With almost ten million euros universities, companies, NGOs and government will investigate a secure Internet of Things. Devices that are connected to the internet, such as self-driving cars and intelligent thermostats, pose an increasing threat to our privacy and security. Protecting against this requires a fundamental approach that is urgently needed. A national research project comprising more than 45 parties – universities, companies, NGOs and government – and led by the Eindhoven University of Technology will be conducting research into this approach in the coming years by combining technical research with legal and criminological approaches. The project is being subsidized to the tune of almost 10 million euros by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Education (NWO) within the framework of the Dutch National Research Agenda.
From an internet that consists purely of connected computers, an internet is created at a rapid pace to which devices are connected, such as cars, books or refrigerators, but also sensors, smart home systems and complete power plants. This Internet of Things is expected to contain 75 billion connected devices worldwide by 2030. Given that there is little control over its development, the size of the technology entails a major security risk.
Turning point
According to Sandro Etalle, professor of cybersecurity at the Eindhoven University of Technology, we have reached a turning point in history. “If we do nothing now, we run the risk of being overwhelmed by technology that we cannot oversee or control and that will completely undermine our privacy and cybersecurity.” As a solution, current ad hoc security methods such as virus scanners or firewalls are no longer adequate, says Etalle. ” To get a grip on this problem we need a systematic approach with rules for the design and management of IoT systems.”
Etalle leads the research project ‘An Internet of Secure Things – INTERSECT’ with more than 45 affiliated institutions and companies that aim to provide the first impetus for “a blueprint” for the design, security and management of IoT systems. Because universities, government, business and NGOs are coming together in the project, the approach can be approached technically as well as legally and criminological. This can also be used to investigate a wide range of applications, including health, energy, mobility and smart cities.
Primavera
In addition to the INTERSECT project, Eindhoven University of Technology is a participant in the NWA project PrimaVera: Predictive maintenance for Very effective asset management. The aim of the project is to arrive at optimal maintenance decisions through better measurements, smart sensor technology and new, accurate algorithms and better planning, taking into account human and business factors.
Science Agenda
The goal of the Dutch National Research Agenda (NWA) is to solve urgent social problems by bringing scientists, companies and NGOs together. The topics have been suggested by the Dutch public. This year’s budget for the 17 NWA projects is 61 million euros.
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