Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research - King's College London
Lead Research Organisation:
King's College London
Department Name: Informatics
Abstract
King's College London (KCL) is a research-led university established in 1829 (4th oldest in England), and one of the top 25 universities in the world (2017-18 QS international world rankings). The current King's Strategic Vision 2029, which looks forward to KCL's 200th anniversary in 2029, leverages the breadth of expertise across KCL to promote multi- and inter-disciplinary research to enable transformative advances and produce new insights that can be applied rapidly to deliver impact across the world, with 4 overlapping themes, including social justice, which encompasses issues like justice, prevention, and cyber security.
In particular, KCL's cyber security vision for the next 5 years is to conduct high-quality, impactful, and inter-disciplinary research, particularly leveraging current cyber security capability but also nurturing and growing it, with the vision to becoming the ACE-CSR of note for 3 main research themes and their interrelationship:
* AI Cyber Security. This comprises both the use of AI for cyber security (including data-driven techniques such as Machine Learning, but also knowledge-based techniques such as Argumentation, Normative Systems, Trust), and the cyber security of AI itself (including security, trust, privacy and transparency guarantees).
* Formal Cyber Security. This includes the theoretical aspects of cyber security such as theoretical computer science approaches for verification and testing to provide assurance, correctness and technology-readiness of security protocols, mobile and web applications, cyber-physical systems and the Internet of Things.
* Strategic Cyber Security. This includes the socio-political and strategic aspects of cyber security such as cyber risks, cyber threats, cyber intelligence, cyber policy and cyber defence, and their relationship to risk assessment, management and governance.
These 3 themes reflect the key current cyber security strengths at KCL and the inter-disciplinary link to other key KCL strengths, notably AI, theoretical computer science, and conflict and security studies. Strategically, the themes are intertwined and complementary, and they are crucial to understanding and tackling the complex nature of evolving cyber security challenges. For instance, AI-powered cyber intelligence is becoming increasingly important for the strategy and defence of nation-states, and it lies at the intersection of AI Cyber Security and Strategic Cyber Security; likewise, the security guarantees that are needed for AI and Autonomous Systems, which formal verification can bring, lie at the intersection of AI Cyber Security and Formal Cyber Security.
In particular, KCL's cyber security vision for the next 5 years is to conduct high-quality, impactful, and inter-disciplinary research, particularly leveraging current cyber security capability but also nurturing and growing it, with the vision to becoming the ACE-CSR of note for 3 main research themes and their interrelationship:
* AI Cyber Security. This comprises both the use of AI for cyber security (including data-driven techniques such as Machine Learning, but also knowledge-based techniques such as Argumentation, Normative Systems, Trust), and the cyber security of AI itself (including security, trust, privacy and transparency guarantees).
* Formal Cyber Security. This includes the theoretical aspects of cyber security such as theoretical computer science approaches for verification and testing to provide assurance, correctness and technology-readiness of security protocols, mobile and web applications, cyber-physical systems and the Internet of Things.
* Strategic Cyber Security. This includes the socio-political and strategic aspects of cyber security such as cyber risks, cyber threats, cyber intelligence, cyber policy and cyber defence, and their relationship to risk assessment, management and governance.
These 3 themes reflect the key current cyber security strengths at KCL and the inter-disciplinary link to other key KCL strengths, notably AI, theoretical computer science, and conflict and security studies. Strategically, the themes are intertwined and complementary, and they are crucial to understanding and tackling the complex nature of evolving cyber security challenges. For instance, AI-powered cyber intelligence is becoming increasingly important for the strategy and defence of nation-states, and it lies at the intersection of AI Cyber Security and Strategic Cyber Security; likewise, the security guarantees that are needed for AI and Autonomous Systems, which formal verification can bring, lie at the intersection of AI Cyber Security and Formal Cyber Security.
