CSIT 2
Lead Research Organisation:
Queen's University Belfast
Department Name: Sch of Electronics, Elec Eng & Comp Sci
Abstract
From the outset, CSIT's vision has been to establish a Global Innovation Hub for Cyber Security in order to promote growth
in this strategically important sector of the UK economy. There have been major achievements in the past five years during
CSIT's Phase 1. The Centre has grown to over 80 people and is now one of the largest academic centres of its type
internationally, and is increasingly recognised as a leader in cyber security technology research. CSIT has created a
unique 'Open Innovation' model with Industry and Government that is successfully 'bridging the gap' to economic impact.
CSIT has numerous International partnerships and research links including several FP7 and Horizon 2020 collaborative
research projects. CSIT has spun-out 3 new ventures, supported numerous start-ups and SMEs scale and nucleated the
emergence of a new cyber security cluster in Belfast (Over 900 new jobs announced in the last 5 years).
CSIT has delivered against Phase 1 and commits to scale activity and impact, raising the bar on innovation and growth
across the UK. The vision and strategy for Phase 2 can be summarised by, 'continuing to establish a global innovation hub
for cyber security, raising the bar on growth'. At the heart of this strategy CSIT will not lose focus on the Phase 1 innovation
hub model (accelerating new value creation, new venture creation and building capacity), as this is the engine from which
increased and future translation is possible. CSIT's plan will increase inputs to this growth engine by feeding the innovation
hub with partner innovators as well as CSIT's own innovation. CSIT will also extend activities to further supply skills,
training and people to the UK cyber security industry. CSIT's plan will also increase outputs from the growth engine by
formalising a Cyber PreAccelerator Programme. CSIT will also increase scale-up support for identified high growth
companies and provide leadership for the cyber security cluster that emerged from, and has been nucleated by CSIT. In
CSIT Phase 2 Research will be developed under the theme "Securing our Digital Tomorrow" creating the new technologies
needed for the seamless integration of electronic security into future Smart Cities and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Research Excellence will continue to be a focus within CSIT. CSIT Innovation and IP will be developed through various
Innovation Programmes, some of which will be core funded and some of which will be competitively won externally with
collaborative partners. CSIT has world-leading research expertise in a wide range of security research areas. With this
expertise, and through longer-term speculative PhD research, CSIT will address the security requirements of future Smart
City systems. However, from previous experience, CSIT realises resources should not be spread too thinly on such a vast
range of research topics. Therefore, CSIT has chosen to select three research programmes, it believes to be the most
exciting and innovative, with the most potential for commercial exploitation. Dedicated teams of researchers, PhD students
and engineers will drive the development of these programmes which will be reviewed annually in conjunction with our
industry partners and senior academic board members. The selected Research and Innovation Programme Themes
identified at the outset are: Secure Ubiquitous Networking, Device Authentication and Security Analytics and Autonomous
Sensor Security.
Cyber security is still an emerging discipline but one that is growing rapidly. This is presenting exciting opportunities for
research, new business and economic impact. CSIT is in a strong position to make further and significant contributions in
all of these aspects and help position the UK in terms of international research reputation as well as scaling economic
growth.
in this strategically important sector of the UK economy. There have been major achievements in the past five years during
CSIT's Phase 1. The Centre has grown to over 80 people and is now one of the largest academic centres of its type
internationally, and is increasingly recognised as a leader in cyber security technology research. CSIT has created a
unique 'Open Innovation' model with Industry and Government that is successfully 'bridging the gap' to economic impact.
CSIT has numerous International partnerships and research links including several FP7 and Horizon 2020 collaborative
research projects. CSIT has spun-out 3 new ventures, supported numerous start-ups and SMEs scale and nucleated the
emergence of a new cyber security cluster in Belfast (Over 900 new jobs announced in the last 5 years).
CSIT has delivered against Phase 1 and commits to scale activity and impact, raising the bar on innovation and growth
across the UK. The vision and strategy for Phase 2 can be summarised by, 'continuing to establish a global innovation hub
for cyber security, raising the bar on growth'. At the heart of this strategy CSIT will not lose focus on the Phase 1 innovation
hub model (accelerating new value creation, new venture creation and building capacity), as this is the engine from which
increased and future translation is possible. CSIT's plan will increase inputs to this growth engine by feeding the innovation
hub with partner innovators as well as CSIT's own innovation. CSIT will also extend activities to further supply skills,
training and people to the UK cyber security industry. CSIT's plan will also increase outputs from the growth engine by
formalising a Cyber PreAccelerator Programme. CSIT will also increase scale-up support for identified high growth
companies and provide leadership for the cyber security cluster that emerged from, and has been nucleated by CSIT. In
CSIT Phase 2 Research will be developed under the theme "Securing our Digital Tomorrow" creating the new technologies
needed for the seamless integration of electronic security into future Smart Cities and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Research Excellence will continue to be a focus within CSIT. CSIT Innovation and IP will be developed through various
Innovation Programmes, some of which will be core funded and some of which will be competitively won externally with
collaborative partners. CSIT has world-leading research expertise in a wide range of security research areas. With this
expertise, and through longer-term speculative PhD research, CSIT will address the security requirements of future Smart
City systems. However, from previous experience, CSIT realises resources should not be spread too thinly on such a vast
range of research topics. Therefore, CSIT has chosen to select three research programmes, it believes to be the most
exciting and innovative, with the most potential for commercial exploitation. Dedicated teams of researchers, PhD students
and engineers will drive the development of these programmes which will be reviewed annually in conjunction with our
industry partners and senior academic board members. The selected Research and Innovation Programme Themes
identified at the outset are: Secure Ubiquitous Networking, Device Authentication and Security Analytics and Autonomous
Sensor Security.
Cyber security is still an emerging discipline but one that is growing rapidly. This is presenting exciting opportunities for
research, new business and economic impact. CSIT is in a strong position to make further and significant contributions in
all of these aspects and help position the UK in terms of international research reputation as well as scaling economic
growth.
Planned Impact
CSIT's unique capacity and capability in security intelligence for Smart Cities and IoT and strong collaborative partnerships
primarily through its open innovation model, ideally position CSIT to support UK economic growth in this sector. CSIT has
successfully demonstrated its awareness of key markets and players in the cyber security technology domain. Partnerships
established with CSIT Members, CSIT Associates, collaborative research partners (including FP7 and Horizon 2020) and
the emerging Belfast Cyber Cluster shows the relevance of CSIT's strategic engagements.
Over the next 5 years, CSIT will support significant progress towards increased market share and a new £1Bn industry in
the UK, by: -
Supporting innovators create new ventures Targeting scale-up support to help companies grow business. Supporting the
creation of new jobs in the sector.
With an overall vision of, establishing a global innovation hub for cyber security and raising the bar on growth, CSIT will not
lose focus on the innovation hub, as this is the engine from which increased and future translation is possible. The
innovation hub has 3 key priorities.
Accelerating new value creation. Key to this strategic objectives are, the Open Innovation Model of Industry Membership to
inform the development of novel cyber security technologies with significant market potential (CSIT has 9 full member
companies, 14 associate members with a pipeline of additional potential members) and CSIT's permanent engineers who
work alongside academic researchers assisting with knowledge transfer, articulating capability, producing rapid prototypes
(proof-of-concept demonstrators) and understanding the drivers of industry.
Creating New Ventures. CSIT will continue to support UKTI and Invest NI in attracting new businesses in the form of FDI.
CSIT will also continue to develop concept ventures, giving due consideration to potential for CSIT delivery of the
technology without needing to 'spin-out' (i.e. licensed and supported directly via CSIT).
Building Capacity. CSIT will continue to spillover staff and students for the industry and also having a capacity of expertise
and skills within CSIT that can be accessed by partner companies to build new products and services and win new
business by accessing that resource within CSIT. Since 2009 15 PhDs engaged in CSIT research have graduated. Around
50% have taken up jobs in industry, the other 50% continuing to engage in research e.g. as PDRAs at CSIT or at
universities elsewhere. A further 41 students are now at various stages in their PhDs with a steady pipeline of 10+ PhDs
expected to graduate each year. As part of its commitment to CSIT Phase 2, Queen's has agreed to support a further 8
PhDs per annum. In addition, CSIT, in collaboration with colleagues at Queen's Institute for the Study of Conflict and Social
Justice, has recently been successful in obtaining £1.05M from the Leverhulme Trust to fund a Doctoral Training
programme entitled the 'Leverhulme Interdisciplinary Network on Cybersecurity and Society - LINCS'. This will fund an
additional 30 PhDs over the next 7 years. This is in addition to PhDs supported by organisations such as GCHQ (currently
3) and by industry.
CSIT's plan to raise the bar on translation over the next five years will scale CSIT's Innovation Hub model (Accelerating
Value Creation, New Venture Creation and Building Capacity) for the benefit of the whole of the UK. CSIT will increase
activity with partner innovators (from startups, SMEs, government agencies and academia). CSIT will also increase the
supply of skills, training and people to the UK cyber security industry (as mentioned above). CSIT will also deliver a Cyber
PreAccelerator Program, increase scale-up support for partners identified with high growth potential across the UK, and
provide leadership for the emerging Belfast Cyber Cluster nucleated by CSIT.
primarily through its open innovation model, ideally position CSIT to support UK economic growth in this sector. CSIT has
successfully demonstrated its awareness of key markets and players in the cyber security technology domain. Partnerships
established with CSIT Members, CSIT Associates, collaborative research partners (including FP7 and Horizon 2020) and
the emerging Belfast Cyber Cluster shows the relevance of CSIT's strategic engagements.
Over the next 5 years, CSIT will support significant progress towards increased market share and a new £1Bn industry in
the UK, by: -
Supporting innovators create new ventures Targeting scale-up support to help companies grow business. Supporting the
creation of new jobs in the sector.
With an overall vision of, establishing a global innovation hub for cyber security and raising the bar on growth, CSIT will not
lose focus on the innovation hub, as this is the engine from which increased and future translation is possible. The
innovation hub has 3 key priorities.
Accelerating new value creation. Key to this strategic objectives are, the Open Innovation Model of Industry Membership to
inform the development of novel cyber security technologies with significant market potential (CSIT has 9 full member
companies, 14 associate members with a pipeline of additional potential members) and CSIT's permanent engineers who
work alongside academic researchers assisting with knowledge transfer, articulating capability, producing rapid prototypes
(proof-of-concept demonstrators) and understanding the drivers of industry.
Creating New Ventures. CSIT will continue to support UKTI and Invest NI in attracting new businesses in the form of FDI.
CSIT will also continue to develop concept ventures, giving due consideration to potential for CSIT delivery of the
technology without needing to 'spin-out' (i.e. licensed and supported directly via CSIT).
Building Capacity. CSIT will continue to spillover staff and students for the industry and also having a capacity of expertise
and skills within CSIT that can be accessed by partner companies to build new products and services and win new
business by accessing that resource within CSIT. Since 2009 15 PhDs engaged in CSIT research have graduated. Around
50% have taken up jobs in industry, the other 50% continuing to engage in research e.g. as PDRAs at CSIT or at
universities elsewhere. A further 41 students are now at various stages in their PhDs with a steady pipeline of 10+ PhDs
expected to graduate each year. As part of its commitment to CSIT Phase 2, Queen's has agreed to support a further 8
PhDs per annum. In addition, CSIT, in collaboration with colleagues at Queen's Institute for the Study of Conflict and Social
Justice, has recently been successful in obtaining £1.05M from the Leverhulme Trust to fund a Doctoral Training
programme entitled the 'Leverhulme Interdisciplinary Network on Cybersecurity and Society - LINCS'. This will fund an
additional 30 PhDs over the next 7 years. This is in addition to PhDs supported by organisations such as GCHQ (currently
3) and by industry.
CSIT's plan to raise the bar on translation over the next five years will scale CSIT's Innovation Hub model (Accelerating
Value Creation, New Venture Creation and Building Capacity) for the benefit of the whole of the UK. CSIT will increase
activity with partner innovators (from startups, SMEs, government agencies and academia). CSIT will also increase the
supply of skills, training and people to the UK cyber security industry (as mentioned above). CSIT will also deliver a Cyber
PreAccelerator Program, increase scale-up support for partners identified with high growth potential across the UK, and
provide leadership for the emerging Belfast Cyber Cluster nucleated by CSIT.
Organisations
- Queen's University Belfast (Lead Research Organisation)
- Innovate UK (Co-funder)
- Thales Group (Collaboration)
- Belfast Smartcards Ltd (Collaboration)
- Boston College (Collaboration)
- Autoline Insurance (Collaboration)
- Equiniti Group plc (Collaboration)
- Carnegie Mellon University (Collaboration)
- Seagate Technology (Ireland) (Collaboration)
- Infosys Limited (Collaboration)
- Ampliphae Ltd (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM (Collaboration)
- Purdue University (Collaboration)
- First Derivatives (Collaboration)
- Allstate (Collaboration)
- University of Plymouth (Collaboration)
- Intelligent Environments Ltd (Collaboration)
- Direct Line Group plc (Collaboration)
- Roke Manor Research Ltd. (Collaboration)
- Camlin Group Ltd (Collaboration)
- Euronext Amsterdam N.V. (Collaboration)
- Perspective Economics (Collaboration)
- Ipsos MORI (Collaboration)
- Rolls Royce (Collaboration)
- BAE Systems (United Kingdom) (Collaboration)
Publications
Abbott, Rachael
(2020)
Multi-modal object detection using unsupervised transfer learning and adaptation techniques
Abdelaty M
(2021)
GADoT: GAN-based Adversarial Training for Robust DDoS Attack Detection
Ahmad F
(2021)
NOTRINO: A NOvel Hybrid TRust Management Scheme for INternet-of-Vehicles
in IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology
Ahmaderaghi B
(2018)
Blind Image Watermark Detection Algorithm Based on Discrete Shearlet Transform Using Statistical Decision Theory
in IEEE Transactions on Computational Imaging
Al Habsi A
(2020)
Blackmail on social media: what do we know and what remains unknown?
in Security Journal
Al-Bayati Z
(2019)
Partitioning and Selection of Data Consistency Mechanisms for Multicore Real-Time Systems
in ACM Transactions on Embedded Computing Systems
Almashhadani A
(2019)
A Multi-Classifier Network-Based Crypto Ransomware Detection System: A Case Study of Locky Ransomware
in IEEE Access
Almashhadani A
(2022)
MFMCNS: a multi-feature and multi-classifier network-based system for ransomworm detection
in Computers & Security
Alzaylaee M
(2020)
DL-Droid: Deep learning based android malware detection using real devices
in Computers & Security
Alzaylaee, M
(2017)
EMULATOR vs REAL PHONE: Android Malware Detection Using Machine Learning
Alzaylaee, Mohammed K.
