Royal Holloway, University of London is one of three leading academic institutions collaborating on a new research initiative focused on cyber security for critical national infrastructures, including information technology, public transit, and financial services. University leaders signed the three-nation agreement in a ceremony at the sixth International Cyber security Symposium in Japan.

Signing the three-nation agreement in a ceremony at the sixth International Cyber security Symposium in Japan. Photo courtesy of Karl V. Steiner.

UMBC, Keio Research Institute (KRIS) in Japan, and Royal Holloway will partner to investigate the use of common system simulation tools for modeling critical national infrastructure. This partnership is part of a broader international collaboration, the International Cyber security Center of Excellence (INCS-COE). It will also involve Hitachi, an international operator in power systems, telecommunication, railways, and other core infrastructure areas.

Working with a common toolset will enable mixed nationality teams to run simulations together. This will help cyber security experts learn how to more effectively address human factors, including cultural differences, in predicting how attacks and responses to those attacks might play out across different geographies.

“We are excited to participate in this new research collaboration with our colleagues in Japan and the UK to help us better understand and address some of the key cyber security challenges that our nations face from increasingly aggressive international adversaries,” says Anupam Joshi, director of UMBC’s Center for Cyber security.

The partners in this research see the modeling of system security as increasingly vital for industry and government, for both training purposes and vulnerability analysis.

“This initiative creates many future opportunities including, for example, the opportunity to address the impact on critical national infrastructure security of the exponential growth of the internet of things, and for potential exchanges of expert staff and students,” explains Professor Keith Mayes, Head of the Information Security Group (ISG) at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Dr Karl V Steiner shares Keith Mayes’s excitement about expanding opportunities for both established and emerging researchers in this growing field. Thanks to leading academic programs in cyber security, the bwtech@UMBC Cyber Incubator, and UMBC’s internationally-known Center for Cyber security, he says, “UMBC is uniquely positioned in Maryland to become a major global force for research in cyber security.”

“This partnership,” concludes Steiner, “builds important connections to move this essential work forward.”

Pictured above:

Left to right:  Paul Madden CMG, British Ambassador to Japan; Keith Mayes, Head of the School of Mathematics and Information Security, Royal Holloway, University of London; Jun Murai, Dean and Professor, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University; Karl V. Steiner, Vice President for Research, UMBC; Akira Haseyama, President, Keio University; Satoru Tezuka, Director, Cyber Security Research Center, Keio University.