate Editors, Steve Bellovin and Paulo Verissimo. My congratulations and best wishes to Virgil D. Gligor, the incoming Editor-in-Chief. I have every confi dence that the journal will continue to evolve in new and exciting directions under his leadership. I am sure this young journal will continue to grow and thrive in the coming years and hope to continue my involvement as a submitter, reviewer, and reader. I end my term as its Inaugural Editor-in-Chief with great satisfaction and pride. Congratulations to all involved!