Internet of Secure Things

A key target is to create an Internet of Secure Things (IoST) that protects from vulnerabilities that can be exploited among every connected device. This is vital as distributed sensing and ubiquitous computing systems are becoming parts of everyday life. Industrial actors need to be supported with trusted components and complete knowledge of deploying new technologies in heterogeneous environments of Intelligent Infrastructure that require security and privacy by design. A major gap is that state-of-the-art security mechanisms are not often adaptable to IoT devices, and overall security guarantees are hard to obtain.

IoT devices are quickly moving from basic Internet connectivity functionalities to more complex analysis capabilities using data streams to discover facts about the world, interacting with humans and other devices at a higher level of abstraction. Furthermore, with billions of connected devices and more intensive data collection, security, and privacy protection techniques have become a paramount concern. Privacy protection must be addressed at the design level, such as with data minimisation principles and data usage control, to mitigate privacy leakages as much as possible. Modern cryptographic schemes, such as attribute-based credentials and group signatures, can help implement privacy-preserving design concepts. Finding the right balance between security, availability, and privacy is essential. Several issues should be solved, including combining security and privacy by designing solutions and quantum resistance, integrating distributed ledgers, efficient blockchain technologies, and AI-assisted security techniques.

Strategic Priorities

• Promote effective approaches that public and private organisations can take to support transition to and securely manage of IoST systems.
• Develop, validate and deploy IoST systems in various sectors, such as transportation.
• Analyse security of IoST systems with advanced technologies.

Pilot Research

• Empirical Research on Security and Privacy Management in Intelligent Infrastructure Systems.
• Privacy-preserving Smart Parking Solutions.
• Secure and Privacy-preserving Access to Sharing Vehicles in Smart Cities.