(2017)
Improving Dynamic Analysis of Android Apps Using Hybrid Test Input Generation
An J
(2018)
Tensor-Based Low-Rank Graph With Multimanifold Regularization for Dimensionality Reduction of Hyperspectral Images
in IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing
Basagiannis S
(2015)
Smart Grid Security
Bauters K
(2016)
Combinations of Intelligent Methods and Applications
Bian S
(2021)
APAS: Application-Specific Accelerators for RLWE-Based Homomorphic Linear Transformations
in IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security
Birgani Y
(2022)
Area-Time-Efficient Scalable Schoolbook Polynomial Multiplier for Lattice-Based Cryptography
in IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems II: Express Briefs
Birgani Y
(2022)
Ultra-lightweight FPGA-based RC5 designs via data-dependent rotation block optimization
in Microprocessors and Microsystems
Biswas A
(2022)
Using Pattern of On-Off Routers and Links and Router Delays to Protect Network-on-Chip Intellectual Property
in ACM Transactions on Computer Systems
Bolla R
(2017)
Network Connectivity Proxy: Architecture, Implementation, and Performance Analysis
in IEEE Systems Journal
Brown, Glen
(2019)
Synthetic Data Augmentation for Facial Re-identification
Burgess J
(2019)
MANiC: Multi-step Assessment for Crypto-miners
Burgess J
(2020)
REdiREKT: Extracting Malicious Redirections from Exploit Kit Traffic
Bustard J
(2015)
The Impact of EU Privacy Legislation on Biometric System Deployment: Protecting citizens but constraining applications
in IEEE Signal Processing Magazine
Calderwood S
(2016)
Context-dependent combination of sensor information in Dempster-Shafer theory for BDI
in Knowledge and Information Systems
Calderwood,Sarah
(2015)
Contextual merging of uncertain information for better informed plan selection in BDI systems
Cao X
(2016)
Optimised Multiplication Architectures for Accelerating Fully Homomorphic Encryption
in IEEE Transactions on Computers
Carlin D
(2018)
Detecting Cryptomining Using Dynamic Analysis
Carlin D
(2018)
Dynamic Opcode Analysis of Ransomware
Carlin D
(2017)
The Effects of Traditional Anti-Virus Labels on Malware Detection Using Dynamic Runtime Opcodes
in IEEE Access
Carlin D
(2019)
A cost analysis of machine learning using dynamic runtime opcodes for malware detection
in Computers & Security
Carlin D
(2020)
You Could Be Mine(d): The Rise of Cryptojacking
in IEEE Security & Privacy
Carlin D
(2018)
Dynamic Analysis of Ran-somware using Opcodes and Opcode Categories
in International Journal on Cyber Situational Awareness
| Description | Cyber-attacks such as those recently perpetrated on Solarwinds, Colonial Pipeline and the Irish Health Service are scaling at an alarming rate and the call for strong and resilient cyber security technologies has reached crescendo. Against this backdrop, the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) through a unique open innovation model with industry partners is pioneering research, development and innovation to protect citizens and businesses, and drive economic impact. Its unique model of innovation incorporates a significant engineering, professional services and public policy capability differentiating it from other cyber security academic research centres. Examples of significant research findings include: - novel algorithmic and architectural optimisations of fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) hardware designs (collaboration with Thales) which culminated in FHE encryption speed improvements of a factor of 130 over equivalent software designs. This research was selected as an IEEE Trans. on Computers 'Editor's pick of the year 2016'; - A very lightweight Physical Unclonable Function (PUF) design for FPGA devices that offers high uniqueness and reliability across different devices; The design was licensed for evaluation and included in a demonstration model by Thales to address electronic component counterfeiting in industry - Novel optimized Gaussian sampler designs for lattice-based cryptography that are resistant to timing attacks - A novel tool for the rapid prototyping of cryptographic block ciphers and stream ciphers - A novel android malware detection system that uses a deep convolutional neural network (CNN). This work was selected as a GSMA Mobile World Scholar challenge finalist in 2019; - TENNISON, a novel distributed software defined network (SDN) security framework that combines the efficiency of SDN control and monitoring with the resilience and scalability of a distributed system (collaboration with Univ of Lancaster) - A novel Information flow control (IFC) scheme that combines access control encryption (ACE) and attribute-based systems (ABS), which is the first such scheme enforced using attributes - Novel approaches to integrate low-level sensors of different types, in particular those for cyber-attack detection, into evidential networks, demonstrated in a real-world smart grid use-case that is representative of similar cyber-physical systems - A novel classifier fusion approach based on a multi-level architecture that enables effective combination of ensemble learning algorithms for improved malware detection accuracy. The method is shown to outperform stacked generalization, a well- known classifier fusion method. CSIT also engages in successful collaborative research and innovation activities with a range of industry partners, from start-ups and SMEs through to multi-nationals. Its unique open innovation model allows research to translate to industry in an agile way, ensuring demonstrable technology is in the hands of end users quickly. Examples of key outcomes from our collaborative research with industry include: • In collaboration with Thales we demonstrated the use of post-quantum public key cryptography in satellite applications for the first time. • Collaborating with AllState to apply cybersecurity research to the problem of detecting anomalous and fraudulent insurance claims. • Working with BSecur to refine the accuracy of their ECG Authentication technology. • Dell EMC using our practical post-quantum cryptography architectures and software libraries to inform their future quantum-safe strategy. They now use a key management architecture that resulted from the SAFEcrypto project within their internal Key Trust Platform. • Identified a critical vulnerability in Siemens programmable logic control (PLC) devices that are used in nuclear power plants globally. We worked closely with NCSC in the responsible disclosure of the vulnerability and collaborated with Siemens on mitigation measures to ensure the vulnerability cannot be exploited by hackers. • Working with Linz AG, an electrical distribution company in Austria, to reveal several problems and vulnerabilities in Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) networks, which are employed in critical national infrastructure. • Developing open source tools for testing the security of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) devices. |
| Exploitation Route | Through our extensive links with industry and government organisations as documented on our web site www.csit.qub.ac.uk. Through the creation of a new business cluster in Northern Ireland that now comprises >100 companies with over 2500 new jobs in cybersecurity since created. Through the creation of spin-off companies and through support for InvestNI and UKTI in the attraction of Foreign Direct Investment. Through the normal mechanisms of publication in high quality research journals and conferences including citations since received. |
| Sectors | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Electronics,Energy,Security and Diplomacy,Transport |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/csit/ |
| Description | From its inception, industry partners have played a key role in shaping the activities of CSIT. Defence primes BAE Systems and Thales have been with CSIT right from the start. American insurance company Allstate, ranked 79th in the Fortune 500, has supported CSIT's research since 2014 and leading global bank Citi has been collaborating with it since 2017. Over the period CSIT has also spun out and supported scaling companies such as Titan IC (acquired NVIDIA in 2020) and B-Secur by working collaboratively to transition research to market, augment their teams at critical growth points,help them raise investment and access global markets. Of its many industry engagements, ranging from start-ups to multinationals, CSIT has enjoyed particular success with a number of its partner companies, including Thales, BAE, Allstate and Citi, B-Secur and Titan IC. Some of the co-created research solutions developed from these partnerships are listed under research findings. TITAN IC One of its successful spin-outs, Titan IC Systems was founded in 2009 based on the pioneering work of Professor Sakir Sezer, Research Director of CSIT's Secure Ubiquitous Networking group and Dr Dwayne Burns, previously Principal Engineer at CSIT. Over eleven years, CSIT and Titan IC collaborated on many projects and the company was used as a vehicle for commercialising network intelligence and security technology such as the RXP regular expression processor developed at the Centre. Titan IC was acquired in 2020 by Mellanox, a leading supplier of high-performance, end-to-end smart interconnect solutions for data centre servers and storage systems and subsequently NVIDIA, the US based semiconductor company which designs graphics processing units (GPUs) for the gaming and professional markets, as well as system-on-a- chip units for the mobile computing and automotive markets. Following the acquisition CSIT has worked with NVIDIA on a large Invest NI Grant for R&D proposal (worth around £600k to CSIT), which will see the company's R&D operations expanded further in Belfast. LORCA Through the LORCA programme, CSIT, in partnership with Plexal and Deloitte, has been responsible for the accelerated growth of 72 innovative cyber companies over the past three and a half years. These companies have collectively raised £200m in investment, generated over £38m in revenue and have created more than 600 jobs since the launch in June 2018, exceeding all original KPI targets set by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. CSIT's research informed the product roadmaps of these companies with CSIT academics offering a programme of masterclasses to each cohort and the Centre's engineering resource providing six weeks of specialist technical consultancy and delivery to each company to help bring their product roadmaps to reality and to market. SPEARHEADING FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT & JOB CREATION CSIT has been heavily involved in UK job creation in the cyber security industry. This growth has been validated in DCMS UK Cyber Security Sectoral Analysis 2021 and the Northern Ireland Cyber Security Snapshot 2021 , both co-authored by CSIT, highlighting the continued strength of the sector nationally as well as highlighting Northern Ireland's place as a leading cyber security innovation cluster. This is also confirmed by The Royal Society's 2020 'Research and innovation clusters' report and the UK Research and Development Roadmap, published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in 2020 which highlights CSIT as a case study on how investment in research, development and innovation can deliver economic impact to the surrounding area and beyond. From a standing start in 2009 Northern Ireland's cyber sector now employs 2,500 people across >100 companies. Northern Ireland is also the #1 international investment location for US cyber security firms in the world. InvestNI's cyber security campaign launched in May 2021 highlighted that "Northern Ireland is an international hub for cyber security research and innovation, anchored by CSIT, a global flagship institute for cyber security research and education". |
| First Year Of Impact | 2013 |
| Sector | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Electronics,Security and Diplomacy |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | Co-chair Royal Society , Professor McCanny co-chair, Cyber Security Research Policy Committee 2013-2016, report published July 2016 |
| Geographic Reach | Europe |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Impact | This reoprt has been fed into the Government's Cyber Secuirty strategy and its follow up on the development of a new Cyber Security Research and Innovation strategy. This has yet to be published. Key recommendations form the report are summarised below. Summary of recommendations (a) Trust is essential for growing and maintaining participation in the digital society. Governments must commit to preserving the robustness of end-to-end encryption, and promoting its widespread use. (b) Modern digital systems face a wide range of risks and threats. Evidence-based guidance, including clear standards and sound practice, would help businesses and other organisations protect themselves in this risky environment. This guidance should be paired with a system of certification marks, to help consumers, investors and others understand and assess how secure they are and to inform their decisions. (c) Resilient organisations can better protect their customers, provide more useful products and services, and earn people's trust. This requires having access to high-quality, trustworthy advice and standards, as well as access to early information shared by others. This is a role that can be played by the new National Cybersecurity Centre. However, Government should commission an independent review of the UK's future cybersecurity needs, to identify the institutional structures needed in the longer term. Businesses and public sector organisations should regularly report against robust standards of cybersecurity practice, and should be encouraged to share information to help others. (d) Cybersecurity is a distinctively multidisciplinary, global, and cross-sectoral field. These characteristics make it important that UK research and practice draw on talented researchers from outside the UK, and across disciplines and sectors, including through peer review and collaboration. (e) Government should help innovative approaches get out of academia and to the market place through its procurement activities, and by supporting ideas with large potential spill over benefits that might not otherwise be funded. (f) University technology transfer offices should focus on the volume of commercialisation opportunities, aiming to make it easy and attractive for researchers to commercialise their ideas. This would deliver greater long-term benefits for society, rather than short term financial returns for universities. Numerous visits to CSIT by senior government officials have also taken place to find out more about the CSIT Innovation model which has directly influenced thinking at Cabinet Office level and in DCMS in terms of replicating similar actvities in other parts of the UK and in the creation of innovation centres in Chelteham and London. Following from this Professor McCanny was also an invited speaker at the workshop "Secure Digital Identities for the Digital Single Market" at the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences in Vilnius, October 25-26, 2016. This was organised by the High Level Group of Scientific Advisors of the European Commission. Its purpose was to create a new EU policy in this area following a request from the European Commission. This policy report is due to be published in the next few months. See https://ec.europa.eu/research/sam/pdf/presentations/vilnius_2016/vilnius2016_rolf-dieter_heuer.pdf and https://ec.europa.eu/research/sam/pdf/topics/cybersecurity_workshop_programme_102016.pdf |
| URL | https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/projects/cybersecurity-research/ |
| Description | ETSI Industry Specification Group for Quantum Safe Cryptography (ISG QSC) |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | The ETSI Quantum-Safe Cryptography (QSC) ISG aimed to assess and make recommendations for quantum-safe cryptographic primitives and protocols, taking into consideration both the current state of academic cryptology and quantum algorithm research, as well as industrial requirements for real-world deployment. ETSI QSC ISG seeked to standardize the relevant algorithms, primitives, and risk management practices as needed to seamlessly preserve our global information security infrastructure. This group considered the security properties of the proposed algorithms and protocols along with practical considerations, such as extensible security architectures and technology switching costs, which allow these recommendations to support a variety of industrial use cases. We aimed to make pragmatic comparisons and concrete characterisations and recommendations to assist the global technology community to select and deploy the best available quantum-safe alternatives. |
| URL | https://www.etsi.org/technologies/quantum-safe-cryptography |
| Description | ETSI Technical Committee for Cyber Security (TC CYBER) |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | TC CYBER is recognized as a major trusted centre of expertise offering market-driven cyber security standardization solutions, advice and guidance to users, manufacturers, network, infrastructure and service operators and regulators. ETSI TC CYBER works closely with stakeholders to develop standards that increase privacy and security for organizations and citizens across Europe and worldwide. We provide standards that are applicable across different domains, for the security of infrastructures, devices, services, protocols, and to create security tools and techniques. Some of our latest standards have been in network security (implementing the NIS Directive TR 103 456, the Middlebox Security Protocol TS 103 523 series, a survey of network gateways TR 103 421), cryptography for access control and personally identifying information (Attribute-Based Encryption TS 103 458 and TS 103 532), Critical Security Controls (the TR 103 305 series), protecting PII in line with GDPR (TR 103 370), Quantum-Safe Key Exchanges (TR 103 570), and more. |
| URL | https://www.etsi.org/technologies/cyber-security |
| Description | ETSI Technical Committee for Lawful Interception (TC LI) |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | Bringing together the interests of governments and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) as well as mobile network operators and equipment vendors, our Lawful Interception committee (TC LI) develops standards supporting international requirements for LEAs, including the interception and retention of electronic communications data sent over public communication services. We cover the whole spectrum of interception aspects working closely with other ETSI committees and with the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPPTM). At the core of a ALL IP current and future networks is the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) which provides an access independent platform for a variety of access technologies. IMS is being developed in 3GPPs Service and System Aspects Group, with the handover interface for lawful interception being developed in TC LI. TC LI activities include work on Retained Data (RD) and the committee published specifications on requirements and on the Retained Data Handover Interface. TC LI regularly updates its suite of standards by adding needed functionalities to the LI and RD specifications. In recent years work has been extended to ensure strong collaboration with our group working on Cybersecurity, and that the LI and RD functions are performed in the context of cloud services, Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC). |
| URL | https://www.etsi.org/technologies/lawful-interception |
| Description | IoT Security Foundation |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | IoTSF mission is to help secure the Internet of Things, in order to aid its adoption and maximise its benefits. To do this we will promote knowledge and clear best practice in appropriate security to those who specify, make and use IoT products and systems. CSIT has been represented by Philip Mills at IoTSF activities |
| Description | Membership of UK government delegation to ITU Study Group 17 (Security) |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
| Description | Northern Ireland Organised Crime Task Force - Cyber Crime Group |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | Cyber crime demonstrates how the internet is changing the face of crime across the globe with a substancial number of crimes now assessed to have a cyber or digital footprint. The criminal use of the Internet known as e-crime or cybercrime can be subdivided into two categories:- - cyber dependant crime - where a criminal act can only be committed through the use of computers or other ICT devices. e.g. the theft of data from an organisation's computers with the purpose of stealing sensitive data or the harvesting of online bank accounts. - cyber-enabled crimes - are traditional crimes such as fraud, theft, sexual or harrassment offences, the distribution of child pornography which can be increased in their scale or reach by the use of computers. Many offences span both categories and many offences span multiple crime types and both categories. The types of cyber enabled crimes reported to the PSNI include: - Fraud Offences - such as online auction sites and shops, fraud websites and advance fee fraud, - Extortion - the most commonly reported have been ransomware against businesses, and personal extortion against individuals who have visited sex rooms, - Harassment, intimation, threats and cyberstalking - these usually relate to domestic incidents and ongoing disputes, but have also included intimidation of witnesses and predatory cyberstalking, - incidents with a sexual element - including the grooming of young people and sharing of indecent images. It is also used to recruit and advertise victims of human trafficking for sexual purposes, - sourcing of illicit items online - including drugs being sourced from online suppliers overseas. Websites and social media sites are also used to advertise and sells counterfeit goods. Cyber dependant crimes are less frequently reported to law enforcement, however increased industry engagement through the OCTF has led to a rise in reports from local businesses. |
| URL | https://www.octf.gov.uk/Publications/OCTF-Annual-Report-And-Threat-Assessment/Annual-Report-Threat-A... |
| Description | Open Networking Foundation (ONF) Security Working group |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | The Open Networking Foundation (ONF) is a non-profit operator led consortium driving transformation of network infrastructure and carrier business models. CSIT's Dr Sandra Scott-Hayward was Vice-Chair Security Working Group from 2015-2017 |
| URL | https://www.opennetworking.org/ |
| Description | Report of the US National Academy of Sciences/Royal Society, Annual Sackler Scientific forum, Washington DC, December 2014, "Cybersecurity Dilemmas: Technology, Policy and Incentives". Professor McCanny was an organiser/committe meber for this. |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | The forum brought together approximately 60 participants (invite only) from academia, government, industry, philanthropy, and nongovernmental organizations. Participants included former senior government officials from the United States and the United Kingdom as well as individuals from both countries who have been critical of the policies of their respective governments. Industry representation included senior technologists from major US multinational ICT companies. The forum was held under Chatham House Rules The two-day meeting included presentations and discussions on such topics as cyberse¬curity and international relations, privacy, rational cybersecurity, and accelerating prog¬ress in cybersecurity. This summary of the forum pro¬vides an overview of key issues in cybersecurity from a group of people working at the forefront of the field. This includes (a) Cybersecurity involves a demanding a trade-off between functionality and se¬curity: users demand flexibility and complexity in the systems they use, but this demand significantly increases the difficulty of ensuring the security of the system. Although perfect cybersecurity is not possible, there are many opportunities to improve systems and better protect their users. (b) A major concern for individuals is how they can protect their privacy in a world where data about them are increasingly collected, stored, and used for a variety of pur¬poses. Different stakeholders have conflicting interests in the balance between privacy and data collection. Although some service providers are primarily interested in collecting as much data as possible, even if it is not immediately useful, individual customers value their privacy and autonomy. Customers' stored data may be anonymized, but such data can be stitched back together to create a detailed profile of an individual with relative ease. If data collection and storage are not carefully controlled, they can introduce new opportunities for criminals to gain access to them for malicious purposes. (c) In our interconnected world, cyberspace is a key topic that transcends borders and should influence (as well as be influenced by) international relations. As such, both national and international laws will need careful evaluation to help ensure the conviction of cybercriminals, support companies that work internationally, and protect national security. To meet the growing demand for protecting national security, international law and norms could be strengthened to reduce the risk of international cyberattacks. (d) In addition, there is a growing need for future leaders in both the private and public sectors understand and articulate the implications of cybersecurity risks for their own organizations and for the wider economic and social system. This report has fed into national cybersecurity strategy and policy reports in the United Stated and the UK. |
| URL | https://royalsociety.org/~/media/policy/Publications/2015/sackler-forum-cybersecurity.pdf |
| Description | Royal Academy of Engineering,"Investing in Innovation Report" September 2015. Professor McCanny was a meber of the committe that produced this report. |
| Geographic Reach | Europe |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Impact | This report was commissioned by BIS to address the question of what role the public sector has in supporting innovation. This request cam shortly after the decision to create UKRI and the role of InnovateUK within this. The report has had important infuence over government not least the role of InnovateUK emaphsising that that Innovate needs to be mcuh more that the translation engine for UK R&D rather to promote innovation in its own right. The reports conclusions were as follows. (a) Innovation is a crucial contributor to growth and productivity. It also provides the means of developing new tools and approaches to tackle major societal challenges. (b) The public sector has a key role to play in enticing private sector investment and encouraging innovation in priority or high-potential areas, through direct investment, smarter procurement and creating an enabling environment. (c) This approach has been adopted by many, if not all, of our competitors. They will not stop innovating if we reduce our innovation investments. The UK has many innovation assets; the challenge for government is to ensure that there is an overarching vision and a coherent, stable and strategic policy framework that enables these to act effectively in concert over the long term. |
| URL | http://www.raeng.org.uk/publications/reports/investing-in-innovation |
| Description | The Royal Academy of Engineering Dowling Review of Business University relations, Professor McCanny a member of the review committee. This was orignally commisioned by BIS |
