The landscape of cyber threats and attackers is on the rise. This is why it is important to predict and pre-empt the security needs and demands of tomorrow, so that the solutions may be created today.
Singapore University of Technology and Design’s (SUTD) cyber security facility named iTrust, is at the forefront of that research and working to prepare the next generation for future cyber threats.
iTrust acts as a multidisciplinary research centre established collaboratively by SUTD and the Ministry of Defence, Singapore (MINDEF).
The researchers at the facilities focus on the development of advanced tools and methodologies to ensure security and safety of current and future cyber physical systems.
Systems of interest include large infrastructure of national importance (such as power grid, water treatment, oil refineries) as well as cyber-devices such as smart watches, pacemakers, defibrillators, insulin pumps, and VNS implants.
Current projects at iTrust are looking at:
- Cyber Physical System Protection- to improve the understanding of cyber threats to Cyber Physical System
- Network Engineering Techniques for Wireless Security- to establish a new model to secure wireless networks by developing network engineering techniques misusing basic physical channel properties and network configuration
- Advancing Security of Public Infrastructure using Resilience and Economics- to improve the security of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) that offer key services
- Advancing Security of Public Infrastructure using Resilience and Economics (Water)- an interdisciplinary project on the cyber security of large-scale, public infrastructures
- Research & Security Innovation Lab for IoT- to identify security risks of IoT and develop standards for secure architecture
- Cyber Security Patrol- coming up with solutions to combat attackers accessing wireless networks unobtrusively via a somewhat less expected attack vector (i.e. Drone or app on Android smartphone, the team has developed an app to send an alert when breaches occur
iTrust recently opened their doors to welcome Mr. Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information, into their labs earlier this week.
After being shown the work on the Cyber Security Patrol project, Minister Ibrahim posted on his Facebook, “Something to think about – the unsecured Wifi printer in your home or office is like the ‘fly on the wall’, which could be the entry point for cyber attackers to steal sensitive information and infiltrate your networks.”
iTrust is working with several private and public partners for funding and to help carry out research in their facilities.
