Dorothy Denning is a prominent computer scientist known for her significant contributions to the fields of cybersecurity and information assurance. She is particularly recognized for her work on access control and the development of the Bell-LaPadula model, which is a formal security model used to maintain data confidentiality in computer systems. Denning has also authored several influential books and papers, helping to shape the understanding of cryptography and network security. Throughout her career, she has held various academic positions and has been involved in numerous research projects, making her a respected figure in the field of computer science.