| Geographic Reach | Europe |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Impact | Professor McCanny was a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Dowling Review of Businesses University relations in the UK, 2015, report published July 2015, This made numerous recommendations summarised below many of which have since had direct impact in terms of improved public services and improved university business relationships. (a) Public support for the innovation system is too complex. Business-university collaboration is an important component of the innovation ecosystem. Innovation is a complex, non-linear process, so the complexity of the UK's innovation ecosystem is not surprising and may be to a degree inevitable. However, the complexity of the policy support mechanisms for research and innovation poses a barrier to business engagement in collaborative activities, especially for small businesses. It also makes it difficult for government to take a systems view of its support mechanisms for research and innovation. The over-arching recommendation of this review is therefore that government should seek to reduce complexity wherever possible and, where simplification is not possible, every effort should be made to ensure that the interface to businesses and academics seeking support for collaborative R&D is as simple as possible, even if internally the system of schemesis complex: a process that has been referred to as 'hiding the wiring'. (b) People are central to successful collaborations. Strong, trusting relationships between people in business and academia form the foundation for successful collaboration. These relationships require mutual understanding and a common vision for the benefits that can be derived from the collaboration. Such relationships can be fostered by creating an incentive framework for universities and businesses which promotes the transfer of ideas and people between business and academia. This includes supporting students to develop business awareness at an early stage of their research careers, continuing to fund schemes which support mobility between academia and business and ensuring that researchers who are successful in collaborations are valued in terms of career progression and assessment of research output. (c) Effective brokerage is crucial, particularly for SMEs, and continued support is needed for activities that help seed collaborations. This brokerage requires digital tools to facilitate the identification of potential research partners, complemented by clear signposting and access to support from appropriately informed people - at present, no UK-wide service exists that adequately addresses this need. It is also essential that funding is available to kick-start collaborations. Innovate UK and the Research Councils currently provide a number of schemes to help with this. Schemes which tend to be considered particularly valuable in this respect are those which underpin smallscale projects, such as Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and CASE studentships, and those which can be deployed flexibly and rapidly in response to emerging opportunities, such as Higher Education Innovation Funding and Impact Acceleration Accounts. (d) Pump-prime funding would stimulate the development of high quality research collaborations with critical mass and sustainability. The UK has a vibrant research environment, with a range of collaborations taking place between universities and businesses across many disciplines, but there is more to be done to help existing efforts evolve from short-term, project-based collaborations to longer term partnerships focussed on use-inspired research. Providing such help will not only result in increased benefits for business, as academics are able to more confidently explore areas of business interest, but also offers the chance to drive new insights in areas of fundamental research. There is a gap in the market to encourage business-university research collaborations to grow. Funding is needed to enable the creation of a critical mass of useinspired research activity within universities, to help unlock the full strategic potential of collaborative relationships. Experience with existing schemes suggests that a very favourable return on the public investment could be achieved over the lifetime of such a scheme. (e) Technology transfer offices need to prioritise knowledge exchange over short-term income generation, and further work is required to improve approaches to contracts and IP agreements. Universities have rightly become more aware of the importance of intellectual property and have significantly professionalised their knowledge exchange activities. However, there is a tension between the desire to earn short-term income from their IP and the need to deliver wider public benefit, and potentially greater long-term return on investment from this IP. The emphasis needs to shift towards the latter, and this must be reflected in technology transfer office funding models and success metrics. Notwithstanding the substantial work already undertaken to improve approaches to establishing contracts and IP agreements, this area remains a major source of frustration for both academics and businesses. (f) Government strategy on innovation needs to be better coordinated and have greater visibility. Research and innovation have a central role to play in supporting industrial strategy and universities should be seen as key partners in its development and delivery. Government has an opportunity to use industrial sectors and key technologies as levers to encourage greater business investment in innovation and R&D and to involve companies of all sizes through the supply chain. It also needs to ensure that the tax system effectively encourages collaborative research. At a local level, government has given Local Enterprise Partnerships a remit to support innovation within their area but performance to date has been patchy and there is a need to set a clear national direction and provide stronger support to enable them to fulfil this role.This review has benefitted from the great enthusiasm of those in the business and academic communities with an interest in collaboration. There is evidently a huge amount of goodwill and drive to make collaborations happen. With appropriate, and in many cases catalytic, public support and an effective policy framework, this can be translated into substantial benefits for the UK through the development of innovative products and services and improved competitiveness and productivity. |
| URL | http://www.raeng.org.uk/policy/dowling-review |
| Description | UK Cyber Growth Partnership |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | The Cyber Growth Partnership is composed of representatives from academia, Government and industry. The Partnership works on behalf of the wider industry to achieve three strategic objectives: 1) Increasing export market understanding and access 2) Develop the UK's offer and brand for overseas markets 3) Skills, Research & Innovation |
| URL | https://www.techuk.org/cyber-growth-partnership |
| Description | Accelerated Real-Time Information Extraction System (ARIES) |
| Amount | £252,523 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/J020540/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2012 |
| End | 09/2013 |
| Description | Advanced Network Forensics to Secure SDN and NFV infrastructures |
| Amount | £125,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2017 |
| End | 12/2020 |
| Description | Allstate NI Ltd: Anomaly Detection System for Insurance Claim & Point of Sale Fraud Detection |
| Amount | £677,096 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Allstate |
| Department | Allstate Northern Ireland |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2016 |
| End | 03/2019 |
| Description | Android malware detection methods using cloud based dynamic analysis |
| Amount | $370,000 (USD) |
| Organisation | National Security Research Institute (South Korea) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Korea, Republic of |
| Start | 01/2017 |
| End | 12/2019 |
| Description | Automated Detection of Android Malware |
| Amount | £30,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2013 |
| End | 03/2014 |
| Description | CSIT Phase 2 - Engineering Team Funding |
| Amount | £5,510,546 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | RD1015344 |
| Organisation | Invest Northern Ireland |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2017 |
| End | 01/2022 |
| Description | Citi (Trade Surveillance year 2) |
| Amount | £248,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Citigroup Inc |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 01/2020 |
| End | 12/2020 |
| Description | Citi (trade surveillance) |
| Amount | £449,775 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Queen Mary University of London |
| Department | Centre for Inflammation and Therapeutic Innovation |
| Sector | Hospitals |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2018 |
| End | 02/2019 |
| Description | Citi - Research project |
| Amount | £294,414 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Citigroup Inc |
| Department | Citibank |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United States |
| Start | |
| Description | Commercialising quantum devices (AQuaSec) |
| Amount | £5,800,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 104615 |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2018 |
| End | 03/2021 |
| Description | Contract Research for Titan IC Systems |
| Amount | £150,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Titan IC Systems |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2012 |
| End | 06/2013 |
| Description | DASA project - Video based semantic analysis of crowd behaviour |
| Amount | £272,741 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ACC2001038 |
| Organisation | Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2019 |
| End | 09/2019 |
| Description | DCMS Funding |
| Amount | £35,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | DSTL (DASA) Crowd resilience phase 1 |
| Amount | £79,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2017 |
| End | 06/2018 |
| Description | DSTL Security for the Internet of Things - Challenge 1 - Software PUFs as a Trust Anchor |
| Amount | £49,767 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | CDE41446 |
| Organisation | Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2016 |
| End | 03/2016 |
| Description | DeepSecurity - Applying Deep Learning to Hardware Security |
| Amount | £765,827 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/R011494/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2017 |
| End | 10/2022 |
| Description | ECG-based Biometrics |
| Amount | £62,070 (GBP) |
| Organisation | B-Secur |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2016 |
| End | 03/2017 |
| Description | EPSRC - IKC Follow-on funding (CSIT3) |
| Amount | £500,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | EPSRC First Grant: Analysing and Detecting Advanced Multi-stage Attacks against ICS (ADAMA) |
| Amount | £99,552 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/N022866/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2016 |
| End | 03/2018 |
| Description | EPSRC First Grant: Multi-activity 3D Pose Estimation on Real Environments |
| Amount | £98,943 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/N030540/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2016 |
| End | 01/2018 |
| Description | EU Framework Programme 7 (PRECYSE) |
| Amount | € 441,620 (EUR) |
| Funding ID | FP7- SEC-2013- 1-20121119 |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 04/2014 |
| End | 03/2017 |
| Description | EU Framework Programme 7 (SPARKS) |
| Amount | € 3,429,551 (EUR) |
| Funding ID | FP7-SEC-2012- 1-28518/1 |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 04/2014 |
| End | 06/2017 |
| Description | European Space Agency project on Authentic PVT |
| Amount | € 30,000 (EUR) |
| Organisation | Qascom |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | Italy |
| Start | 04/2018 |
| End | 03/2019 |
| Description | Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (USA). SMART Broiler competition |
| Amount | $310,737 (USD) |
| Funding ID | Sb-0000000021 Project FlockFocus |
| Organisation | Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 03/2020 |
| End | 09/2021 |
| Description | GCHQ PhD Studentship (Application Layer DDoS Attack Mitigation) |
| Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | GCHQ PhD Studentship (Lattice based Post-Quantum Cryptography) |
| Amount | £109,539 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | GCHQ PhD Studentship (Side Channel Attacks using Machine Learning Techniques) |
| Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | GCHQ Project: SDN Security Application |
| Amount | £37,819 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2016 |
| End | 03/2016 |
| Description | GCHQ Small Grants - 2016 |
| Amount | £34,900 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2016 |
| End | 03/2016 |
| Description | Grant for R&D: Ampliphae Ltd |
| Amount | £200,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Invest Northern Ireland |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2020 |
| End | 12/2020 |
| Description | H2020 - XANDAR project |
| Amount | £700,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | European Commission H2020 |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Belgium |
| Start | |
| Description | HEFCE Strategic Development Fund (Catalyst Fund) project; SETsquared: Cognition Video iCURE |
| Amount | £28,377 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 514603903 |
| Organisation | Higher Education Funding Council for England |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2015 |
| End | 03/2016 |
| Description | Hardware implementation of Quantum-safe primitives and components |
| Amount | £67,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | National Security Research Institute (South Korea) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Korea, Republic of |
| Start | 01/2020 |
| End | 12/2020 |
| Description | Horizon 2020 Cybersecurity, Trustworthy ICT (SAFEcrypto) |
| Amount | € 1,036,405 (EUR) |
| Funding ID | Grant agreement no: 644729 |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 01/2015 |
| End | 12/2018 |
| Description | Horizon 2020 ICT-04-2015 Uniserver |
| Amount | € 4,815,810 (EUR) |
| Funding ID | 688540 |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Department | Horizon 2020 |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 02/2016 |
| End | 01/2019 |
| Description | Huawei Project: OpenFlow Multi-Table Analysis for SDN Security Solutions |
| Amount | £126,378 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Huawei Technologies |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | China |
| Start | 04/2016 |
| End | 03/2017 |
| Description | ICURe: IoT security - central and distributed protection |
| Amount | £35,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2017 |
| End | 03/2017 |
| Description | Independent review of authentication algorithms |
| Amount | £11,405 (GBP) |
| Organisation | B-Secur |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2019 |
| End | 10/2019 |
| Description | Innovate UK - KTP with CattleEye |
| Amount | £120,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | Innovate UK - KTP with Liberty IT |
| Amount | £120,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | Intel University Programme for Curricula Design |
| Amount | £16,667 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Intel Corporation |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 01/2016 |
| End | 03/2016 |
| Description | Invest NI Proof of Concept (Accelerated Video Forensics) |
| Amount | £106,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | PoC 458 |
| Organisation | Invest Northern Ireland |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2014 |
| End | 06/2016 |
| Description | Invest NI Proof of Concept (Columbus) |
| Amount | £106,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | PoC 457 |
| Organisation | Invest Northern Ireland |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2014 |
| End | 06/2016 |
| Description | Invest NI Proof of Concept (Crypto Agility) |
| Amount | £109,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | PoC 622 |
| Organisation | Invest Northern Ireland |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2017 |
| End | 09/2018 |
| Description | Invest NI Proof of Concept (PUF-PKI: Authentication Platform for Machine-to-Machine Communications Systems) |
| Amount | £106,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | PoC 341 |
| Organisation | Invest Northern Ireland |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | Invest NI Proof of Concept (SDN Security) |
| Amount | £105,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | PoC 405 |
| Organisation | Invest Northern Ireland |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2014 |
| End | 02/2016 |
| Description | LEVERHULME DOCTORAL SCHOLARSHIPS: Leverhulme Interdisciplinary Network on Cybersecurity and Society (LINCS) |
| Amount | £1,050,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | The Leverhulme Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2016 |
| End | 09/2019 |
| Description | Lloyds Banking Group - Cyber Range |
| Amount | £5,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Lloyds Bank |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2019 |
| End | 11/2019 |
| Description | Making remote working secure, resilient and reliable (IMES) |
| Amount | £144,190 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 44178-323139 |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2015 |
| End | 01/2017 |
| Description | NVIDIA research project G4R&D |
| Amount | £708,010 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Invest Northern Ireland |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | Network in Internet and Mobile Malicious Software (NIMBUS) |
| Amount | £100,348 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/K003445/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2012 |
| End | 10/2015 |
| Description | PSNI (CyberWOLF) |
| Amount | £22,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2018 |
| End | 03/2018 |
| Description | Providing Autonomous Capabilities for Evolving SCADA (PACES) |
| Amount | £623,033 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/J012149/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2012 |
| End | 09/2015 |
| Description | Q-Radar Integration |
| Amount | £9,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Cyberlytic |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2016 |
| End | 04/2016 |
| Description | RITICS - COSMIC |
| Amount | £249,379 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 4212631 I RFA 16023 |
| Organisation | Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2018 |
| End | 03/2021 |
| Description | ROLLS-ROYCE - Multi-PUF project |
| Amount | £123,500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Rolls Royce |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 12/2021 |
| Description | ROLLS-ROYCE - SEQURED project |
| Amount | £123,500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Rolls Royce |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 12/2021 |
| Description | Research Institute in Trustworthy Industrial Control Systems Phase 2 (CAPRICA) |
| Amount | £394,306 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/M002837/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2014 |
| End | 12/2016 |
| Description | SBRI innovation in rail security surveillance analytics, phase 1 |
| Amount | £133,200 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Network Rail Ltd |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2020 |
| End | 06/2020 |
| Description | SDN Security Application (Stage 2) |
| Amount | £300,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2016 |
| End | 03/2017 |
| Description | SIPP - Secure IoT Processor Platform with Remote Attestation |
| Amount | £1,294,888 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/S030867/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2019 |
| End | 08/2022 |
| Description | SME Cyber Training Programme |
| Amount | £21,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Belfast City Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2018 |
| End | 10/2018 |
| Description | Secure key hiding technology for IoT Devices |
| Amount | £1,600,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (Republic of Korea) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Korea, Republic of |
| Start | 10/2017 |
| End | 09/2020 |
| Description | Spirent SDN project |
| Amount | £10,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Spirent Communications plc |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2019 |
| End | 11/2019 |
| Description | THALES - PUF project |
| Amount | £48,597 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Thales Group |
| Department | Thales UK Limited |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| Description | The EPSRC Quantum Communications Hub |
| Amount | £23,961,861 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/T001011/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2019 |
| End | 11/2024 |
| Description | UK Cyber Analysis |
| Amount | £135,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2019 |
| End | 03/2019 |
| Description | CSIT Industrial Advisory Board (Allstate) |
| Organisation | Allstate |
| Department | Allstate Northern Ireland |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Attendance and interaction through CSIT Advisory Board meetings |
| Collaborator Contribution | Attendance at CSIT Advisory Board meetings, provision of market insight, real-world challenges etc. |
| Impact | None |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | CSIT Industrial Advisory Board (BAE Systems) |
| Organisation | BAE Systems |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Attendance and interaction through CSIT Advisory Board meetings |
| Collaborator Contribution | Attendance at CSIT Advisory Board meetings, provision of market insight, real-world challenges etc. |
| Impact | . |
| Start Year | 2009 |
| Description | CSIT Industrial Advisory Board (Camlin) |
| Organisation | Camlin Group Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Attendance and interaction through CSIT Advisory Board meetings |
| Collaborator Contribution | Attendance at CSIT Advisory Board meetings, provision of market insight, real-world challenges etc. |
| Impact | None |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | CSIT Industrial Advisory Board (DLG) |
| Organisation | Direct Line Group plc |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Attendance and interaction through CSIT Advisory Board meetings |
| Collaborator Contribution | Attendance at CSIT Advisory Board meetings, provision of market insight, real-world challenges etc. |
| Impact | None |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | CSIT Industrial Advisory Board (Equniti) |
| Organisation | Equiniti Group plc |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Attendance and interaction through CSIT Advisory Board meetings |
| Collaborator Contribution | Attendance at CSIT Advisory Board meetings, provision of market insight, real-world challenges etc. |
| Impact | None |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | CSIT Industrial Advisory Board (Euronext) |
| Organisation | Euronext Amsterdam N.V. |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Attendance and interaction through CSIT Advisory Board meetings |
| Collaborator Contribution | Attendance at CSIT Advisory Board meetings, provision of market insight, real-world challenges etc. |
| Impact | None |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | CSIT Industrial Advisory Board (First Derivatives) |
| Organisation | First Derivatives |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Attendance and interaction through CSIT Advisory Board meetings |
| Collaborator Contribution | Attendance at CSIT Advisory Board meetings, provision of market insight, real-world challenges etc. |
| Impact | None |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | CSIT Industrial Advisory Board (Infosys) |
| Organisation | Infosys Limited |
| Country | India |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Attendance and interaction through CSIT Advisory Board meetings |
| Collaborator Contribution | Attendance at CSIT Advisory Board meetings, provision of market insight, real-world challenges etc. |
| Impact | None |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | CSIT Industrial Advisory Board (Roke) |
| Organisation | Roke Manor Research Ltd. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Attendance and interaction through CSIT Advisory Board meetings |
| Collaborator Contribution | Attendance at CSIT Advisory Board meetings, provision of market insight, real-world challenges etc. |
| Impact | None |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | CSIT Industrial Advisory Board (Seagate) |
| Organisation | Seagate Technology (Ireland) |
| Country | Ireland |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Attendance and interaction through CSIT Advisory Board meetings. Presentation and discussion across multiple topics at 'deep dive' sessions in December 2018 to uncover multiple common interest areas and topics for future research. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Attendance at CSIT Advisory Board meetings, provision of market insight, real-world challenges, access to real-world data sets etc. Presentation of multiple business challenge areas at 'deep dive' sessions in December 2018. |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | CSIT Industrial Advisory Board (Thales Group) |
| Organisation | Thales Group |
| Department | Thales Research & Technology (Uk) Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Attendance and interaction through CSIT Advisory Board meetings |
| Collaborator Contribution | Attendance at CSIT Advisory Board meetings, provision of market insight, real-world challenges etc. |
| Impact | . |
| Start Year | 2009 |
| Description | Cyber Security Transatlantic Policy Forum |
| Organisation | Boston College |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | CSIT were a collaborator on the Cyber Security Transatlantic Policy Forum held in Killarney, Ireland in May 2019. The mission of the conference is to bring together policy makers, law enforcement officials and cyber industry leaders to create an annual dialogue. Our goal is to expand and improve public-private sector partnerships in cyber security. |
| Collaborator Contribution | We were equal partners in bringing together the two day conference, |
| Impact | Multi-disciplinary |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Cyber Security Transatlantic Policy Forum |
| Organisation | University of Nottingham |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | CSIT were a collaborator on the Cyber Security Transatlantic Policy Forum held in Killarney, Ireland in May 2019. The mission of the conference is to bring together policy makers, law enforcement officials and cyber industry leaders to create an annual dialogue. Our goal is to expand and improve public-private sector partnerships in cyber security. |
| Collaborator Contribution | We were equal partners in bringing together the two day conference, |
| Impact | Multi-disciplinary |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | DCMS Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market 2020 |
| Organisation | Ipsos MORI |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Co-Author |
| Collaborator Contribution | Co-Author |
| Impact | Publication of Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market 2020 by DCMS |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | DCMS Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market 2020 |
| Organisation | University of Plymouth |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Co-Author |
| Collaborator Contribution | Co-Author |
| Impact | Publication of Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market 2020 by DCMS |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | DCMS UK Cyber Security Sectoral Analysis |
| Organisation | Ipsos MORI |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Co-author on an analysis of the UK's cyber security industry, including figures on size, employment and revenue. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Co-authors on an analysis of the UK's cyber security industry, including figures on size, employment and revenue. |
| Impact | Cyber Security Sectoral Analysis 2020 Multi-disciplinary - Economics, Cyber Security |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | DCMS UK Cyber Security Sectoral Analysis |
| Organisation | Perspective Economics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Co-author on an analysis of the UK's cyber security industry, including figures on size, employment and revenue. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Co-authors on an analysis of the UK's cyber security industry, including figures on size, employment and revenue. |
| Impact | Cyber Security Sectoral Analysis 2020 Multi-disciplinary - Economics, Cyber Security |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | DCMS UK Cyber Security Sectoral Analysis |
| Organisation | University of Plymouth |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Co-author on an analysis of the UK's cyber security industry, including figures on size, employment and revenue. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Co-authors on an analysis of the UK's cyber security industry, including figures on size, employment and revenue. |
| Impact | Cyber Security Sectoral Analysis 2020 Multi-disciplinary - Economics, Cyber Security |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Knowledge Transfer Partnership with AllState NI (Insurance Fraud Detection) |
| Organisation | Allstate |
| Department | Allstate Northern Ireland |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Application of advanced data analytics techniques to detection of Insurance Fraud. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Deep engagement with CSIT staff and preparation of a large Grant for R&D which has been submitted to Invest NI. |
| Impact | Too early |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Ampliphae (Detection of enterprise security threats) |
