The CYBERSEC project researches in various technologies, techniques, tools, methodologies and knowledge aimed at developing technological solutions for the securitization against cyber-attacks of highly critical connected environments, such as Industry 4.0, Smart Cities or Critical Infrastructures.

Project Description:

The CYBERSEC project facilitates the adoption of new generation technological solutions that provide security, resilience, traceability and privacy to information systems in critical environments such as Smart Cities, Industry 4.0 or critical infrastructures; through research in attack and network protection technologies, IoT, communications (5G, NB) or Artificial Intelligence (AI). All of them disruptive technologies in the international and national technological landscape.

Improving Security against cyber threats, in a scalable way to highly digitized and varied sectors such as Industrial, Energy, Utilities, Health, Smart Cities, Finance, Transport or Building; with the scientific-technological capacity of the companies and national research groups involved; with the culture of cooperation in R&D; with the most efficient access to international programs (Secure Societies, ICT, Industrial Leadership or Factories of the Future), and the R&D of the participating SMEs, technological solutions will be obtained that will make them more efficient and competitive, also achieving their integration towards an Integrated and Innovative Cybersecurity Technological Solution.

Problem to be solved:

The high level of digitization that exists today, together with the continuous profusion of new technologies, generates significant system vulnerabilities, which are exploited by cybercriminals (hackers) for attacks to disrupt service, theft or hijacking of stored information or identity theft. In addition to attacks, these systems are also exposed to system failures, human error and environmental disruptions. These attacks result in serious losses in all sectors, representing a worldwide cost of close to $600 billion (or 0.8% of the world’s GDP). However, these attacks are not only a huge risk, but also a great economic opportunity.

Among the levers of growth in cybercrime we highlight:

• Rapid adoption of new technologies by cybercriminals.
• Increased number of new online users (who tend to be from low-income countries with little or no cybersecurity).
• Increased ease of committing cybercrime, taking advantage of the growth in as-a-service crime.
• Growing number of cybercrime “hubs”, including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Brazil, India, North Korea and Vietnam.
• Growing financial sophistication among top-tier cybercriminals, which, among other things, facilitates monetization.

Project Resolution Objectives:

Investigate the application of the following technologies to increase infrastructure security and resilience:

• New and improved industrial network monitoring systems (inventory of wireless networks, correlation of cybersecurity events and information dashboards).
• Network anomalous behavior detection and prevention systems (including machine learning techniques, new resilience techniques and infrastructure bastioning).
• ICS and cybersecurity risk management and analysis
• 5G and Virtualization technologies
• Attack simulation hardware
• Attack simulation techniques
• Simulation of denial of service (DoS) attacks
• Cyber resilience test automation
• Penetration techniques
• Honeypots

Project Duration:

2020 – 2024

National Project in Cooperation with:

Public Research Organizations:

Contact Person:

Javier Sedano – R&D Director at ITCL