Security and Networked Systems

Institute of Computer Science — Department IV

The world of IT systems is a world of networked systems. Be it Artificial Intelligence for the preparation and processing of data from distributed sensors, e-commerce or the digitalization of state administrations: For almost all areas of digitalization, it is essential to enable the efficient and secure exchange of data and information.

One focus of Department IV “Security and Networked Systems” is the detection and analysis of attacks on IT systems. Particular attention is paid to the social acceptance of the solutions developed, e.g., through the use of pseudonymization and anonymization. The human factors of IT security are also being researched. The aim here is to better support people in the areas of development and administration. By means of sensor data and information fusion, heterogeneous, complementary information is brought together so that an improved picture and understanding of the underlying phenomena is achieved. One aim of the research is the development of application-oriented innovative systems for sensor data interpretation using machine learning methods. The focus is on information extraction using computer vision methods and audio signal processing.

Research Highlights

Distinguished Paper Award: SoK: I Have the (Developer) Power!

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To help researchers perform a priori power analysis in the area of IT security, we have carried out a systematization of knowledge to extract and condense required information.

To the publication

WACHMANN Investigates the Use of Smartphone Traces

The WACHMANN research project aims to add an "alarm system function" to Wi-Fi routers in private households, among other things. This allows mobile devices to be automatically detected by perpetrators and the tracks of intruders to be traced.

About the project

Eine Wissenschaftlerin und ein Wissenschaftler arbeiten hinter einer Glasfassade und mischen Chemikalien mit Großgeräten.

Distinguished Paper Award: Let’s Hash: Helping Developers with Password Security

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Software developers are rarely security experts and often struggle with security-related programming tasks. That's why we developed "Let's Hash", the programming aid for developers to easily create secure code for password authentication.

To the publication

Identeco Secures More Than 100 Million Accounts

The Bonn-based cybersecurity spin-off Identeco protects digital user accounts from fraudulent activities. Based on the research results of our department and founded in 2020, the company now protects more than 100 million user accounts against criminal takeovers.

Digital "Red Cross emblem" to Protect Against Attacks

Humanitarian protection and support for victims of war and armed violence — that is the aim of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The symbol of the Red Cross is intended to protect aid workers from attacks during their missions. Can this symbol also be used in the digital world? Our international team is researching protection for online resources.

Working Groups

Department IV "Security and Networked Systems" consists of several working groups under the direction of Prof. Dr. Michael Meier, Prof. Dr. Peter Martini, Prof. Dr. Mattew Smith, Prof. Dr. Frank Kurth, Priv.-Doz. Dr. Volker Steinhage, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Koch and Prof. Dr. Christoph Strelen.

Application-oriented research into efficient and secure data exchange is the focus of the working groups, whose close links with the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE and central players such as the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), the Federal Police or the Cyber and Information Space Command (KdoCIR) make this possible.

Open challenges to which the scientists in our department are dedicated are

Improving data confidentiality by investigating the opportunities and challenges of pseudonymization in distributed cooperative security monitoring.
Refining the ability to detect and prevent intrusion attempts through improved analysis and anomaly identification.
Ensuring software security through the timely detection of tampering with components of the software supply chain, taking into account the challenges and opportunities of using software from unknown sources.
Overcoming the challenges of systematic IT security awareness tests within companies while at the same time improving IT security understanding.
The automation and improvement of threat data to enable enhanced situational awareness and develop early warning systems that support automated self-defense.
Examining the benefits and challenges of using homomorphic encryption methods to protect data confidentiality and privacy.