TU Delft researchers help develop European cyber security framework

Section Systems Engineering Assistant Professor Mariëlle den Hengst-Bruggeling and Associate Professor Martijn Warnier have embarked on a two-year project in cooperation with Spanish consultancy firm Everis, research and technology centre Technalia and Polish ICT consultants ITTI. Funded by the EU’s Directorate-General for Home Affairs, the CIPHER project was launched in order to help improve data protection and ensure user privacy.

“European societies are increasingly dependent on electronic networks and computer systems,” says David de Castro Pérez, Everis Aerospace and Defense Manager, and Head of Innovation. “At the same time, large-scale attacks against computer networks and various other forms of cyber-crime, such as online identity theft or online child abuse, are subject to rapidly evolving technological developments.” As a result, the EU is seeking to design a European regulatory and technological roadmap in order to implement an effective cyber-security strategy.

“CIPHER aims at accomplishing an in-depth analysis of the reality of security and trust in privately held information systems at the European level,” explains De Castro Pérez. The project’s major outputs include “a methodological framework, which contains recommendations designed to increase security in those systems; and a roadmap to be included into the European political and technology agenda.” TU Delft was responsible for CIPHER’s initial contextualization, leading the diagnosis of the current state of security and privacy in cyber-systems, and the evaluation of legal and ethical issues related to privacy and data protection.

“For us it was important to join the project because it falls under the scope of our research,” says Martin Warnier. Together with Den Hengst-Bruggeling, the pair issued a paper on cyber crime in privately held information systems, revealing threats, examples of data breaches and corresponding countermeasures. “CIPHER leads to new knowledge in the form of publications and can have a direct impact to society in the form of a framework that can be applied to operational systems to ensure that they adhere to EU privacy laws.”

Entering its second year, the project is on course to achieving its objects. The partner organizations have presented the first draft of the cyber security framework during the CIPHER international workshop in Madrid last July. Besides the technical aspects, the project also focuses on the social concerns, ethical matters, and European policies and regulations related to information systems.