| Organisation | Ampliphae Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Guidance provided by Dr Philip O'Kane and academic colleagues in emerging and novel threats and state-of-the-art approaches to detection. Knowledge fo the cyber threat landscape. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Expertise and product development in the area of network traffic analysis and software product development in the communications sector. |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Autoline Insurance (Vehicle Telematics) |
| Organisation | Autoline Insurance |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Investigation of realtime streaming telematics from motor cars and application of advanced data analytics to determine driving style and risk factors. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Access to datasets. |
| Impact | Autoline now offer telematics based motor insurance policies and are gaining market share. |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Belfast Smartcards (Identity Based Encryption) |
| Organisation | Belfast Smartcards Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Investigation of advanced crytpographic schemes such as Identity Based Encryption and its suitability for use in access control systems |
| Collaborator Contribution | Access to state of the art commercial access control systems |
| Impact | Too early |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Intelligent Environments (Machine Learning for malicious behaviour detection ) |
| Organisation | Intelligent Environments Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Malware detection techniques for use in enterprise environments. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Access to commercial portal environments and low level behaviour of users as recorded by the platform. |
| Impact | Too early |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Rolls Royce Cyber Technology Network |
| Organisation | Carnegie Mellon University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Collaborative research projects |
| Collaborator Contribution | Attendance at CSIT Advisory Board meetings, provision of market insight, real-world challenges etc. Funding of collaborative research projects |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Rolls Royce Cyber Technology Network |
| Organisation | Purdue University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Collaborative research projects |
| Collaborator Contribution | Attendance at CSIT Advisory Board meetings, provision of market insight, real-world challenges etc. Funding of collaborative research projects |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Rolls Royce Cyber Technology Network |
| Organisation | Rolls Royce |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Collaborative research projects |
| Collaborator Contribution | Attendance at CSIT Advisory Board meetings, provision of market insight, real-world challenges etc. Funding of collaborative research projects |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Company Name | Cognition Video Ltd. |
| Description | Cognition Video is a platform for the automatic and intelligent processing of images, video and related data. Examples of the analytics capability include pedestrian detection and tracking; face recognition; moving object detection and tracking; event recognition. |
| Year Established | 2016 |
| Impact | Cognition Video won the Enterprise Software category at INVENT in 2015 and graduated from Springboard at Catalyst Inc. later that year. The platform is currently being trialled for two different use cases around security and safety in the cyber-physical market. |
| Website | http://www.cognitionvideo.co.uk |
| Company Name | DITACA LTD |
| Description | Ditaca is developing a method of securing distributed critical systems via the cloud. |
| Year Established | 2017 |
| Impact | Ditaca was a finalist in the 2017 Invent Awards Electronics catageory |
| Company Name | AFFYON LTD |
| Description | Industrial control system security. Enabling the Fourth Industrial Revolution with the power of the Cloud |
| Year Established | 2018 |
| Impact | Propel 19 Team - Propel is a pre-accelerator based in Belfast Northern Ireland |
| Website | http://affyon.com/ |
| Company Name | LIOPA LTD |
| Description | Liopa brings a novel, robust and convenient person authentication solution to the biometric security market. Our product can validate a user's identity by analysing the appearance and movement of their lips as they speak into a camera. These movements are known as their viseme profile and have been shown to be highly speaker-specific. The user is challenged to say a randomly chosen word or phrase each time they are authenticated. This allows our technology to not only accurately verify identity but also ensure that the person is actually present ("liveness") and therefore the biometric data is not being falsified. Liopa enables a number of use cases including - o Prevention of theft and fraud in online and mobile commerce o Online and mobile banking authentication o Secure Access to Web-sites o Physical Access Security, Time and Attendance Management o Securing access to Mobile Devices & Applications o Authentication for Corporate mobile workforce |
| Year Established | 2015 |
| Impact | Liopa has been named the winner of the Software and Digital Media category, sponsored by Intel, at the 25k Awards. The team was one of two spin out ventures competing in this category being incubated by the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) based at Queen's University Belfast's ECIT Institute. The prestigious annual 25k awards, which are sponsored by Bank of Ireland, are made under the NISP CONNECT entrepreneurship programme, based at the Northern Ireland Science Park in Belfast's Titanic Quarter. The awards are designed to showcase the most innovative research and intellectual property from the publicly funded institutions in Northern Ireland. Liopa were recently selected as a Finalist in the prestigious IPASCO ICT Security awards. Liopa's unique Lip-based Biometric Authentication solution impressed the judges in this highly competitive category. IPACSO is supported by the European Commission, and aims to improve the competitiveness of the European Cyber Security & Privacy market. Each year in October, Europe's most innovative and forward-thinking researchers and entrepreneurs gather in Brussels, recognising those who are bolstering Europe's cyber security landscape. With the awards, the IPACSO consortium, supported by the European Commission under FP7, support Privacy and Cyber Security Innovations 'Made in Europe'. |
| Website | http://www.liopa.co.uk/ |
| Company Name | Sensurity |
| Description | Sensurity is dedicated to raising the standards for Perimeter Intrusion Detection Systems (PIDS) on a global basis. We pioneer and patent intelligent security systems with high levels of intelligence and unparalleled durability. Sensurity's roots lie in cutting edge research into high-frequency electronics at Queen's University Belfast. The company was originally established as a spin-off from this academic research, to commercialise advances in microwave intrusion detection. The Sensurity brand stands for security, assurance and integrity at the cutting-edge of innovation. The resulting product is highly innovative and hugely practical. |
| Year Established | 2012 |
| Impact | Sensurity was established to commercialise research undertaken by Professor Vincent Fusco and his team at QUB that resulted in a novel microwave fence for intrusion detection. |
| Website | http://sensurity.com |
| Company Name | TITAN IC SYSTEMS LIMITED |
| Description | Titan IC Systems is a world leader in the development of hardware engines for content and network processing. The solutions offered include Regular Expression Processor (RXP) and Parallel String Matcher (PSM) for use in all aspects of network security including: Intrusion Detection/Prevention, application detection, anti-virus, and content/URL filtering. Titan IC Systems has a large portfolio of network and network security related intellectual property, based on research conducted over the past five years at ECIT. This research has been focused on the underlying processing architectures and silicon technologies, essential for supporting secure, high quality streaming services. Titan IC Systems innovation lies in the ability to perform fast and parallel pattern matching and regular expression processing at speeds of up to 40Gb/s. |
| Year Established | 2007 |
| Impact | Titan IC Systems is delivering new benchmarks in both flexibility and performance for content inspection and network processing hardware. The unique technology capability offers customers the ability to perform regular expression processing and pattern matching acceleration at speeds of a few 100Mb/s up to 40Gb/s utilising a fully scalable, flexible and parallel architecture. This revolutionary new technology is capable of processing multiple characters and multiple regular expressions in parallel as concurrent tasks on several processing engines. Selected as one of the UK's 12 "most exciting" technology start-ups and invted to pitch their business at Number 10 Downing Street. Atracted £850k of funding via venture capital investments in 2015. |
| Website | http://www.titanicsystems.com/ |
| Description | 4IRC - Do smart toys make smart kids, 18 December - Catalyst Inc (Rafferty) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 4IRC - Do smart toys make smart kids, 18 December - Catalyst Inc (Rafferty) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://connect.catalyst-inc.org/techwatch/csitsmarttoys |
| Description | 4th ETSI/IQC Workshop on Quantum-Safe Cryptography |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Dr Ciara Rafferty presented an invited paper on the work of the SAFEcrypto project to the ETSI conference held in Toronto in September 2016 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | 9th Annual CSIT Cyber Security Summit |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Over the last decade the CSIT Summit has been regarded as an unique event in the cyber security calendar. One which draws together the international research community alongside industry leaders, government policy makers and start-ups and SMEs from around the world to propose the cyber security challenges which will frame the landscape in the decade hence. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://youtu.be/19Qo6Aa4Htg |
| Description | ACM Computing Frontiers 2016, Como, Italy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Prof Maire O'Neill gave an invited talk to the ACM Computing Frontiers Conference held in Como, Italy in May 2016. Prof O'Neill gave an overview of the SAFEcrypto project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | AI NI - Deep Learning for Malware Detection |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Kieran McLaughlin present to the AI NI Meetup Group of Deep Learning for Malware Detection |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.meetup.com/Artificial-Intelligence-Northern-Ireland/events/263189416/ |
| Description | Abu Dhabi Smart City Summit (O'Kane) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | The Smart Abu Dhabi Summit is taking place on the 29th and 30th of October in Abu Dhabi, to showcase our vision and strategy for Abu Dhabi as a leading Smart City and groundbreaking user of Emerging Technologies. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | http://www.smartabudhabisummit.com/ |
| Description | Addressing the Tech / Data Skills Gap in N |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The skills gap in Northern Ireland is well documented but the skills in Northern Ireland are also the reason why so many international companies invest here, so what does the skills landscape look like in the future and what can Queen's University Belfast do about it? We are hosting a panel discussion with representatives from the sector and academia to discuss just these issues. Find out more about what skills are needed in the near future and the education and research happening at the University to help Northern Ireland compete on the global stage. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/addressing-the-skills-gap-in-ni-panel-discussion-tickets-60523786274# |
| Description | Allstate CyberCon 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Over 1,900 Allstate Northern Ireland employees recently took part in the firm's largest employee cybersecurity event ever hosted at its Belfast office. CyberCon aimed to educate employees about the importance of cybersecurity and their role in keeping Allstate secure. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://syncni.com/article/3302/allstate-ni-hosts-belfast-s-largest-cybersecurity-conference |
| Description | Allstate CyberCon event, 3 Oct 18 - Panel discussion and exhibiting (O'Neill, Ward, Millar) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Allstate CyberCon event, 3 Oct 18 - Panel discussion and exhibiting (O'Neill, Ward, Millar) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Anomali Threat Intelligence - QUB - (Millar) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Anomali Threat Intelligence - QUB - (Millar) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | BBC News NI |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Prof Maire O'Neill was interviewed by BBC NI News on her success in Horizon 2020 - the first such project to be co-ordinated in Northern Ireland. Broadcast on TV and Radio in April 2015. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | BBC Online article (NI cyber research hub) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | David Crozier explaining the critical role of CSIT as a cyber research hub |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-39921921 |
| Description | BBC Radio Inside Business (cybercrime) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | David Crozier representing CSIT on a radio panel on the topic of cyber crime, it's growth, and activity ongoing at CSIT to contribute to addressing the issue. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08q724p |
| Description | BBC World Service Forum Programme on Codes and Ciphers |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Prof Maire O'Neill was invited to participate in a BBC World Service programme called Forum which focused on codes and ciphers. The BBC World Service regularly attracts audiences in excess of 210 million people worldwide. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | BEARZ Attack FALCON: Implementation Attacks with Countermeasures on the FALCON Signature Scheme |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Post-quantum cryptography is an important and growing area of research due to the threat of quantum computers, as recognised by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recent call for standardisation. FALCON is a lattice-based signature candidate submitted to NIST, which has good performance but lacks in research with respect to implementation attacks and resistance. This research proposes the first fault attack analysis of FALCON and finds its lattice trapdoor sampler is as vulnerable to fault attacks as the GPV sampler used in alternative signature schemes. We simulate the post-processing component of this fault attack and achieve a 100% success rate at retrieving the private-key. This research then proposes an evaluation of countermeasures to prevent this fault attack and timing attacks of FALCON. We provide cost evaluations on the overheads of the proposed countermeasures which shows that FALCON has only up to 30% deterioration in performance of its key generation, and only 5% in signing, compared to runtimes without countermeasures. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | http://insticc.org/node/TechnicalProgram/icete/presentationDetails/78348 |
| Description | Belfast 2018 - 8th Annual Cyber Security Summit at CSIT 9-10 May 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Running on Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th May, Belfast 2018 will be CSIT's 8th World Cyber Security Technology Research Summit. Part of the Summit's uniqueness is its bringing together the international research community alongside industry leaders, government policy makers, start-ups and SME's from around the world. For researchers and technologists, the event will focus on planning today for the cyber security challenges of tomorrow. In terms of innovation, this event represents an opportunity to learn from, and contribute to, the growth of new cyber security companies with global ambitions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/csit/News/Events/Belfast2018/ |
| Description | Belfast CDB - Competitive advantage through cyber security 20 Feb 2019 (Crozier) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Belfast CDB - Competitive advantage through cyber security 20 Feb 2019 (Crozier) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Beltech - Building a Cyber Resilient Culture (Crozier) 3 May 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Beltech - Building a Cyber Resilient Culture (Crozier) Beltech is an ICT industry conference held annually in Belfast 3 May 2018 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://vimeo.com/269865470 |
| Description | BigDataBelfast, 15 Oct 18 - CSIT led cybersecurity session (Millar) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | BigDataBelfast, 15 Oct 18 - CSIT led cybersecurity session (Millar) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.bigdatabelfast.com/ |
| Description | CSIT ANNOUNCES JOBS BOOST FOR CYBER SECURITY INDUSTRY |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Ten new research and engineering jobs are being created at Queen's University Belfast, to meet the demands of new contracts and the rapidly growing cyber security industry in Northern Ireland. The announcement was made as industry leaders, start-ups, SMEs, government policy makers and researchers from around the world gather at the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) for the two-day 8th Annual World Cyber Security Summit. The Summit is focusing on security for a future digital society and the growth of new cyber security companies. CSIT, which is the UK's lead university centre for commercialisation of cyber security research, is housed at Queen's University's Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT). The jobs at CSIT, which range from graduate level to principal engineer, will focus on creating industry-viable products to crack down on cyber attacks and make networks more resilient. Some 1,100 people are employed in the cyber security industry in Northern Ireland with 80 staff currently employed at CSIT. Speaking at the event, Director of CSIT Dr Godfrey Gaston, commented: "The cyber security industry in Northern Ireland is growing rapidly and we are pleased to be recruiting ten new research and engineering staff, who will make a positive impact across the globe, ensuring that networks are more resilient and less likely to be attacked. It is also a welcome boost for the local economy in Northern Ireland. "At CSIT, our experts work closely with many high profile partners to shape and direct the research agenda and ensure that there is strong commercial and societal impact. With graduate level jobs to principal engineer, we are helping to develop the next generation of industry leaders to address the widespread demand for cyber security professionals and technologies." The latest announcement comes just weeks after CSIT was selected by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to partner with Plexal and Deloitte to deliver a £13.5 million cyber innovation centre in London. Located in the East End's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the London Cyber Innovation Centre will help secure the UK's position as a global leader in cyber security innovation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/CSITannouncesjobsboostforcybersecurityindustry.html |
| Description | CSIT HOST WORKSHOP WITH JAPANESE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) at Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is delighted to welcome delegates from the Network Security Laboratory of the Japanese National Institute of Communications and Technology (NICT) to Belfast for a cybersecurity workshop today. This workshop in Belfast presents an opportunity to discuss current cyber security activities at CSIT and NICT and explore the potential for future collaboration. The workshop will cover a range of topics including: Secure Connected Devices, AI-based cybersecurity techniques, Security Intelligence, Network Security Systems, IoT security and Malware Research. CSIT formed strong links with NICT in 2015 when both parties signed a memoranda of understanding. Representatives from CSIT visited Japan along with representatives from Lancaster University and Imperial College London, two other UK Cyber Security Academic Centres of Excellence, for the signing ceremony hosted at the Ambassador's Residence of the British Embassy, Tokyo. The Academic Centres of Excellence in Cyber Security Research (ACEs-CSR) scheme is sponsored by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and UK Research and Innovation. It is one of a number of initiatives outlined in the UK Government's National Cyber Security Strategy 'Protecting and Promoting the UK in a Digital World'. Queen's University Belfast are among seventeen of such Centres in the UK. The NICT is the sole Japanese national laboratory dedicated to ICT research - the Network Security Laboratory is highly regarded for its excellence in researching cyber security technology. Dr Godfrey Gaston, CSIT Director, commented: "We are delighted to have the opportunity to host this workshop here in Belfast. Our relationship with NICT, Japan's premier Cybersecurity Research Institute, has been invaluable and together we have been able to shape our cybersecurity research direction to ensure robust and resilient outcomes." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/CSIThostworkshopwithJapaneseNationalInstituteofCommunicationsandTech... |
| Description | CSIT PARTNERS WITH PLEXAL AND DELOITTE TO DELIVER £13.5 MILLION CYBER INNOVATION CENTRE IN LONDON |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT), based at Queen's University Belfast, has been selected by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to partner with Plexal and Deloitte to deliver a £13.5 million cyber innovation Centre in London. Located in the East End's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the London Cyber Innovation Centre will help secure the UK's position as global leader in cyber security innovation. It will act as a convening force in the UK cyber security community, working closely with existing national cyber security innovation hubs and international centres of excellence to help position the UK as a world leader in cyber security solutions. CSIT, which is based at Queen's University Belfast's Institute for Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT), is partnering with Plexal and Deloitte and will play a key role in the Centre. Margot James, Minister for Digital and the Creative Industries, said: "This new centre in the Olympic Park will build on the site's legacy of excellence and spark a wave of creativity to develop tomorrow's technology and protect the nation from the increasing cyber threat." Commenting on the announcement, Dr Godfrey Gaston, CSIT Director, said: "Queen's University Belfast is excited to be a delivery partner on this £13.5 million project. Cyber security is a significant societal challenge which CSIT is addressing through its globally recognised research excellence. "Building on our unique model of innovation, CSIT will deliver cutting edge academic research insights and engineering resources to the 72 start-ups based at LCIC. The project will support engineering and innovation jobs here in Belfast and deliver wider economic benefits to the region." He added: "CSIT has been at the forefront of UK cyber security research, innovation and economic impact since being established in 2009. During this time our Centre has utilised a unique model of innovation which marries world leading academic research with industrially experienced engineering capability to establish and support the growth of cyber security companies across the UK and helping them reach new markets across the globe. We are excited to be involved in delivering the LCIC which will enable us to support the next generation of companies in this dynamic and strategically important industry." CSIT is the UK's Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC) for cyber security, and the UK's largest cyber security focused university technology research, development and innovation centre. The theme of CSIT's research roadmap is securing our digital tomorrow. CSIT will continue to lead on the new technologies needed for the seamless integration of electronic security into future Smart Cities and Internet of Things (IoT), including: • quantum-safe cryptographic architectures; • malware detection methods that can counteract advanced evasion technologies; • securing highly distributed networks for critical infrastructures; and • AI-enabled security analytics to provide to real-time threat indicators The London Cyber Innovation Centre will boost the thriving East London digital cluster, spur the development of cutting-edge technology in this rapidly growing industry, and help to mitigate critical security risks facing businesses across all sectors. It will help introduce fresh innovations into established commercial markets, shortening implementation lag and attracting vital talent and investment into the UK. A catalyst for startups, the Centre will run six accelerator programmes over three years, driving the development of solutions for the most pressing global cyber security challenges. Forging relationships between buyers, investors, leading academics and entrepreneurs. Startups accepted to the cohort programmes will receive world-class technical support, state-of-the-art testing facilities, dedicated engineering support, mentoring and business advice. The Centre will work with large organisations to closely understand their specific challenges and support the innovators who will help solve them. An industry led Innovation Forum will bring in members of large organisations to ensure each cohort addresses challenges directly relevant to the market. Claire Cockerton, CEO of Plexal, said: "The UK has a strong heritage in information security innovation and a healthy business environment for start-ups to scale. Our future international standing will depend on the delivery of a robust and forward-thinking cyber security sector which will enable us to drive the 4th industrial revolution: a future where intelligent automation, regulatory compliance and seamless orchestration across business tools is natural." Stephen Wray, Director of Cyber Innovation at Deloitte, said: "The new Centre will provide UK cyber innovators with a platform to develop their products with exactly the right market fit. We are delighted to support with both our extensive cyber domain expertise and global market access." Robert Hannigan (CMG), former Director of GCHQ and Chair of the Centre's industrial advisory board said: "The London Cyber Innovation Centre will be the launch pad for a whole generation of new cyber security companies, benefiting both the UK's economy and its security." For more information and to register, click here: http://www.plexal.com/cybersecurity/ |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/CSITpartnerswithPlexalandDeloittetodeliver135millionCyberInnovationC... |
| Description | CSIT SHORTLISTED FOR RESEARCH LABORATORY TEAM OF THE YEAR |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) has been shortlisted for Research Laboratory Team of the Year in the Irish Laboratory Awards 2019. CSIT has been announced as finalists in the Research Laboratory Team of the Year category, which celebrates the perfect blend of individuals who represent the ideal definition of team in a laboratory or research group working in either a commercial lab, at a third level or research institution and laboratories working in the public service and health care facilities. CSIT, a research centre based at Queen's University Belfast, was established as the UK's national Innovation & Knowledge Centre (IKC) for cyber security in 2009 and was one of the first research labs in the UK to be accredited by the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) as an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research. Professor Máire O'Neill, Principal Investigator for CSIT, said: "The laboratory team at CSIT work to achieve the commercialisation of emerging technologies through world-class research, new value and venture creation and an entrepreneurial approach in the area of cyber security. This unique environment encourages collaboration among academics, researchers, engineers, industry and government to accelerate the results of cyber and physical security research through to commercial application. The whole team is proud of the impact of the work that we do together and we are delighted to have been shortlisted in the Irish Laboratory Awards Research Laboratory Team of the Year category." Launched in 2013, the Irish Laboratory Awards are the premier awards programme in Ireland for recognising and celebrating innovation and research within Ireland's laboratories. The winners will be revealed at the 2019 gala awards and dinner on Thursday 7 March at the Ballsbridge Hotel, Dublin. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/CSITSHORTLISTEDFORRESEARCHLABORATORYTEAMOFTHEYEAR.html |
| Description | CSIT SUPPORTS SECURE TICKET DELIVERY START-UP TIXSERVE AT TIME OF INCREASED CYBER ATTACKS |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) based at Queen's University Belfast has announced Kildare based start-up Tixserve as the newest addition to its associate membership programme. The Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) based at Queen's University Belfast has announced Kildare based start-up Tixserve as the newest addition to its associate membership programme. Research from the London Office for Rapid Cybersecurity Advancement has revealed that 50 per cent of organisations with over 500 employees have suffered a cyber-attack in the past 12 months. At a time when cyber-attacks continue to rise, CSIT and Tixserve will work together to combat cyber-crime within the ticketing industry. Tixserve is a paperless ticket fulfilment platform offering ticket sellers and fans the most secure, convenient, fast and cost-effective way of purchasing tickets. The ground-breaking, patent-pending solution that Tixserve has developed features the innovative use of proven 'track and trace' technologies which solves ticket abuse and greatly enhances the ticketing experience for consumers. CSIT encourages collaboration among academics, researchers, engineers, industry and government to accelerate the results of cyber and physical security research through to commercial application. Existing CSIT industry members include Allstate, Direct Line Group and Thales. While the membership programme is open to organisations of all sizes, the associate membership programme is specifically designed to enable start-ups and SMEs to access CSIT expertise. Judith Millar, Business Development Manager, CSIT commented: "CSIT is pleased to announce this new partnership with Tixserve through our associate membership programme. Tixserve is a highly innovative start-up company, introducing secure, paperless tickets that have the potential to revolutionise the entertainment industry, and the secondary ticket sales market." Security within the entertainment and sporting sectors is currently in the spotlight following recent announcements of cyber breaches. US ticket distribution website Ticketfly, a subsidiary of Eventbrite, suffered a major data breach that exposed the email addresses and other personal data of more than twenty-six million people. Ticketmaster's UK site suffered a data breach impacting five per cent of customers, up to 40,000 people with some reporting financial losses. Tixserve's B2B clients are existing ticket-sellers for live events in sport, music and theatre. The unique secure, interactive and content-rich digital ticket is delivered instantly to mobile phones and enables ticket sellers to know their customer, reduce distribution costs, control ticket exchange and benefit from new ways of generating revenues. Managing Director of Tixserve Patrick Kirby said: "When we founded Tixserve, we set out to help the ticketing industry to reduce dependence on paper and to meet the expectations of the mobile generation. We wanted to create a digital ticket that enhances the user experience for fans, delivers commercial benefits for ticket-sellers, and offers cast iron security. "Partnering with CSIT gives Tixserve a competitive advantage with access to CSIT's cutting-edge knowledge, research and resources, enabling us to future-proof our platform and consistently offer our clients the latest appropriate technologies in this rapidly evolving sector." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/CSITSUPPORTSSECURETICKETDELIVERYSTART-UPTIXSERVEATTIMEOFINCREASEDCYB... |
| Description | CSIT supports cyber company, Surevine, to improve security in critical infrastructure supply-chains |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) at Queen's University Belfast, has provided extensive engineering support to innovative cyber security company, Surevine, which will support better in critical infrastructure supply-chains. Surevine LORCA Surevine builds secure, scalable collaboration solutions for the most security conscious organisations. They connect people and enable collaboration on their most highly sensitive information. Threatvine, is a next generation cyber-security information sharing platform developed by Surevine to enable secure cross-organisational collaboration and collaborative intelligence analysis. Surevine was selected to take part in The London Office for Rapid Cybersecurity Advancement's (LORCA) first cohort. LORCA is a new cyber innovation programme that's funded by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport and delivered by Plexal (an innovation centre and coworking space) in partnership with Deloitte's cyber team and CSIT. LORCA's core aim is to develop and scale promising solutions that keep industry and customers safe online. Helping innovators understand what the needs of industry are - and how their solutions align to those needs - is an important component of achieving this aim. The engineering support provided by CSIT is a key component in the growth and scale up of UK cyber companies and helps them to compete and grow globally. Through LORCA, Surevine and CSIT worked together to develop an adapter between Threatvine and a platform called MISP that enables the transfer of cyber security information between the two products in a form that it is readable for the users of the respective products. It also enables cyber security information added to Threatvine by a user to be automatically searched for on MISP showing potential relations to other documented cyber security. Stuart Murdoch, Founder and CEO, Surevine, commented: We're delighted, as part of our participation in the DCMS-backed LORCA programme, to have been able to engage CSIT, Queen's University Belfast on an R&D project which has resulted in a two-way integration between Threatvine and MISP, a popular free and open source threat intelligence platform, focussed on Indicators of Compromise. We are particularly pleased to have been able to work with MISP because: Being free and open source means it is often the first option for teams to get up to speed quickly with threat intelligence Support of the MISP project from the EU has encouraged its adoption by members states It's adherence to the STIX open standard for Indicators of Compromise, makes interoperability easier It is extensively used by Deloitte, and for their customers, and we have been able to strengthen our partnership with Deloitte as a result of this project, delivering a value-add for MISP users" Louise Cushnahan, Head of Innovation at CSIT, added: "It is great to see that the engineering support provided by CSIT as part of the LORCA Programme is truly helping to solve the greatest cyber challenges faced by industry today. We have really enjoyed working alongside Surevine to strengthen their Threatvine product and ensure any cyber security information is picked up as quickly and efficiently as possible." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/CSITsupportscybercompanySurevinetoimprovesecurityincriticalinfrastru... |
| Description | Captture the Flag Competition for NI Civil Service Conference, Newcastle, Co Down |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Staged a Capture the Flag Competition for the NI Civil Service at their annual conference in Newcastle, Co Down in August 2016. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Capture the Flag Competition, B-Sides Conference, Belfast |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Hosted a Capture the Flag Competition as part of the B-Sides, Belfast conference held in September 2016 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://bsidesbelfast.org/about.html |
| Description | Conflicting Technologies: Public Surveillance and Personal Privacy (LINCS) workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The 3rd annual LINCS conference, Conflicting Technologies: Public Surveillance and Personal Privacy is taking place in the Canada Room at Queen's University Belfast on 3rd May 2019. The interdisciplinary conference will feature presentations from students across the UK and Ireland on a range of pressing, contemporary topics. The event will be comprised of four panels and one roundtable discussion: Panel 1: The Personal Touch: Privacy, Trust and Data Protection Panel 2: Contemporary Justice: Technology, Policing and Protection during the Digital Revolution Keynote: Professor Dean Wilson (University of Sussex) To Manage and Protect? The New Platform Policing Panel 3: Tech in the City: Securing Urban Spaces with Technology Panel 4: 'Personal' Computers?: Privacy, Security and the Individual Roundtable: Problems and Challenges of Interdisciplinary Research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.evensi.uk/conflicting-technologies-public-surveillance-personal-privacy-qub-queen-univer... |
| Description | Copenhagen Cybercrime Conference "CSIT - A Disruptive Model for Open Innovation" (Mills) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Intelligence, inspiration & learning Join us for the 7th Copenhagen Cybercrime Conference - an event with focus on knowledge sharing rather than sales pitches. Why attend? Learn about cyber security's most important current issues Meet and network with regional and international cyber security practitioners 100% focus on knowledge sharing and original ideas drawn from real-world situations |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.cyberhagen.com/ |
| Description | Cyber Security & Privacy Forum, Brussels, Belguim |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presented the SAFEcrypto project to an audience of cryptographic practitioners and EU Commission staff. Also presented our approach to innovation within the project and participated in a panel discussion with project co-ordinators from across Europe. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Cyber Security - Supporting the State response. The role of industry and academia |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Slándáil national Security Summit Ireland 2020 is a landmark event presenting to the country and the wider world Ireland's indigenous security thought leaders, researchers and industries. It is an important showcase, a stage for diplomacy and a platform for domestic and international engagement. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.nssi.ie/ |
| Description | Cyber Security is on course to generate over £70m in salaries each year in Northern Ireland |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The cyber security industry in Northern Ireland is on course to generate salaries of over £70 million each year employing almost 1,700 people. This was revealed by Professor Máire O'Neill from Queen's University Belfast during a major Cyber Security Summit in Belfast today (Wednesday 8 May). Professor O'Neill also announced that CSIT research has been recognised by the international Journal of Information Security and Applications. The research, which looked at the safety and security analysis for cyber-physical systems, has been awarded the globally prestigious Dr KW Wong Annual Best Paper Award for its originality and impact. The news comes as industry leaders, start-ups, SMEs, government policy makers and researchers from around the world have come together for the Centre for Secure Information Technologies' (CSIT) at Queen's 9th World Cyber Security Technology Research Summit. Professor O'Neill commented: "This is an extremely exciting time for cyber security in Northern Ireland but also for the sector globally. There are significant economic benefits for the local economy, with estimated salaries now at around £70 million each year. "At CSIT, our researchers are leading cutting-edge research in cyber security. We are also developing the next generation of industry leaders to meet the huge demand from industry for cyber security professionals." For researchers and technologists, the event will focus on 'Secure Connected Intelligence' in areas such as the Internet of Things, industrial control systems and supply chains. For the commercially minded, it represents an opportunity to learn from, and contribute to, the growth of new cyber security companies with global ambitions. CSIT, which is the UK's lead university centre for cyber security research, is based at Queen's University Belfast's Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT). The Centre is celebrating ten years of impact this year, and has also launched a new Cyber Range. The CSIT Cyber Range contains powerful capabilities to emulate real world network attack and defend scenarios thus allowing cyber security professionals to hone their knowledge and skills in a sandboxed environment. The cutting-edge cyber centre has also today announced that First Derivatives | Kx Systems have been welcomed as a new CSIT Member company. CSIT works with many high profile industry partners to shape and direct its research agenda and accelerate the translation of innovation to the market so that it has strong commercial and societal impact. The arrangement will allow First Derivatives to benefit from the Centre's research knowledge and innovation and both parties will work together to further explore opportunities for its Kx technology in the cyber security industry globally. In addition, the partnership will develop first-class training around cyber awareness and resilience. Mike Thomas, SVP of Cyber at First Derivatives, said: "Cyber security is a rapidly growing industry that impacts organizations of all shapes and sizes. CSIT is uniquely situated to bridge industry, education and government to produce world-class research and insights in cyber security. We are delighted to be a member of this pioneering institute." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/CyberSecurityisoncoursetogenerateover70minsalarieseachyearinNorthern... |
| Description | CyberFirst Defenders - 23 - 27 July [Crozier, O'Neill] |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | CyberFirst Defenders residential hosted for NCSC to encourage young people into cyber security |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/education-skills/11-19-year-olds |
| Description | CyberFirst Trailblazers Londonderry |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Presentation on cyber security research and development careers in support of CyberFirst Trailblazers event. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/education-skills/11-19-year-olds |
| Description | Danish Homeland Security Conference in November (Mills) |
| 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 | Danish Homeland Security Conference in November (Mills) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Digital DNA, Belfast |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Participated in a panel discussion on cybersecurity for enterprises , innovators and SMEs. Giving practical advise for those bewildered by the threatening nomenclature and emotive language used in the sector. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | DigitalDNA - NICyber panel discussion chaired by CSIT (Millar) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Digital DNA is an annual digital and creative industries conference |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://digitaldna.org.uk/ |
| Description | ENISA-FORTH Summer School |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Prof Maire O'Neill gave a tutorial on "Practical implementation of lattice-based cryptography". Gavin McWilliams presented a poster on SAFEcrypto project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://nis-summer-school.enisa.europa.eu/ |
| Description | ETSI Security Week - Security of Hardware and Software Development (Montgomery) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This year, the ETSI Security Week continued debating different aspects of cybersecurity. We first set the scene with the Cyber Security Landscape on 17 June then on Policy Actions on 18 June The Artificial Intelligence thread focused on the security angle to AI, completing the ETSI's April AI Summit, on 19 June. And we discussed how security can keep pace with the rapid change of technology, networks and society on 20-21 June We hosted a Hackathon event on the new Middlebox Security Protocol standards on 20-21 June 2019 Last we ran "ETSI Explainer" sessions every day. These are half-hour sessions where one could learn about ETSI's latest work on hot security topics in depth. As with last year, ETSI reached out to research projects and display their results, posters and demos - on the topics of security. These were on display in the lobby and networking areas. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.etsi.org/events/1337-security-week-2019 |
| Description | ETSI/IQC Quantum Safe Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Sarah McCarthy presented a SAFEcrypto project update and research results in the area of quantum-safe cryptology. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.etsi.org/events/1296-etsi-iqc-quantum-safe-workshop-2018 |
| Description | EXCLUSIVE BRIEFING WITH FORMER SECRETARY OF U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, MICHAEL CHERTOFF |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | he Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) hosted an exclusive cyber security briefing event with Former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff on Friday, April 20th, 2018 at the ECIT Institute, Queen's Road, Belfast. The event was attended by many individuals from Northern Ireland's cyber community and was a fantastic opportunity to get a global insight into the cyber security issues and grand challenges that the industry faces today. Chertoff commented "Cyber security issues are now among the most significant that the world faces. That means we have to collaborate together to come up with strategies that are reasonable but effective because we have a global system, and if one part of that system fails the ripple effect is felt throughout the entire system." Chertoff explained "I always liken cyber security issues to health issues. The human body keeps out a lot of dangers but it also recognises that there will be bacteria, germs and viruses that will get in and so we want to build resilience to fight back against infection. There is a similar approach in cyber security." "I was very impressed with CSIT and glad to have the opportunity to speak there. What CSIT is doing seems very promising in transforming Belfast into an innovation hub". For those who were not able to attend this insightful event, a short video is now available highlighting some of the key discussions explored on the day. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/ExclusivebriefingwithFormerSecretaryofUSDepartmentofHomelandSecurity... |
| Description | European Security Research, Dublin, Ireland |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Presented the SAFEcrypto project to a group of European security standards bodies and highlighted the need to migrate to quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms in our critical infrastructures. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | From Connected Toys to Nuclear Power Plants - Why Hardware Security Matters at IoT Belfast - Dr Neil Hanley 12 Dec |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 'From Connected Toys to Nuclear Power Plants - Why Hardware Security Matters' at IoT Belfast - Dr Neil Hanley 12 Dec |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.meetup.com/IoTBelfast/events/253946812/ |
| Description | Fujitsu World Tour, London, 12 July 18 (Millar) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Fujitsu global technologists conference |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.fujitsu.com/uk/microsite/world-tour-2018/ |
| Description | Global Cyber Security Innovation Summit London (Crozier) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | SINET sponsors highly interactive networking sessions designed to: Introduce leading innovators in the Cybersecurity industry Encourage collaboration by breaking down communication barriers Facilitate high level sharing of ideas and best practices vital to the strengthening and accelerating Cybersecurity innovations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.security-innovation.org/events/london/ |
| Description | Global Grand Challenges Summit, co-organized by US National Academy of Engineering, UK Royal Academy of Engineering, and Chinese Academy of Engineering, Beijing |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Prof Maire O'Neill attended the Summit and presented her work on the SAFEcrypto project in September 2015 in Beijing. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | HARDWARE SECURITY EXPERTS COME TOGETHER IN LONDON AT THE INAUGURAL RISE ANNUAL CONFERENCE |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Hardware security experts come together in London at the inaugural Research Institute for Secure Hardware and Embedded Systems (RISE) Annual Conference, organised by CSIT, Queen's University Belfast, who are core partners in RISE with the Universities of Cambridge, Birmingham and Bristol. RISE, which was launched in November 2017, is one of four cyber security institutes in the UK and is a global hub for research and innovation in hardware security. The institute is hosted by Queen's and is jointly funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). The Internet of Things has led to increased demand for hardware security research and innovation with growing security needs in embedded and networking devices, as well as in cloud services. An increase in the use of smart devices means that there are now many new attack methods and surfaces for criminals and hackers to exploit. In light of recently publicised hardware attacks such as the Spectre, Meltdown and Foreshadow, and the alleged Chinese hardware hacking of Amazon and Apple servers, this conference brings together leading hardware security experts from academia and industry to discuss the current challenges in the area and the projects they are working on to address these challenges. Jo Van Bulck from KU Leuven (co-author of the Foreshadow attack, which found vulnerabilities in Intel processors) delivered the first key note speech of the day discussing 'Leaky processors and the RISE of hardware-based trusted computing', and introduced their recent work on several new transient execution attacks that target Intel, ARM and AMD processors. Patrick Koeberl from Intel Labs was the second key note addressing the topic of 'Vehicle to Cloud: Security Research Challenges for Intelligent Vehicles.' Prof Máire O'Neill, Director of RISE commented: "RISE is in an excellent position to become the go-to place for high quality hardware security research. A key aim is to bring together the hardware security community in the UK and build a strong network of national and international research partnerships. We work closely with leading UK-based industry partners and stakeholders, transforming research findings into products, services and business opportunities, which will benefit the UK economy. This conference presents an opportunity to reflect on the highlights of RISE to date and strengthen our future plans to tackle the global problem of cyber threats." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/HardwaresecurityexpertscometogetherinLondonattheinauguralRISEAnnualC... |
| Description | HSBC GBM does the Medici Effect (Mills, Miller, Crozier) 6 March 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | HSBC GBM does the Medici Effect (Mills, Miller, Crozier) 6 March 2019 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | HSBC Global Banking and Markets does the Medici Effect |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | HSBC Global Banking and Markets does the Medici Effect - Internal company innovation event |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://twitter.com/CSIT_QUB/status/1103281218139967489 |
| Description | Hardware encryption market projected to reach 413.85 Billion USD by 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The Research Institute of Secure Hardware and Embedded Systems (RISE) hosted their 2nd Annual Conference at the National Liberal Club in London on 21st November 2019. RISE was launched in November 2017 and is a global hub for research and innovation in hardware security. The institute is hosted by Queen's University Belfast and is jointly funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). Partners in the project include Universities of Cambridge, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Manchester and Surrey. A key aim of RISE is to bring together the hardware security community in the UK and build a strong network of national and international research partnerships. The RISE Annual Conference brought together hardware security experts to address the most pressing issues in the industry. Professor Cetin Koc, University of California, delivered the keynote speech at the event discussing 'Engineering of Post-Quantum Cryptography'. Delegates also heard project updates from key partners in the RISE project and a series of lightening talks from early career researchers and SMEs providing solutions to cyber threats. The hardware encryption market is projected to reach 413.85 Billion USD by 2021. A major driver behind this growth is the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), which offers enormous business opportunities for virtually every market. This is presenting exciting opportunities for research, and new business and economic impact in hardware security. Professor Máire O'Neill, Director of RISE, commented: 'The demand for hardware security research and innovation is increasing with growing security needs in embedded and networking devices and cloud services. It is important to address security throughout a device's lifecycle, from the initial design through to its operational environment. A multi-layered approach to security is needed, establishing a trusted computing baseline that anchors trust in tamper-proof hardware. It is evident that a strong hardware security foundation is essential in realising secure systems (such as the IoT) and hardware-based security services. This conference presents an opportunity to reflect on the highlights of RISE to date and strengthen our future plans to tackle the global problem of cyber threats' During the time RISE has been operational, there have been further developments in the regulatory landscape of IoT. Four years ago, the discussion within industry was very much around self-regulation for IoT, there has since been progress on standardisation activities and further publications on codes of practice. In late 2018, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) published a Code of Practice for Consumer IoT Security. ETSI (The European Telecommunications Standardisation Institute) launched their technical specification (TS 103 645) for Cyber Security for Consumer Internet of Things in February 2019, welcome news for consumers. During engagements with companies, RISE emphasises the importance of the principles of secure by design/default from product inception. This engagement with industry will continue and the ETSI technical specification and DCMS Code of Practice provide excellent reference points. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/Hardwareencryptionmarketprojectedtoreach41385BillionUSDby2021.html |
| Description | HutZero 10 things they don't teach you on an MBA |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | HutZero 10 things they don't teach you on an MBA |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.hutzero.co.uk/ |
| Description | HutZero Commercialisation and NABC |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Commercialisation and NABC |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.hutzero.co.uk/ |
| Description | HutZero Cyber Landscape Workshop Gaston |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Cyber Landscape Workshop |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.hutzero.co.uk/ |
| Description | HutZero Mentoring Day 1 (33 Sessions) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | HutZero Mentoring Day 1 (33 Sessions) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.hutzero.co.uk/ |
| Description | HutZero Mentoring Day 2 (27 Sessions) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | HutZero Mentoring Day 2 (27 Sessions) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.hutzero.co.uk/ |
| Description | IRISH ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING PRESENTS PARSONS MEDAL TO PROF SIR MCCANNY AT A CEREMONY IN BELFAST |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The IAE presented the Parsons Medal to Prof Sir McCanny at a ceremony in Belfast, onboard HMS Caroline, on 25 October. A crowd of esteemed engineers, academics and Prof Sir McCanny's friends and family attended the day's festivities. Prof Sir McCanny is emeritus professor in electronics and computer engineering at Queen's University, Belfast (QUB) and was Director of the Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT). He received a knighthood in the 2017 New Year's Honours in recognition for his services to higher education and economic development, and has published five research books, 360 peer-reviewed research papers, and holds more than 20 patents. He received a record level of funding for his research between 1984 and 2017, which amounted to approximately £110m. Throughout his career, Prof Sir McCanny made a significant contribution to innovation. He and his researchers have developed data-storing technology, with much of Prof Sir McCanny's focus being on the use of silicon to produce chips for digital and video signal processing. Films including Jurassic Park and Schindler's List have used technology developed by Prof Sir McCanny and his research students. As well as ECIT, Prof Sir McCanny was also responsible, within QUB, for developing the vision that led to the creation of the non-profit Catalyst Inc Science Park in Belfast. Developed from a brownfield site, there are now more than 200 companies employing 3,000 people, paying in excess of £115m per annum in salaries. Additionally, Prof Sir McCanny spearheaded the Centre for Secure Information, a world-leader in cyber security. Established in 2009 and part of QUB, this helped create a new business cluster in Belfast that today comprises more than 40 companies and employs in excess of 1,400 people. The IAE is an all-island body promoting excellence in engineering and technology for the betterment of the island of Ireland. This year's Parsons Medal ceremony took place in Belfast in honour of Prof Sir McCanny, onboard HMS Caroline, a C-class light cruiser that saw action during WW1. HMS Caroline was the ideal venue for the ceremony, as she was powered by four Parsons steam turbines - invented by Sir Charles Algernon Parsons, eminent Irish engineer, and namesake of this medal. The medal was presented by his descendant, the Earl of Rosse, Sir Brendan Parsons. Speaking at the event, President of the IAE, Prof Tony Smyth said: "I think you will agree that Sir John is an inspiration for the wide range of work he has undertaken and his commitment to engineering and technology." Honorary Secretary of the academy, Bill Grimson was the next to speak, saying: "The IAE is pleased to award the Parsons Medal to Sir John McCanny in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the advancement of the application of engineering, science and technology that result in significant social and economic impact." Prof Sir McCanny said he was deeply honoured to be presented with the Parsons Medal, adding "this very much represents the pinnacle of achievement for an engineer in Ireland.". He paid tribute to the support and contributions of his colleagues at Catalyst Inc, Norman Apsley and newly appointed CEO, Steve Orr, the team at the Institute of Electronics Communications and Information Technology (ECIT), and his family and friends. He also thanked the IAE for the award, and Sir Brendan Parsons, who presented to medal to Prof Sir McCanny. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/IrishAcademyofEngineeringpresentsParsonsMedaltoProfSirMcCannyatacere... |
| Description | ISO/IEC JTC1 SC27 Working Group 2 (Cryptography) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presented the SAFEcrypto project to the members of SC27 WG2 at their meeting in Abu Dhabi on October 2016. SAFEcrypto had requested to be recognised as an offical liaision point with the committee. This request has now been granted and we can contribute directly to international standardisation in the area of quantum-resistant cryptography. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | ITSS Immersive Cluster Meeting - Lead by Nigel McAlpine - 7 September (Crozier) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Immersive Technologies Industry Group Workshop on Cyber Security |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund - Secure by design (with Innovate UK) (O'Neill, Miller, Crozier, Scott-Hayward, Millar, Khalid, Montgomery, Gu) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Workshop |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Infosecurity Magazine (NI salaries) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Professor Sir John McCanny speaking on the impact of CSIT and the cyber security sector on the Northern Ireland economy. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/cybersec-worth-60m-salaries |
| Description | Innovation and Emerging Technologies at the Vigitrust Annual Advisory Board Meeting in Dublin. (Mills) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | The original idea for the VigiTrust Advisory board was to get feedback from security and risk professionals to influence VigiTrust's solution and services roadmap. Now it has evolved into a think-tank in its own right - with Information Sharing being the prime objective. The members are volunteers who benefit from direct engagement with C-level security and risk management peers, the opportunity to influence VigiTrust's security R & D and the opportunity to get access to security research presented directly by research teams. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.vigitrust.com/advisory-board |
| Description | IoT Belfast 22: IoT technology expose (Montgomery) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | This months IoT meetup is one definitely not to miss. Book early to avoid disappointment! Arrow (https://www.arrow.com/) is a major global electronic component distributor. As a component distributor, they sell components from all the major IoT chipset manufacturers. They are therefore in a unique position to give independent technical information on all the products they sell and how it may impact your business or project. Arrow are going to take the whole night and show off the latest Io |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.meetup.com/IoTBelfast/events/260141348/ |
| Description | LONDON CYBER INNOVATION CENTRE WELCOMES FIRST COHORT OF INNOVATIVE UK-BASED CYBER SECURITY COMPANIES |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | A new cyber innovation centre, which will be partly delivered by the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) at Queen's University Belfast, has been officially opened by Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The London Office for Rapid Cybersecurity Advancement (LORCA) will be run by Plexal in the East London Innovation Centre, which is located on the fast-growing Here East digital and creative campus developed and owned by Delancey's DV4 fund. The centre is being delivered in partnership with Deloitte's cyber team and the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) at Queen's University Belfast. The centre's opening coincides with specially commissioned research by LORCA that reveals more than half of large businesses have suffered a cyber-security attack in the last 12 months, and almost a quarter of UK businesses (24 per cent) do not think their cyber security solutions are fit for their needs. As the business threat of cyber crime increases, the new study of 500 UK C-level executives also reveals that more than half (53 per cent) do not have a formalised protocol in place for cyber-attacks. Most breaches or attacks are via fraudulent emails - such as attempting to coax staff into revealing passwords or financial information or opening dangerous attachments. Despite this, the majority of businesses (70 per cent) surveyed said they haven't purchased a cyber security solution from a startup company or SME in the last two years. The reasons why they might not seek external specialist help depend on the size of the company: the largest proportion of SMEs (37 per cent) chose awareness of the solution as the key challenge when implementing a new and innovative solution to cyber threats. This contrasts to larger companies surveyed, where integration concerns were considered the most significant barrier (47 per cent). The government-funded centre for cyber security innovation will help position the UK as a global leader in the growing field of cyber security and keep the nation safe from online threats. LORCA will help some of the UK's brightest cyber security stars across all stages of growth address business challenges and achieve greater impact with their innovative solutions. It has also announced the ten organisations that will make up its first cohort, including B-Secur which specialises in using biometric heartbeat solutions as a means of authentication, as well as for health and wellbeing purposes. LORCA has also announced that Lloyds Banking Group will be the first founding partner. As part of their mission to ensure the financial services sector is sufficiently prepared for cybercrime, Lloyds Banking Group will be closely involved in selecting and supporting innovators, over and above Government funding, with a specific focus on cyber security in the financial industry. Plexal, which operates London's largest innovation space and specialises in helping high-tech startups in artificial intelligence, augmented reality and the Internet of Things, will run the £13.5m innovation centre in Plexal City at Here East, on the site of London's Olympic Park. LORCA will be delivered in partnership with Deloitte's cyber team and the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) at Queen's University Belfast in a cross-disciplinary team with strategic, entrepreneurial, engineering and cyber security technical skills. Lydia Ragoonanan, Director of LORCA, said: "The threats posed to businesses by cyber-attacks are continually changing. We're proud to be working with industry to understand their needs, with investors who can help develop the solutions scale at pace, and with incredible innovators who are helping secure UK's position as a world leader in cyber security. By bringing all these things together in our new centre we will stay ahead and help British businesses grow and succeed." Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said: "Britain's future prosperity will be based on its digital technology and no technology can work without cyber security so expanding this sector is critical to our future. "It's fantastic to open this new centre where some of our most talented entrepreneurs and innovative companies will develop the cyber security technology of tomorrow. This will boost London's booming tech sector and benefit businesses across the country. "We are investing £1.9 billion to protect the nation from cyber threats, have introduced new laws to strengthen our defences, and developed a wealth of free help and guidance for businesses available through our National Cyber Security Centre." Louise Cushnahan, Innovation Programme Manager at CSIT, said: "CSIT is delighted to be a partner in LORCA. We will replicate our unique innovation model to assist the startup community within the new centre. This will be achieved through our dedicated engineering support and delivery of an academic engagement and thought leadership programme. This is a strategically important initiative and we are excited to start working with the next wave of UK cyber innovators." Stephen Wray, Director of Cyber Innovation at Deloitte, said: "We are supporting clients solve cyber challenges in over 150 countries. LORCA will connect innovators with these global market opportunities. We look forward to bringing our domain expertise to help amplify the impact of LORCA Members for the benefit of the UK economy." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/LondoncyberinnovationcentrewelcomesfirstcohortofinnovativeUK-basedcy... |
| Description | LORCA Academic Masterclass: Deep Android malware Detection |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Academic Masterclass: Deep Android malware Detection |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | LORCA Academic Masterclass: Dr Ayesha Khalid - Post quantum Cryptography for IoT in A Quantum World: Are We Ready? |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Academic Masterclass: Dr Ayesha Khalid - Post quantum Cryptography for IoT in A Quantum World: Are We Ready? |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | LORCA Academic Masterclass: Dr Philip O'Kane - Managing Information System |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Academic Masterclass: Dr Philip O'Kane - Managing Information System |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | LORCA Academic Masterclass: Dr Sakir Sezer- Emerging Challenges in Cloud Security Services and trends in Cloud Security Solutions |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Academic Masterclass: Dr Sakir Sezer- Emerging Challenges in Cloud Security Services and trends in Cloud Security Solutions |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | LORCA Academic Masterclass: Dr Sandra Scott-Hayward - Scalable Network Security with SDNFV |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Academic Masterclass: Dr Sandra Scott-Hayward - Scalable Network Security with SDNFV |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | LORCA Academic Masterclass: Evolution of Passwords |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Academic Masterclass: Evolution of Passwords |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | LORCA Academic Masterclass: Fairness, privacy and understanding implications on Machine Learning |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Academic Masterclass: Fairness, privacy and understanding implications on Machine Learning |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | LORCA Academic Masterclass: Network Security for Industrial Control Systems |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Academic Masterclass: Network Security for Industrial Control Systems |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | LORCA Academic Masterclass: Prof Maire O'Neill 'Securing Connected Devices' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Academic Masterclass: Prof Maire O'Neill 'Securing Connected Devices' |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | LORCA Cohort 3 Companies Visit |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | LORCA Cohort 3 Companies Visit |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.lorca.co.uk/ |
| Description | LORCA Cohort 3 Welcome Day |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | LORCA Cohort 3 Welcome Day |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | LORCA Innovation Forum Cohort 3 Engagement Day |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | LORCA Innovation Forum Cohort 3 Engagement Day |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.lorca.co.uk/ |
| Description | LORCA Launches Open Call for Fourth Cohort of Cyber Security Innovators |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | LORCA has launched a global open call for our fourth cohort of cyber scaleups. LORCA The latest cohort will receive bespoke support to help them scale in the UK and abroad, as well as access to commercial and engineering experts through delivery partners Deloitte and the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) at Queen's University Belfast. The deadline for applying is Monday 4 November 2019, with full details available at lorca.co.uk/apply We're inviting applications based on three innovation themes after consulting with industry leaders from various sectors about their most pressing cyber challenges and the types of solutions they need from the market in the future. The three cross-cutting themes (Connected Economy, Connected Everything and Connected Everyone) relate to the macro challenges faced by business and society as our world becomes more digitised and connected. We're looking for a broad range of innovators who can solve real-world cyber challenges across a variety of business and societal contexts to apply. Saj Huq, Programme Director, LORCA, commented: "As technology increasingly impacts all aspects of business and society, it's clear that a cybersecurity paradigm shift is needed. Now more than ever, we need to support the development of cutting-edge innovations across the board to help us lead safer digital lives, keep our infrastructure secure and protect our digital economy from complex and evolving cyber threats. Given its increasing significance within a world that is more connected by the day, cybersecurity has to be everywhere - and serve everyone." LORCA'S INNOVATION THEMES 1. CONNECTED ECONOMY In a post-breach world where technology is disrupting business models and our economy is more connected than ever, cybersecurity isn't just about protecting data: it's key to enabling sustainable growth. How can we enable organisations to stay resilient in the face of security threats across their supply chains and networks? And how can they futureproof themselves by building security into everything they do? 2. CONNECTED EVERYONE Our homes, workspaces, cities and personal space have never been so connected, yet the movement to secure them is in its infancy. How can we empower people to feel in control of their digital presence, build trust in technology - and make sure nobody is left out? 3. CONNECTED EVERYTHING From our transport infrastructure to the National Grid, our digital and physical worlds are converging as they become connected to the internet at lightning pace. With so much to win and lose for society, how can we solve the multi-dimensional security challenges which are emerging through hyper connectivity? And how can we collaborate with a broader spectrum of fields to build cyber principles into every access point for the internet? Paul Branley, Director of Strategy, Innovation & Testing at Lloyds Banking Group, said: "Lloyds Banking Group partnered with the London Office for Rapid Cyber Security Advancement (LORCA) in June 2018 for three reasons. Firstly, in recognition that incremental change isn't enough and we need a transformative approach to keep ahead of the threat. Secondly, we also wanted to gain early access to cutting edge ideas, technologies and innovative companies. "Thirdly, as part of our business strategy to Help Britain Prosper, by ensuring the UK is a leader on the global stage with modern cybersecurity. We are looking to cohort 4 to achieve the above for some of the biggest cybersecurity challenges in the ever increasingly connected world." Louise Cushnahan, Head of Innovation, CSIT commented: "The three themes this cohort will be drawn from are tightly aligned with CSIT's internationally leading multidisciplinary research roadmap of secure connected intelligence. Our engineering and research teams are primed and ready to work side by side with this next crop of innovative cyber security companies. CSIT's new Cyber Range came on stream earlier this year and it will be used to maximum impact as we help companies iterate their secure solutions." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/LORCALaunchesOpenCallforFourthCohortofCyberSecurityInnovators.html |
| Description | LORCA launches open call for its third cohort of cybersecurity innovators |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The London Office for Rapid Cybersecurity Advancement (LORCA) launches the open call for its third cohort of cyber innovators. LORCA The new cohort will be tasked with solving some of the most pressing cybersecurity issues, as identified by industry leaders at LORCA's Innovation Forum. Details of the application process and a full description of the challenges can be found at lorca.co.uk/apply. LORCA is one of two cyber innovation centres as part of the National Cyber Security Strategy objective to grow the UK's cybersecurity sector and make sure the UK is the safest place to live and do business online. Security by Design was selected as one of the most pressing challenges. As people use more technology in their everyday lives, there's a growing need for products that are secure through their design to make it easier for people and businesses to remain safe online. LORCA is on the lookout for cybersecurity solutions that make it significantly cheaper or easier for products to be made secure. This includes ensuring products are secure as standard, rather than requiring an add-on solution, and at code level, as this remains a challenge across the sector. The second challenge revolves around the concept of Basics. While the cybersecurity market is saturated with products and solutions, even in mature sectors like financial services - there remains a demand to get the basics right. LORCA's Innovation Forum identified a need for best-in-class cyber patching and vulnerability management to deal with gaps in security. It's also looking for cyber scaleups that can help enhance fundamental security controls with accurate and automated regulation and compliance metrics. The third challenge is Beyond. In addition to the basics, this challenge area seeks to support innovative new approaches that go beyond current offerings and provide proactive, intelligence-led security solutions. This includes products that take a fresh look at technology advances to bring efficient and effective security solutions to market. Cyber innovators accepted onto the LORCA programme will receive a year of bespoke, world-class support to engineer and iterate their solution and scale their businesses quickly - all within a dedicated space at LORCA's base at innovation hub Plexal (which is based at Here East and has been developed by owner Delancey's DV4 fund). Participating companies will receive support from leading experts, including one-to-one commercial and technical support from Deloitte's Cyber Risk Service team and world-class academic and engineering support will be provided by the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) at Queen's University Belfast. Plexal's innovation services team, together with external experts brought in as part of the programme's curriculum, will help the businesses develop their business, iterate their products and scale in the UK or globally. Crucially, members of cohort three will be given opportunities to engage with industry during the programme, which ensures that tomorrow's cyber solutions are a good fit for what the market needs. For example, members of LORCA's first and second cohorts have recently joined major insurance companies as part of a Needs Accelerator roundtable, which allows frank and open discussions around a specific industry's biggest cyber challenges to take place. Lydia Ragoonanan, director of LORCA, said: "Having already seen how many talented and inventive cybersecurity innovators there are in the country with our first two cohorts, we're really looking forward to seeing what great ideas emerge now. As the UK's dedicated space for industry-led cybersecurity innovation, it's vital we're always moving the conversation on to make sure we're creating genuinely useful solutions to the problems impacting industry most." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/LORCAlaunchesopencallforitsthirdcohortofcybersecurityinnovators.html |
| Description | LORCA welcomes their fourth cohort of cyber innovators |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | This week LORCA introduced 20 scaleups selected to join their fourth cohort of cyber innovators, which is their largest and most international yet. 1600x767 Last year LORCA releaved three innovation challenges - Connected Economy, Connected Everyone and Connected Everything - and, working with industry partners, have chosen companies with solutions that can tackle them head-on. From automation and AI-based products to VR and supply chain risk analysis solutions, this cohort is hugely diverse. And while most members are British companies, there are companies hailing from Israel, Spain, Switzerland, Denmark, Singapore and the US. Over the next 12 months, they'll get intensive support from Plexal's innovation team, along with our delivery partners Deloitte and CSIT and our industry partners. Welcoming the fourth cohort, Saj Huq, LORCA's programme director, said: "LORCA exists to bring cutting-edge technology to market and to enable the most promising cyber innovators become globally competitive businesses. "The international reach and the variety of solutions within our incoming fourth cohort is an exciting demonstration of both the strength and attractiveness of the UK market, as well as an illustration of the increasingly prominent role that LORCA plays as a convener and collaborator within the global innovation ecosystem." Meet the Cohort Acreto Acreto delivers a Security-as-a-Utility capability that protects distributed and mobile platforms. It can help you protect any technology, operating on any type of network, from anywhere. Anzen Technology Systems The company's patented technology allows organisations to securely move highly sensitive or classified data from on-premises storage to the public cloud, while retaining their data sovereignty. Avnos This cloud-based security platform can expand perimeter defence beyond the enterprise network, providing cloud-delivered protection for devices. Contingent Contingent is an AI-powered enterprise platform that quickly reduces the enormous burden of collecting, verifying and monitoring supply chain risk data. Continuum Security Continuum Security helps companies build secure software by embedding security in the design of their systems. Darkbeam Darkbeam's non-invasive threat reconnaissance platform gives you digital risk insights in seconds. Heimdal Security This cyber company builds products that anticipate threatscape trends. Its proactive security suite helps individuals and organisations protect their valuable data. Keyless Keyless is a deeptech cybersecurity company that's building the world's first privacy-preserving biometric authentication and personal identity management platform which eliminates the need for businesses to centrally store and manage biometric data, passwords, and any other sensitive information without compromising on convenience or privacy. Kinnami The data security company equips organisations with the tools they need to secure and protect highly confidential documents and data. L7 Defense The company's solution autonomously monitors, detects and blocks API attacks to a very high level of accuracy, freeing security teams from managing endless configurations and rules. Orpheus The company's award-winning technologies collect huge volumes of cyber risk data, which they analyse using machine learning and a highly skilled team to enable you to stop your cyber risks before they happen. Osirium Specialising in privileged access security, the company's software allows customers to securely and cost-effectively manage all privileged access and automate complex business and IT processes. Risk Ledger Risk Ledger's vendor risk management solution combines a secure social network with a risk management platform. This enables organisations to run a gold standard risk assurance programme against their vendors while making it easy for vendors to respond. ShieldIOT ShieldIOT enables integrators and service providers to secure large-scale critical IoT networks in settings such as smart cities, smart grid and transportation. SureCert SureCert's digital identity platform makes background checking for recruitment and ID verification quicker and more efficient. Like a credit check, it turns personal information into a score, making sure that sensitive personal information is kept securely. ThreatAware Helping companies monitor and manage their cyber protection in real time, ThreatAware is a single pane of glass on every aspect of an organisation's cybersecurity - including all hardware, software, cloud services and IT compliance standards. ThunderCipher (Licel) The company provides application shielding solutions to clients around the world, from fintech to government to medtech, military, aerospace and beyond. Variti Variti specialises in malicious bot detection and associated shielding technologies, especially for the verticals most at risk such as ecommerce, media, entertainment and financial sectors. It protects websites, apps and APIs from fraud and attacks without affecting the end user. VIVIDA VIVIDA combines storytelling and interactive virtual reality to develop the most impactful cybersecurity awareness and education. Its VR experiences are designed to change attitudes and behaviour, make cybersecurity play a bigger role in a company's culture and reduce the risk factor. Westgate Cyber Security The company helps organisations darken their networks and prevent cyber attacks with invisible network access gates which only materialise when certain trust standards are met. Its technology makes connectivity within enterprises (and their supply chains) easier to arrange and safer to operate by ensuring connecting systems are completely invisible to third parties. Louise Cushnahan, head of innovation at CSIT also commented: "Our academic and engineering staff have a strong track record in supporting UK cyber security companies. In recent years almost 100 have benefited from our expertise to scale-up and deliver truly novel solutions to global markets with recent government figures showing that UK cyber security exports topped £2bn for the first time. The breadth of this cohort represents a rich opportunity to deliver further economic, technological and societal outcomes for CSIT's cutting edge research and innovation in the area of Secure Connected Intelligence." Paul Branley, director of strategy, innovation & testing at Lloyds Banking Group, said: "Lloyds Banking Group partnered with the London Office for Rapid Cyber Security Advancement (LORCA) in June 2018 and have most recently been involved in the cohort 4 selection of cyber companies. These innovators have highlighted the current quality and breadth of cyber skills within the UK market. Lloyds Banking Group continues to collaborate and partner with LORCA as we recognise that incremental change isn't enough and we need a transformative approach to keep ahead of the threat. The cohort selection event allows us early access to cutting edge technologies and innovators, ultimately supporting our ambition to solve cybersecurity challenges and support our business strategy to Help Britain Prosper." Meanwhile, Stephen Wray, director of Cyber Risk Services at Deloitte, said: "We continue to be impressed and inspired by the quality and volume of applicants to LORCA. This fourth cohort highlights some outstanding products and solutions that seek to address the complex cyber challenges facing our clients today. Deloitte's dedicated cyber team will continue to provide technical and market expertise to the latest cohort, supporting the development of cyber innovation." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/LORCAwelcomestheirfourthcohortofcyberinnovators.html |
| Description | Launch of Northern Ireland Cyber Security Centre (Crozier, Gaston, O'Neill, Miller) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | A new Cyber Security Centre was officially launched today which will provide advice and guidance to citizens and businesses to help them become more cyber resilient. National Cyber Security Centre Chief Executive Ciaran Martin, Permanent Secretary Sue Gray and ACC Barbara Gray PSNI at the launch of the NI Cyber Centre Based in Queen's University Belfast's Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) in the heart of the growing cyber hub in the Titanic Quarter, the Centre will help deliver the Cyber Security: A Strategic Framework for Action document. Speaking at the launch, Sue Gray, Department of Finance Permanent Secretary, said: "Cybercrime is a significant threat to our public services, businesses and individuals which makes cyber security a priority area for government. "Working collaboratively across the public, private and community sectors the NI Cyber Security Centre has a key role in ensuring business and citizens are better informed when it comes to protecting our technology, systems and data. "Getting cyber security right means we can capitalise on the opportunities the connected world offers, boosting our prosperity while at the same time ensuring we are properly protected." The Centre will work closely with a range of partners including the National Cyber Security Centre, the PSNI Cyber Crime Unit, academia and the wider cyber community to better respond to cyber threats and ensure public, private and third sector organisations have access to the right advice, guidance and support to become more cyber resilient. Ciaran Martin, CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre, said: "The opening of this new centre is a hugely positive development for Northern Ireland. It will bolster the digital resilience and strength of the whole community here. "At the NCSC we look forward to working closely with our Northern Ireland counterparts as we develop ground-breaking new products and services to help all of us meet the fast-evolving cyber threats." Assistant Chief Constable Barbara Gray, from the Police Service of Northern Ireland, said: "I am delighted the PSNI is playing its part in delivering Cyber Security: A Strategic Framework for Action. "We now live in a digital era where modern technology has transformed the way we work, communicate and socialise with one another, and with this comes an increased risk of criminals seeking to exploit us. We all need to work collaboratively to combat this type of crime. The expertise of all who work within this new hub will educate and promote awareness in the private, public and community sectors and together we can all work to keep people safe from cyber-crime." Further information on the NI Cyber Security Centre can be found at www.nicybersecuritycentre.gov.uk(external link opens in a new window / tab). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/news/cyber-security-centre-launched-0 |
| Description | London Lattice Group |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Ciara Rafferty presented SAFEcrypto work on lattice-based cryptography to a special interest group of researchers and industrial cryptographers |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Microsoft Government Cyber Security Event (Crozier) |
| 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 | Cyber security briefing event for Microsoft's public sector clients in Northern Ireland |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | NI Cyber - Cyber resilience - 23 Jan CSIT (Millar) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | NI Cyber - Cyber resilience - 23 Jan CSIT (Millar) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.nicyber.tech/ |
| Description | NI Cyber Cluster Meeting (Miller, Cushnahan) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Disseminate CSIT research to NI Cyber Security Ecosystem |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.nicyber.tech/ |
| Description | NI Fintech Envoy Group - Chancellor of Exchequer Briefing - 25 July (Crozier) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Consultation event with Chancellor of Exchequer on Brexit and Fintech |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | NI Science Festival Big Data Event (O'Neill) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | What can Big Data do for Northern Ireland? Wednesday 19 February, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm Suitability: 18+ Free. What are the latest developments in data, artificial intelligence and digital technologies in Northern Ireland, and how can we make sure they benefit as many people as possible? Join our panel of experts from business, science and policy to discover local examples of innovative practice and find out how they can contribute to a thriving and prosperous region. Speakers include: · Introduction by Professor John McCanny FRS · Chairperson - Alastair McKinley - Analytics Engines · Patricia O'Hagan - CEO, Core Systems · Adrian Johnston - Director of Operations, Digital Catapult NI · Professor Maire O'Neill FREng - Professor of Information Security, QUB This event is part of our Innovate UK Grand Challenges series which focuses on the global trends which will transform our futures. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.nisciencefestival.com/event.php?e=78 |
| Description | NIST Workshop on Cybersecurity in a Post-Quantum World |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Prof Maire O'Neill presented a paper on 'Practical Lattice-based Digital Signature Schemes' and Dr Liz O'Sullivan participated in a panel discussion on key management architectures for quantum-resisitant cryptography. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | News Letter article (cyber threat to health records) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | David Crozier discussing the potential threat posed by cybercrome actors to health records |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/crime/patients-medical-records-could-be-on-dark-web-warns-qub-exper... |
| Description | Northern Regional College Hour of Code (Crozier) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Students studying IT at Northern Regional College joined thousands of other students from round the world this week to host Hour of Code events to mark Computer Science Education Week. Hour of Code, which has now grown into a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in over 180 countries, started out as a one-hour introduction to computer science. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.nrc.ac.uk/ |
| Description | PST 2018 - 28 Aug (Sezer, Gaston, Mills, Crozier, Millar, McCrory) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | 16th Annual Privacy, Security and Trust international conference. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://pstnet.ca/pst2018/ |
| Description | Presentation at BEWISER final conference (Philip Mills) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to the attendees at the FP7 BEWISER project final conference ont he subject of CSIT security research and standardisation activities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Prof Máire O'Neill appointed to global technology policy council |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Máire O'Neill, Acting Director of ECIT, has been appointed to the newly formed global technology policy council by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Prof Máire O'Neill outside Riddle Hall The world's largest association for computing professionals - the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) - formed the council to co-ordinate the agenda for its policy activities around the globe. Professor O'Neill is a leading cybersecurity expert and was the youngest-ever engineering professor at Queen's University Belfast. She is currently Acting Director of the Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology at Queen's. She is widely regarded as one of Europe's leading cryptography experts and the inventor of a high-speed silicon security chip that is used in more than 100 million TV set-top boxes. ACM says the newly formed council positions will allow the organisation to play an indispensable role in the global technology policy dialogue. They will also serve as the central convening point for ACM's interaction with government organisations, the computing community, and the public in matters of public policy related to information technology and computing. Commenting on her new position, Professor Máire O'Neill says: "I am delighted to have been invited to join the global technology policy council. With an estimated 2.3 billion people across the globe relying on devices and the cloud to communicate, manage finances, access healthcare and even interact with household devices, new technological challenges are emerging every day. "At ECIT we have been leading the way on solving the many global challenges associated with emerging technology. I am looking forward to my role on the council and working alongside a group of world leading experts to advise on policy issues." ACM President Cherri. M. Pancake explains: "The digital revolution is an international phenomenon and the leading tech companies, whose services are used by billions every day, have facilities and customers in countries all over the world. "So the pressing issues we hear about in the media- such as online privacy, data breaches, algorithmic bias, and the future of the internet- go beyond national borders. ACM's new Technology Policy Council will provide a space in which computing professionals come together to offer global perspectives on global challenges." ACM has been active in the policy arena for more than 25 years. Its US (USTPC) and European (EUTPC) Technology Policy Committees regularly provide nonpartisan technical expertise to policy leaders and government agencies on issues though briefings, testimony, comments, and reports. These committees will now work under the auspices of the new Technology Policy Council. ACM Technology Policy Council Chair Lorraine Kisselburgh commented: "The mission of the ACM Technology Policy Council will be to strengthen and elevate ACM's policy initiatives around the world. "Government officials and legislators in nations everywhere are grappling with questions regarding the governance of technology, and the complexity of these technologies demands critical expertise. What ACM brings to the table is a deep bench of technical expertise to better inform policy, both nationally and globally." One of the Technology Policy Council's first initiatives will be to publish a bimonthly series of short technical bulletins that summarize emerging technologies and research, and present nonpartisan perspectives on their policy implications. The ACM Tech Briefs series is intended to inform policy decision makers, the media and the general public. The members of the inaugural ACM Technology Policy Council are: Lorraine Kisselburgh (Chair), Purdue University Michel Beaudouin-Lafon (Vice Chair), Université Paris-Sud Vinton Cerf, Google Lorrie Cranor, Carnegie Mellon University Oliver Grau (Chair, EUTPC), Intel James Hendler (Chair, USTPC), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Jeanna Matthews, Clarkson University Máire O'Neill, Queen's University Belfast Latanya Sweeney, Harvard University Michael Zimmer (Chair, Tech Briefs Committee), Marquette University |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/ProfMaireONeillappointedtoglobaltechnologypolicycouncil.html |
| Description | Professor Máire O'Neill appointed to UK Artificial Intelligence Council |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Professor Máire O'Neill has been appointed to a body designed to develop the UK artificial intelligence (AI) sector. Cybersecurity expert, Professor Máire O'Neill, has been appointed to the UK's Artificial Intelligence (AI) Council. Leaders from business, academia and data privacy organisations have joined the independent expert committee, which has been created to help boost growth of AI in the UK, and promote its adoption and ethical use in businesses and organisations across the country. The news was announced today by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport & Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. Professor O'Neill is Professor of Information Security in the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Queen's; Principal Investigator at the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) at Queen's; and Director of the UK Research Institute in Secure Hardware and Embedded Systems (RISE) at CSIT. Speaking about her appointment Professor O'Neill said: "I am delighted to have been invited to join the AI council by Tabitha Goldstaub, the AI Council Chair, and Dame Wendy Hall, due to my background in cyber security. "AI has an ever-increasing role to play in cyber security in terms of fraud prevention, threat and vulnerability analysis, and video analytics. At CSIT we have been working in these areas for some time - CSIT is celebrating 10 years of impact this year - and the application of AI in cyber security is a key focus of our future research strategy. "I am looking forward to my role on the council and working alongside such a diverse group of representatives from industry, academia and the public sector, covering both the technology and ethical considerations of AI." Professor O'Neill was the youngest engineering professor in Queen's University history; the youngest Irish Academy of Engineering fellow; and is a former UK Female Inventor of the Year. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/ProfessorMaireONeillappointedtoUKArtificialIntelligenceCouncil.html |
| Description | Professor Máire O'Neill elected as Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The Royal Academy of Engineering has elected Professor Máire O'Neill, Acting Director of ECIT and Director of the £5M EPSRC/NCSC-funded Research Institute in Secure Hardware and Embedded Systems (RISE), as a Fellow. The Royal Academy of Engineering is the UK's national academy for engineering and technology, bringing together their fellows - the most successful and talented engineers from academia and business - to advance and promote excellence in engineering for the benefit of society. Fifty-four leading engineers from the UK and around the world have been elected as Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering in recognition of their outstanding and continuing contributions to the profession - including five-time Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton, who has also been admitted as an Honorary Fellow in recognition of his role in inspiring interest in engineering, especially among young people. Professor O'Neill was formally admitted to the Academy at its AGM in London on Monday 30 September, adding her expertise to the Fellowship of nearly 1,600 eminent engineers from both industry and academia. Professor O'Neill commented: "I am proud and honoured to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. To join the ranks of so many internationally recognised engineers has great significance for me and is also a major recognition of the academic standing of Queen's University Belfast, where we have been leading the way in solving the many global challenges associated with emerging technologies." Professor O'Neill is a leading cybersecurity expert and was the youngest-ever engineering professor at Queen's University Belfast. She is widely regarded as one of Europe's leading cryptography experts and the inventor of a high-speed silicon security chip that is used in more than 100 million TV set-top boxes. Professor Dame Ann Dowling, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: "Our Fellows are at the heart of all Academy activities and I am delighted to welcome these highly successful, creative and inspiring engineering leaders to the Fellowship. There has never been a more important time for the Academy to advance and promote excellence in engineering so that the engineering profession can continue to contribute to societal wellbeing and economic growth." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/ProfessorMaireONeillelectedasFellowoftheRoyalAcademyofEngineering.ht... |
| Description | Public Sector Cyber Security Northern Ireland 2019 (Crozier) 14 March 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Public Sector Cyber Security Northern Ireland 2019 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | http://cybersecurityni.holyrood.com/ |
| Description | QUB Cyber Security Researchers Awarded 'Best Paper' at IEEE NFV-SDN Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Dr Sandra Scott-Hayward and James Aiken from the Centre for Secure Information Technologies, at Queen's University Belfast, were awarded Best Paper at the IEEE Conference on NFV-SDN 2019 for their work on "Investigating Adversarial Attacks on Network Intrusion Detection Systems in SDNs" The 2019 IEEE NFV-SDN conference accelerates the continuous exchange on the latest ideas, developments and results between all ecosystem partners in the academia and industry area. The conference fosters discussion on new approaches as well as dedicated work on missing aspects for improvements of NFV and SDN enabling architectures, algorithms, frameworks and operation of virtualised network functions and infrastructures. The event took place this year in Dallas, Texas, USA on 12th-14th November. Dr Scott-Hayward commented: "We are delighted to receive this award. This research exploring the impact of the application of machine learning (ML) in network security is of great importance as AI and ML approaches emerge in the networking domain. These solutions are particularly popular with the flexibility brought by software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV). We will continue to develop this work to increase the robustness of ML-based network security solutions and we look forward to IEEE NFV-SDN 2020!" Paper Abstract: Machine-learning based network intrusion detection systems (ML-NIDS) are increasingly popular in the fight against network attacks. In particular, promising detection results have been demonstrated in conjunction with Software-Defined Networks (SDN), in which the logically centralized control plane provides access to data from across the network. However, research into adversarial attacks against machine learning classifiers has highlighted vulnerabilities in a number of fields. These vulnerabilities raise concerns about the implementation of similar classifiers in anomaly-based NIDSs within SDNs. In this work, we investigate the viability of adversarial attacks against classifiers in this field. We implement an anomaly-based NIDS, Neptune, as a target platform that utilises a number of different machine learning classifiers and traffic flow features. We develop an adversarial test tool, Hydra, to evaluate the impact of adversarial evasion classifier attacks against Neptune with the goal of lowering the detection rate of malicious network traffic. The results demonstrate that with the perturbation of a few features, the detection accuracy of a specific SYN flood Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack by Neptune decreases from 100% to 0% across a number of classifiers. Based on these results, recommendations are made as to how to increase the robustness of classifiers against the demonstrated attacks. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/QUBCyberSecurityResearchersAwardedBestPaperatIEEENFV-SDNConference.h... |
| Description | QUEEN'S CYBERSECURITY EXPERT PROFESSOR MÁIRE O'NEILL WINS PRESTIGIOUS BLAVATNIK AWARD |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Queen's University Belfast cybersecurity expert Professor Máire O'Neill has been awarded US$30,000 in the second annual Blavatnik Awards in the UK, which honour outstanding young scientists under the age of 42. The Blavatnik Awards, established by the Blavatnik Family Foundation and administered by the New York Academy of Sciences, recognise and support exceptional young scientists and engineers aged 42 years or younger. Professor O'Neill, Professor of Information Security in the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Queen's; Principal Investigator at the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) at Queen's; and Director of the UK Research Institute in Secure Hardware and Embedded Systems (RISE) at CSIT, has been awarded a finalist title in the Physical Sciences & Engineering category. She has been awarded the prize due to her world-class reputation for research and invention in the field of hardware security, in particular for her work developing attack-resilient computer hardware platforms and chip designs. Speaking about the award, Professor O'Neill said: "It is an honour to be recognised by the Blavatnik Family Foundation for my work in hardware security. "The increase in the number of connected devices through both cloud and Internet of Things technologies has led to growing security and privacy concerns. A strong hardware security foundation is essential in realising effective security in these ICT systems. "My research seeks to provide practical and effective hardware security solutions that meet the real-time computation and resource-constrained requirements of ICT systems, services and applications." Professor O'Neill was the youngest engineering professor in Queen's University history; the youngest Irish Academy of Engineering fellow; and is a former UK Female Inventor of the Year. Now in their second year in the UK, the 2019 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists received 83 nominations from 43 academic and research institutions across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. A distinguished jury of leading senior scientists and engineers from throughout the UK selected the Laureates and Finalists. Professor O'Neill will be honoured at a gala dinner and ceremony at the prestigious Victoria and Albert Museum in London on Wednesday 6 March 2019. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/QueenscybersecurityexpertProfessorMaireONeillwinsprestigiousBlavatni... |
| Description | QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY INVESTS £500K IN STATE-OF-THE-ART CYBER SECURITY RESEARCH LAB |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Queen's University Belfast is investing £500k in a brand new state-of-the-art cyber security research lab at the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT). The facility, which is based at the Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT) at Queen's, will create a stronger service and innovation driven engagement model of academic research to address global challenges within the cyber security industry. CSIT will work with local and international corporations, start-up companies and SMEs to form a strong response to cyber security attacks. The CSIT Test lab includes a high-speed network interconnected via a multi-gigabit optical fibre to the public Internet. The experimental test network is a collection of diverse information and communication technologies with unique connectivity properties. It also includes a state-of-the-art Cyber Range, which is a virtual environment that is used for cyber-defence training and cyber technology development. With extended high-speed traffic capture and storage capability, the new lab will allow researchers at CSIT, and their partners, to undertake advanced malware monitoring and reverse engineering. The researchers will also be able to explore the most prevalent cyber-attack methods, including Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), by generating synthetic attack replay and monitoring features. Professor Sakir Sezer, Head of Connected Systems Security at CSIT, explains that this is a significant investment for the research community in Northern Ireland, with opportunities for supporting and promoting innovation within cybersecurity. He says: "With cyber-attacks and emerging threats becoming increasingly sophisticated and complex, applied research and innovation in cybersecurity depends on data-sets and well equipped state-of-the-art experimental labs and shared research infrastructures. "The CSIT Test Lab is one of the first UK-wide research infrastructures providing an experimental playground for both academia and industry to collaborate, innovate and share equipment, tools, experiments and data-sets. We are very proud of our new custom-built Cyber Range which will allow us to connect remotely and share our facilities on an ad-hoc basis with our partners in the UK, US, Europe and Asia." Professor Sezer adds: "The lab gives Queen's University Belfast and CSIT new experimental capabilities for application (software) and appliance (hardware) penetration testing, which is highly relevant for the local cyber security cluster member companies. "By combining all the new capabilities, the lab facilitates a highly configurable platform for many widespread communication technologies, enabling state-of-the-art 'capture the flag and other red/blue team' cybersecurity challenge games and specialised cybersecurity staff training." Judith Millar, Business Development Manager at CSIT, comments: "This new extension of the CSIT research infrastructure provides the essential technologies and tools to deliver critical services and training for the local Northern Ireland Cyber Security Cluster. "SMEs and start-ups will be able to access the latest cyber security technologies, infrastructure and synthetic test-data for testing and product validation through this impressive research facility. Training, interoperability and penetration testing support by CSIT for start-ups and SMEs are vital for competitive advantage, economic success and added value for the local economy." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/QueensUniversityinvests500kinstate-of-the-artcybersecurityresearchla... |
| Description | Queen's University Belfast backs cyber security sector with funding for 40 MSc scholarships |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Queen's is helping secure Northern Ireland's status as a global cyber security hub by offering 40 full scholarships worth over half a million pounds for its specialist Applied Cyber Security MSc programme. The move, announced at an event held in Belfast this week, is in direct response to the growth of the sector, both in Northern Ireland and globally, over the last few years, and strong demand from industry for more suitably qualified cyber security professionals. As well as recent graduates, it is aimed at those already in employment who are interested in changing career to work in cyber security and will be carried out through a syllabus informed by the research undertaken at the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT), the UK's largest cyber security research centre. The cyber security sector in Northern is estimated to provide over £70m in annual salaries and commands some of the best rates of compensation, not just in the wider economy but also in the tech industry. Made up of both indigenous companies and inward investors, its stock has grown in the global cyber security world and Northern Ireland is now known to play host to a cluster of leading-edge companies and individuals working across the private, public and third sector. As a result, it has wooed a number of big name foreign direct investors over the last few years, such as California-based Imperva. It announced in December that it was setting up a new base in Belfast creating 220 jobs. Imperva joins other companies operating substantial cyber security bases in Northern Ireland such as Anomali, Black Duck Software, Rapid7 and Proofpoint, all of which help make the region the number one international location for US cyber security development projects, according to the FT's FDi Markets report. The announcement was made at the Addressing the Skills Gap event held in The Mac in Belfast on Tuesday night. The panel discussion explored the growing skills gap in the technology sector in Northern Ireland particularly in cyber security but also in software development and data analytics. Professor Philip Hanna, Director of Education at the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Queen's University Belfast, said: "The launch of the 40 scholarships for the Applied Cyber Security MSc at Queen's comes at an apt time for one of the fastest-growing sectors in Northern Ireland and in the world. Thirst for cyber security talent is strong and will intensify further in the future, so initiatives of this nature are essential to maintain the sector's vibrancy. "Cyber security is exciting, fast paced and extremely rewarding and these scholarships will widen its accessibility." Dr Karen Rafferty, Head of School, School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Queen's University Belfast, said: "This is a great example of academia flexing to meet the demands of industry. At Queen's we're striving to play our part as a critical pillar in the future of the Northern Ireland economy and these scholarships do just that. "Cyber security is a sector with huge growth potential in the coming years and Queen's students will be at the centre of that journey." The Applied Cyber Security MSc course itself aims to provide graduates with a comprehensive understanding of cyber security challenges facing industry and society through a syllabus informed by the research undertaken at CSIT at Queen's. It sits alongside the MSc programmes at Queen's in Data Analytics and Software Development. Anyone interested in applying for the Queen's MSc in Applied Cyber Security should go to go.qub.ac.uk/appliedcyber. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/QueensUniversityBelfastbackscybersecuritysectorwithfundingfor40MScsc... |
| Description | Royal Irish Academy/American Chamber of Commerce Innovation Awards 2015, 2016, 2017, Professor McCanny member of he awards committee |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | The US-Ireland Research Innovation Awards are a joint initiative of the Royal Irish Academy and the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland. They recognise and acknowledge exemplary ideas, originating in Irish organisations, making a social and economic impact through research innovation in meeting market needs involving collaboration with US companies. The Awards operate on an all-Ireland basis and are awarded in three categories: •Multinational Corporation Award •SME Award •Higher Education Award |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015,2016,2017 |
| URL | https://www.ria.ie/grants-and-awards/us-ireland-research-innovation-awards |
| Description | SECURING CONNECTED DEVICES: AN ARMS RACE - ACADEMY DISCOURSE BY PROFESSOR MÁIRE O'NEILL |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | ABOUT THE DISCOURSE With the rapid proliferation of pervasive electronic devices in our lives, the internet of things (IoT) has become a reality and its influence on our day to day activities is set to further increase with a projected 125 Billion connected devices by 2030. However, this poses serious security and privacy issues as we will no longer have direct control over with whom and what our devices communicate. Counterfeit, hacked, or cloned devices acting on a network are a significant threat. In addition, IoT devices are often low-cost in area, low-power and typically are restricted in both memory and computing power. This talk will outline the challenges in addressing security for resource-constrained IoT devices and some of the solutions currently being considered. The impact of quantum computers on security will also be discussed. ABOUT THE SPEAKER Professor Máire O'Neill (FIAE, MRIA) has a strong international reputation for her research in hardware security and applied cryptography. She is currently PI of the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT), QUB, and Research Director of the £5M UK Research Institute in Secure Hardware and Embedded Systems (RISE), funded by EPSRC and the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). She also leads an EU H2020 SAFEcrypto project in the area of practical quantum-safe cryptography. She previously held an EPSRC Leadership Fellowship (2008-2014) and was a former holder of a UK Royal Academy of Engineering research fellowship (2003-2008). She has received numerous awards for her research work which include a 2014 Royal Academy of Engineering Silver Medal and British Female Inventor of the Year 2007. She has authored two research books and has over 140 peer-reviewed conference and journal publications. ABOUT THE EVENT Where: Academy House, 19 Dawson Street, Dublin 2 Date: 7th November 2018 Time: 6pm |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/SecuringConnectedDevicesAnArmsRace-AcademyDiscoursebyProfessorMaireO... |
| Description | Spies and Dolls: The Future of IoT Security |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Professor Máire O'Neill was among an impressive line-up of speakers at the inaugural TEDx event at Queen's University Belfast. The theme of the event 'OUTSIDE | IN' brought together bright minds to give ideas-focused talks, and on a wide range of subjects; to foster learning, inspiration and wonder - and provoke conversations that matter. Professor O'Neill's talk 'Spies and Dolls: The Future of IoT Security' highlighted some of the issues with connected devices in our homes and what to do about it. During her talk, she demonstrated just how easy it is to hack some household devices with a doll. Professor O'Neill commented: "It was an honour to be involved in the first ever TEDx event at Queen's University Belfast. The aim of my talk was to highlight the importance of considering security within the connected devices in our homes, including; Smart TVs, watches, toys etc and to raise the privacy and security issues that arise when our devices communicate with each other. It was great to have the opportunityto bring this subject to a general audience and to create awareness of this subject as it affects all of our daily lives." The speakers at TEDxQUB included representation from each of QUB's faculties; Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Engineering and Physical Sciences, and Medicine, Health and Life Sciences. Members of the public, business and political leaders, as well as friends of Queen's University Belfast attended at event. Watch Professor O'Neills talk here. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/SpiesandDollsTheFutureofIoTSecurity.html |
| Description | TEDxQueensUniversityBelfast - Spies and dolls - The future of IoT Security (O'Neill) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | TEDx Talk: Spies and Dolls - The Future of IoT Security With the rapid proliferation of pervasive electronic devices in our lives, the internet of things (IoT) has become a reality and its influence on our day to day activities is set to further increase with a projected 125 Billion connected devices by 2030. However, this poses serious security and privacy issues as we will no longer have direct control over with whom and what our devices communicate. Counterfeit, hacked, or cloned devices acting on a network are also a significant threat. Professor O'Neill's talk discusses the insecurity of smart devices and what we need to do to address the issue. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/public-engagement/BusinessEngagement/TEDxQueensUniversityBelfast/TEDx2019/ |
| Description | THREE LEADING QUEEN'S RESEARCHERS RECOGNISED IN PRESTIGIOUS MOBILE INDUSTRY AWARDS |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Three researchers from the Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT) at Queen's University Belfast have been shortlisted as finalists in the esteemed Mobile World Scholar Challenge. The Mobile World Scholar Challenge is a global competition that showcases the best mobile research taking place in the world. Dozens of applications from universities around the world were submitted during the two-month application period, and five finalists were chosen by GSMA, the trade body that represents the interests of mobile network operators worldwide. Researchers from ECIT received an impressive three out of the five finalist places for their research, which represents the best in ground-breaking new technology. The three finalists from ECIT are Dr Niall McLaughlin, Nan Wang and Muhammad Ali Babar Abbasi. Their research spans a variety of complex subjects within the mobile industry such as; Deep Learning for Mobile Malware Detection, Multi-Access Edge Computing, and 5G Network infrastructure. Finalist Nan Wang, Postgraduate Research Student at ECIT, said: "It is an honour for my research to be recognised by the esteemed GSMA. My research is focused on Edge Computing and ECIT is leading the way in ensuring the adoption of this new technology. "I have designed an Edge Computing system and developed a software framework for providing computing services on the system. Through this system multiple traditionally Cloud-hosted applications are able to service users from their adjacent places such as a home router. Consequently, delays experienced by application users are reduced." The finals of the competition will take place at MWC19 in Barcelona, Spain on 27 February 2019. MWC19 is the largest gathering for the mobile industry in the world, bringing together the latest innovations, leading-edge technology from more than 2,400 companies and over 100,000 delegates. The event showcases cutting edge ideas poised to impact the mobile world. The Mobile World Scholar Challenge forms part of the event and highlights new and impactful ideas from the academic and research communities across the globe. Professor Dimitrios Nikolopoulos, Director of ECIT at Queen's University, commented: "I am delighted that our researchers have been recognised for the cutting-edge research that they have produced which will greatly impact the mobile industry on a global scale. "To be recognised by GSMA, the global community of mobile network operators, is testament to the work that is being carried out across disciplines daily at ECIT. I wish each of our team members the very best of luck for the final and look forward to seeing the impact of their work on the mobile industry." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/ThreeleadingQueensresearchersrecognisedinprestigiousmobileindustryaw... |
| Description | Teaching Ethical Alternatives to Child Hackers (TEACH) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | A day long workshop designed for school age students who are known to the police as hackers / potential hackers. The workshop explored the legal and ethical issues around illegal access to computing systems and highlighted the career opportunities for talented individuals who stay on the right side of the law. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | The Secretary of State visits ECIT |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, visited ECIT and toured the new CSIT Cyber Range and CWI Keysight Millimeter-Wave research lab Pictured (L-R): Professor Máire O'Neill, Principal Investigator at CSIT, Queen's University Belfast; The Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland; Professor Ian Greer, President and Vice-Chancellor, Queen's University Belfast; and Professor Dimitrios Nikolopoulos, Director of ECIT, Queen's University Belfast. The Secretary of State heard about how ECIT is accelerating economic growth through research and innovation in the fields of cyber security, wireless communications, data science and scalable computing. Karen Bradley visited the Keysight Millimetre Wave Lab to learn more about ECIT'S Wireless research, which has applications in Mobile, 5G, Medical and Space. The Centre for Wireless Innovation (CWI) at ECIT is the UK's largest research, development and exploitation base in physical layer wireless, and one of the strongest in Europe. Karen Bradley also visited CSIT's brand new Cyber Range, a powerful infrastructure that imitates real world networks, allowing both researchers and industry to practise their cyber technology knowledge and skills. The Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) at ECIT, where the Cyber Range is housed, is the UK's Innovation and Knowledge Centre for cyber security, and is celebrating ten years of impact this year. Professor Dimitrios Nikolopoulos, Director of ECIT, Queen's University Belfast said: "We were delighted to welcome The Secretary of State to ECIT to showcase the cutting-edge research being carried out at the Institute. "We are also developing the next generation of leaders to meet the huge demand from industry for professionals in cyber security; wireless communications; data science and scalable computing." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/TheSecretaryofStatevisitsECIT.html |
| Description | Transatlantic Cyber Security Policy Forum - Killarney |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | This conference aims to bring politicians, law enforcement, policy makers and cyber industry leaders from Ireland, UK, US and EU together to create an annual dialogue. The goal is to ensure that we expand and improve government and corporate partnerships in cyber security. Topics for discussion at the conference include: Emerging trends in Cyber Attacks Deterrence, Detection and Punishment: The Policing and Law Enforcement Perspective Research and Development in Cyber Security National Security and Defence This conference is scheduled for 9am-5pm on Friday 10 May at The Brehon Hotel in Killarney, Ireland. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://killarneyeconomicconference.com/cyber-security-transatlantic-policy-forum/ |
| Description | U105 Radio Interview |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Gavin McWilliams was interviewed about the launch of the SAFEcrypto project and the growing importance of cybersecurity to the Northern Ireland economy. Broadcast in May 2015. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | UK Cyber Security Cluster Meeting, DCMS London |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | UK Cyber Security Cluster Meeting, DCMS London |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | UK Defence Solutions Centre Engagement Day Belfast (Crozier, Mills) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | UK Defence Solutions Centre Engagement Day Belfast Facilitating strong international partnerships and cooperation between UK Government, defence industry, academia and international customers Created as part of the implementation plan for the Defence Growth Partnership (DGP) and jointly funded by government and industry, the UKDSC works closely with the UK's MOD, BEIS and Department for International Trade - Defence and Security Organisation (DIT DSO), the UK defence industry and academia. This is a world first approach to collaboration in defence solutions and we believe this integrated model will position the UK defence industry as a world-leading centre of innovation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.ukdsc.org/about/ |
| Description | UK Royal College of Defence Studies International Cohort (Crozier) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | The Royal College of Defence Studies instructs the most promising senior officers of the British Armed Forces, Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service and Civil Service in national defence and international security matters at the highest level, to prepare them for the top posts in their respective services. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | http://www.da.mod.uk/Colleges-Business-Units/RCDS |
| Description | UK cyber security sector worth £8.3 billion, research by Queen's University Belfast reveals |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The UK's cyber security industry is now worth an estimated £8.3 billion, with total revenues in the sector up 46 per cent since 2017, research from Queen's University Belfast has revealed. The UK Cyber Security Sectoral Analysis 2020, published today by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, is based on research by the University's Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT), in collaboration with Belfast-based economic and policy advisory practice Perspective Economics and global leading market research company Ipsos MORI. Commenting on the findings, CSIT's Head of Strategic Partnerships and Engagement, David Crozier said: "This research clearly shows that support for cyber security innovation from the Government is having a positive impact in accelerating growth, employment and investment in the sector right across the UK. As the UK's Innovation and Knowledge Centre for cyber security, CSIT has been a key part of that success over the past decade." The sector has seen significant growth in annual revenue and employment, as well as considerable investment in early-stage companies. The findings from the report show: The number of active cyber security firms in the UK has increased 44 per cent - up from 846 in 2017 to over 1,200 at year-end 2019. This growth is the equivalent to a new cyber security business being set up in the UK every week There are now approximately 43,000 full time employees working in the cyber security sector, up 37 per cent from 2017 Total revenues within the sector have increased by 46 per cent to an estimated £8.3 billion. On average, revenue per employee reached £193,500 - an increase of seven per cent since 2017 2019 was a record year for the sector with more than £348 million of investment Over the last four years (2016-19), total investment identified within the cyber security sector has exceeded £1.1 billion, demonstrating how confidence has grown in the industry Belfast-based B-Secur, which commercialises the application of patented ECG algorithms for a range of uses, was one firm that secured significant investment during the period. The company, which currently employs 35 staff, has raised $13m to date and has collaborated on a range of research and development projects with CSIT since 2015. Crozier adds: "The report highlights how Government backed initiatives such as HutZero, Cyber101 and the London Office for Rapid Cyber Security Investment (LORCA) have played a key role in helping UK cyber security start-ups and SMEs develop new products and services, as well as improving their ability to raise investment and commercial performance. CSIT is a delivery partner on all three programmes." Ahead of his speech at international cyber security conference SINET, Digital Minister Matt Warman said: "It's great to see our cyber security sector going from strength to strength. It plays a vital role in protecting the country's thriving digital economy and keeping people safe online. "We are committed to seeing it grow and are investing £1.9 billion over five years through our National Cyber Security Strategy to make sure we lead the way in cyber innovation, develop and attract the best talent." Alongside GDPR industry adoption, this growth has been driven by a number of factors such as the UK's world-leading technology sector, pro-innovation regulation, research and business-friendly environment. Perspective Economics Director Sam Donaldson said: "This has been a highly unique and interesting research project for our team. It has been brilliant to track the UK's world-leading cyber security sector, and to witness such growth, innovation and potential across the country. We're looking forward to seeing the sector go from strength to strength in the years ahead." The UK Cyber Security Sectoral Analysis 2020 can be found here. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/UKcybersecuritysectorworth83billionresearchbyQueensUniversityBelfast... |
| Description | WORLDWIDE SUPPORT PROGRAMME ALLOWS CYBERSECURITY COMPANIES AND ENTREPRENEURS TO EXPLORE NEW MARKETS |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Global EPIC 'Soft Landing Programme' will offer companies and entrepreneurs a unique opportunity to 'soft land' for a trial period in the market of one of the Global EPIC ecosystems. It will provide a low risk entry trial to companies and entrepreneurs entering a new international market, accessing the resources they need to more readily tap into commercial opportunities. The Soft Landing Programme, which will be launched in the coming weeks, is operated by the Global Ecosystem of Ecosystems Partnership in Innovation and Cybersecurity (Global EPIC), a worldwide collaboration between security ecosystems to co-create and adopt world-changing solutions to high-impact cybersecurity challenges, both current and emergent. Several other Global EPIC keystones will join the programme later this year. Within the soft landing programme, the ecosystems will provide, without cost to the companies and entrepreneurs, connections to their partner network, matchmaking with potential business partners, a meeting space, guidance on recruiting talented employees and market circumstances, incubator facilities and guidance on immigration and legal issues, leading to the possibility of establishing a permanent presence in the foreign market. David Crozier, President of Global EPIC and Head of Strategic Partnerships and Engagement at Queen's University of Belfast's Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) said: "One of the founding principles of Global EPIC is that of "glocalisation" as it pertains to tackling the worldwide challenge that cybersecurity presents whilst simultaneously realizing local economic impact for our partners. This soft landing programme represents the first tangible manifestation of coordinated delivery by our diverse partners around the globe which will offer real benefit to innovative cybersecurity companies by providing support to enter new markets." Richard Franken (Executive Director The Hague Security Delta Foundation): "Collaboration on a world-scale is crucial and sharing expertise is an important aspect of that. This is not only about talking but also about actually doing things together. By allowing innovative SMEs and start-ups to explore new markets and let them collaborate within a new cluster, this initiative will do just that." The participating ecosystems in the soft-landing program are: bwtech@UMBC (Baltimore, U.S.A.), Carelton GCR (Ottawa, Canada), Centre for Secure Information Technologies - CSIT (Belfast, U.K.), Cyber Wales (Cardiff, U.K), Hague Security Delta (The Hague, Netherlands), ITRI (Taipei, Taiwan), Kosciuszko Institute (Krakow, Poland), City of Surrey (Surrey, Canada), UNB (Fredericton, Canada) For more information on how to 'soft-land' in one of these markets, visit https://globalepic.org/softLanding |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/WorldwideSupportprogrammeAllowsCybersecurityCompaniesandEntrepreneur... |
| Description | Workshop on European Smart-Grid Cybersecurity - Emerging threats and countermeasures |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | The third SPARKS Stakeholder Engagement Workshop was held in Belfast on 26th August 2016. The workshop was very well attended and a number of local companies (SMEs) and utilities were among the 50+ participants drawn from across Europe. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://project-sparks.eu/events/workshop-on-european-smart-grid-cybersecurity-emerging-threats-and-... |
| Description | World leading cybersecurity expert assigned Regius Professorship |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | World leading cybersecurity expert Professor Máire O'Neill has been assigned a rare and prestigious Regius Professorship by the Vice-Chancellor of Queen's University Belfast. The esteemed award, which is Northern Ireland's first, was bestowed on Queen's in 2016 by Her Majesty The Queen to recognise exceptionally high quality research in Electronics and Computer Engineering. Professor O'Neill, who is the youngest ever engineering professor at Queen's, is Interim Director of the University's Institute for Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT). She is also Principal Investigator of the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) and Director of the UK Research Institute in Secure Hardware and Embedded Systems (RISE). Professor Ian Greer, Vice-Chancellor of Queen's University Belfast, commented: "I am delighted that Professor Máire O'Neill has been awarded this Regius Professorship. "Under Professor O'Neill's leadership, researchers at ECIT have made great strides in making the changing global digital space more secure, connected and intelligent. They are continually developing cutting-edge solutions and accelerating their adoption by industry through substantial innovation activities." Professor Greer added: "As a truly world class university, Queen's is making a positive impact right across the globe in solving current and emerging global challenges. "The Regius Professorship is a very rare privilege and significant accolade, which is a reflection of the exceptionally high quality of research, innovation and research translation at ECIT." Upon accepting the award, Professor O'Neill said: "I am deeply honoured to be appointed to Regius Professor at Queen's. I look forward to leading the team at ECIT in our exciting future plans to create a multi-disciplinary Global Innovation Institute, as part of the Belfast Region City Deal." Professor O'Neill succeeds Professor Sir John McCanny in holding the Regius Professorship in Electronics and Computer Engineering, following his retirement in 2017. The Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT) is a Global Research Institute of Queen's University, Belfast. Operating under the agenda setting theme of "Secure Connected Intelligence", ECIT is a globally recognised interdisciplinary institute, driven by research excellence, solving societal challenges and delivering impact through a unique model of open innovation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/WorldleadingcybersecurityexpertassignedRegiusProfessorship.html |
| Description | World leading network intelligence technology developer Titan IC to be acquired by Mellanox |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The deal signals the latest boost for Belfast's thriving technology sector. Titan IC, the leading developer of network intelligence (NI) and security technology has announced that it has reached an agreement to be acquired by Mellanox, a leading supplier of high-performance, end-to-end smart interconnect solutions for data center servers and storage systems. The deal will combine best in class networking and deep packet inspection to accelerate search and big data analytics across a broad range of applications in data centers worldwide. Titan IC was established in Belfast in 2007 as a spin out from QUBIS, the commercialisation arm of Queen's University, and the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT). Headquartered in the high-tech heart of Belfast's Titanic Quarter, Titan IC's world class team will become the center of advanced network intelligence research and development for Mellanox. Mellanox CEO and president Eyal Waldman and Titan CEO Noel McKenna were today greeted at the CSIT headquarters by director at CSIT Máire O'Neill. "We are pleased to become part of Mellanox and together we will accelerate the pace of innovation and will advance network intelligence to new levels of performance and insight," said Noel McKenna, CEO, Titan IC. "We have worked with Mellanox for many years to integrate our RXP regular expression processor into their advanced line of BlueField I/O Processing Units (IPUs). Now as part of Mellanox, we will be able to achieve new capabilities for cyber intelligence, intrusion detection and protection, and advanced data analytics applications." The acquisition will further strengthen Mellanox's network intelligence capabilities delivered through the company's advanced ConnectX and BlueField families of SmartNIC and I/O Processing Unit (IPU) solutions. "Network Intelligence is an important technology when combined with our industry-leading networking portfolio of switches, SmartNICs, and IPUs," said Eyal Waldman, president and CEO Mellanox Technologies. "Our customers will benefit from the deep analytics and enhanced security that will be delivered by the integration of our best-in-class Ethernet and InfiniBand products and world-leading deep packet inspection and analytics technologies from Titan IC. With this acquisition, our M&A investments total more than 1.2 billion dollars to date and more than 53 million dollars invested in startups to further our intelligent networking strategy." Professor Máire O'Neill, Director of CSIT, commented: "As a spin-out from CSIT, the Centre for Secure Information Technologies at Queen's University Belfast, we are delighted to see the Titan IC team embark on this new chapter of their journey. It has been a pleasure to help support the growth and success of Titan over the years and we wish to continue the collaboration with our research teams at the university." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/ecit/News/WorldleadingnetworkintelligencetechnologydeveloperTitanICtobeacquire... |
| Description | irish Times article (Liopa) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Irish Times article about Liopa and underpinning research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.irishtimes.com/business/innovation/read-my-lips-irish-start-up-gets-teeth-into-verificat... |