computer science

PRODIGAL

PRODIGAL is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand PRODIGAL rather than just read about it. In short: PRODIGAL (proactive discovery of insider threats using graph analysis and learning) is a computer system for predicting anomalous behavior among humans, by data mining network traffic such as emails, text messages and server log entries. It is part of DARPA's Anomaly Detection at Multiple Scales (ADAMS) project.

Key takeaways

PRODIGAL belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect PRODIGAL to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of PRODIGAL from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

PRODIGAL (proactive discovery of insider threats using graph analysis and learning) is a computer system for predicting anomalous behavior among humans, by data mining network traffic such as emails, text messages and server log entries. It is part of DARPA's Anomaly Detection at Multiple Scales (ADAMS) project. The initial schedule is for two years and the budget $9 million. It uses graph theory, machine learning, statistical anomaly detection, and high-performance computing to scan larger sets of data more quickly than in past systems. The amount of data analyzed is in the range of terabytes per day. The targets of the analysis are employees within the government or defense contracting organizations; specific examples of behavior the system is intended to detect include the actions of Nidal Malik Hasan and WikiLeaks source Chelsea Manning. Commercial applications may include finance. The results of the analysis, the five most serious threats per day, go to agents, analysts, and operators working in counterintelligence.

Primary participants Georgia Institute of Technology College of Computing Georgia Tech Research Institute Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Army Research Office Science Applications International Corporation Oregon State University University of Massachusetts Amherst Carnegie Mellon University

See also Cyber Insider Threat Einstein (US-CERT program) Threat (computer) Intrusion detection ECHELON, Thinthread, Trailblazer, Turbulence (NSA programs) Fusion center, Investigative Data Warehouse (FBI)

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with PRODIGAL

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what PRODIGAL claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to PRODIGAL before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about PRODIGAL ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of PRODIGAL

In research: PRODIGAL appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses PRODIGAL in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: PRODIGAL is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Applied data mining, Cybersecurity engineering, DARPA, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for PRODIGAL outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study PRODIGAL in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what PRODIGAL means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain PRODIGAL out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is PRODIGAL in simple terms?

Why does PRODIGAL matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study PRODIGAL?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on PRODIGAL.