Planned Impact
Our impact strategy has been planned with a view to maximising four key impact objectives: (i) engaging with key UK cyber security government agencies; (ii) engaging with the cyber security industry; (iii) engaging with other ACE-CSR; (iv) promoting and publicising the KCL ACE-CSR. To achieve these objectives, a number of activities have been planned, which are described below, including travel to ACE-CSR conferences and meetings with NCSC; events and workshops with industry, government, and other ACE-CSR; development and maintenance of an KCL ACE-CSR website; and design and production of publicity materials for the KCL ACE-CSR. Here, we only describe the strategy and its activities.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Jose Such (Principal Investigator) |
| Description | The centre brings together the diverse mass of researchers across King's College London working on the socio-technical aspects of cyber security, including academics at the Departments of Informatics, the Department of War Studies, the Department of Defence Studies, the Department of Digital Humanities, and the Policy Institute. While KCL Cybersecurity Centre provides expertise on most areas of cyber security, it has a critical mass of researchers working on three main research themes and their interrelationship: AI Cyber Security, Formal Cyber Security, and Strategic Cyber Security. AI Cyber Security comprises both the use of AI for cyber security (including data-driven techniques such as Machine Learning, but also knowledge-based techniques such as Argumentation, Normative Systems, Trust), and the cyber security of AI itself (including security, trust, privacy and transparency guarantees). Formal Cyber Security includes the theoretical aspects of cyber security such as theoretical computer science approaches for verification and testing to provide assurance, correctness and technology-readiness of security protocols, mobile and web applications, cyber-physical systems and the Internet of Things, blockchain, bitcoin, and cryptocurrencies. Strategic Cyber Security includes the socio-political and strategic aspects of cyber security such as cyber risks, cyber threats, cyber intelligence, cyber policy and cyber defence, and their relationship to risk assessment, management and governance. |
| Exploitation Route | It has served to put together in a consistent way all cyber security research conducted at King's College London, which has fostered collaborations leading to cross-disciplinary projects on cyber security. We have also become a reference of contact for cyber security matters at King's. |
| Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) Government Democracy and Justice Security and Diplomacy |
| URL | https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/cybersecurity-centre |
| Description | This award help us establish, maintain and develop relationships with industry (Google, Meta, Microsoft, Nokia Bell Labs), regulation (Ofcom, ICO) and government (NCSC/GCHQ) bodies through the engagement activities described in the submission. |
| Sector | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Description | Future of Human-centred Privacy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This event ran from June 5th to June 7th 2023 at King's College London. We hosted experts on the topic of human-centred privacy to discuss the future challenges in the field. This included high-profile academics from the US, EU, and UK, as well as industry (Google, Meta, Microsoft, Nokia Bell Labs), regulation (Ofcom, ICO) and government (NCSC/GCHQ). The description of the event to publisise it was as follows: Over the last two decades, the field of human-centred privacy has developed into an important area at the intersection between privacy and HCI research. Given the growing interests and priority areas of at-risk and vulnerable user groups, and AI-related advances, we feel it's time to take stock of progress and plan for the future. The Future of Human-Centred Privacy (FHCP) will be an event half-way between workshop and retreat over two days and a half where leading voices from academia and industry will meet to discuss and scan the horizon on the challenges for human-centred privacy. Together, FHCP attendees will construct a roadmap for research in the field, outlining the key developing and high-impact areas of study. The intention is for this to form the basis for future collaborations. The event is organised by academics at King's College London by the KCL Cybersecurity Centre. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Ofcom Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The KCL Cybersecurity Centre hosted an Ofcom Workshop on the Opportunities and Challenges of the UK Online Safety Bill on 7th September, which was well-attended by over 50 participants. It has the potential to bring about new opportunities to the Centre and to the Informatics Department. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Visit from DCMS |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This was requested by DCMS who wanted to know more about the ACE-CSR and the research its members conduct on cybersecurity. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Visit from EPSRC |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | EPSRC came to visit the ACE-CSR, which was an excellent opportunity for its members to engage with them and the other way round, for instance, EPSRC was very interested in reaching out to the War Studies department, who were also present. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Visit from NCSC |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This was the visit from the National Cyber Security Centre to the ACE-CSR. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |