Information technology is omnipresent: at work, at home or on mobile applications. The Luxembourg banking sector for example needs to secure electronic transactions, comply with all the norms or security rules and the telecom industry must ensure safe mobile communications.

One of the major challenges in security research consists in developing protocols to replace physical actions by simple electronic actions - like electronic voting, auctions or signatures. The University of Luxembourg hosts the Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT) as well as the Computer Science and Communications research unit of the Faculty of Science, Technology and Communication. Both are in charge of research on security and reliability.

The primary mission of the Computer Science and Communications Research Unit (CSC) is to conduct fundamental and applied research in fields that range from the investigation of the theoretical foundations to the development of interdisciplinary applications. The unit is divided into four laboratories:  Communicative Systems, Intelligent and Adaptive Systems, Algorithmics, Cryptology and Security as well as Advanced Software Systems 
 

Accelerating secure ICT

Communication networks and software systems are becoming more and more interconnected as we expect to access services and applications anywhere and anytime. Vital infrastructures and societal functions depend on the security and reliability of these systems. The failure of a network or system can lead to severe financial consequences or even loss of lives. Scientific and technological advances are required to develop secure, reliable and trustworthy information and communication technology (ICT) systems and services.

The Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT) at the University of Luxembourg targets research and PhD education in those important fields of ICT. The interdisciplinary approach is essential, taking not only technical aspects into account but also addressing business, human and regulatory issues.

SnT launched a partnership programme where key partners commit know-how and resources to build the research centre.  Along with a large number of cooperating companies, research institutes and universities like the European Space Agency, SES Astra, France Telecom, the University of California Los Angeles or the HPI Potsdam (Hasso Plattner Institute Potsdam, Germany) and the Royal Institute
of Technology in Sweden, the SnT is contributing to create scientific insight and knowledge.

Current research domains the SnT is working on include

• Satellite Systems
• Trust in Computer Security and Cyber Crime Prevention
• Vehicular Networks 
• Sensor Fusion for Time of Flight 3D Cameras
• Secure, Reliable and Trustworthy Voting Systems  
• Safer Internet
• Green-IT

Picture: © BOSHUA