ISST is a key part of the Imperial and University of Cyprus collaboration launched by President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades last week

The KIOS Centre of Excellence, directed by the University of Cyprus’ Professor Marios Polycarpou in partnership with Professor Thomas Parisini of Imperial’s Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, will focus on major societal challenges to critical infrastructure like cyber-security.

The Institute for Security Science and Technology (ISST) will be a key stakeholder in KIOS, providing expertise on security of cyber-physical systems, and Professor Chris Hankin, the Institute’s Director, is a co-investigator within the project.

High-profile event

KIOS was launched in Cyprus last week with an event attended by the President of Cyprus, Imperial College’s Vice President David Gann, Professor Chris Hankin, and Professor Nick Jennings, Vice Provost (Research).

Professor Chris Hankin said: “KIOS is an important addition to our growing international network of partners who are addressing the cyber-security and resilience of critical national infrastructure. The new partnership will benefit from and further advance ISST’s leadership of the UK’s Research Institute into Trustworthy Industrial Control Systems.”

Security of cyber-physical systems

Cyber-security of critical infrastructure is fast becoming a global issue demanding global collaboration. Increased connectivity of systems and sophistication of attackers means that infrastructure is more and more vulnerable. 

The Institute for Security Science and Technology is a hub of security research with expertise in cyber-physical security. The international partnerships and projects at the ISST have helped to raise the profile of security research for infrastructure at Imperial College, and at the level of UK Government.

The new KIOS partnership is the latest international collaboration in infrastructure security. Other notable collaborations include the MOU between the ISST and Singapore University of Technology and Design together with the iTrust project, which is ensuring security-by-design in industrial control systems, led by Dr Deeph Chana, ISST Deputy Director.

Beneficial partnership

Access to the KIOS testbed facilities will inform and strengthen our research into novel mitigations against the very real cyber threat to critical national infrastructure.

Beyond this, the partnership will provide access to excellent students and postdoctoral researchers.

The €15 million project is funded through the Horizon 2020 Widespread-2016-2017 programme. When in-kind support from the College and co-funding from the Cypriot Government, the University of Cyprus and local and international industries is taken into account the project’s budget rises to over €40 million.