Cyber Security and Privacy Research Group

The Cyber Security & Privacy Group conducts research in the design and analysis of systems to increase the security of information and communications and further preserve the privacy of the users of these systems. 

Secure Building Blocks: The fundamental research carried out in the group provides the underlying building blocks of secure systems through the design of provably-secure cryptographic algorithms and protocols and privacy-enhancing technologies. Cryptographic schemes as well as the latest advances in data science and machine learning are then employed in the rigorous design of secure devices and emerging networks such as Internet of Things (IoT), robotics and autonomous systems, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and underwater networks and communications. 

Malware Analysis: The group develops approaches and methods for malware analysis and detection, including ransomware and spyware, malware targeting mobile platforms, industrial control systems, and critical infrastructure. The group also works on devising automated solutions for coping with malware-driven threats. This includes the development of appropriate techniques and methods to automatically learn models and patterns behind malware evolution, and thus to devise technologies for keeping pace with the speed of novel malware variations.

Human Factors: Software and systems can only provide security and privacy if they can be effectively used by humans, so the group conducts research into the area of usable security and privacy and advances the understanding of the human factors in cyber security and privacy that in turn informs the design of software and systems.

The overarching aim of the Cyber Security and Privacy Group is to enhance the security and privacy of systems, software, and networks through advancing the state of the art in the fundamentals of security and privacy, designing practical systems, software, and networks that solve existing and future problems in the industry and society in general, and analysing and improving the security and privacy of existing systems.

Through developing fundamental cryptographic algorithms and network security protocols, the group’s research not only advances the state of the art in the field of cyber security and privacy, but also provides other research fields such as software systems, digital communications engineering, and cyber-physical systems with readily available building blocks to incorporate into their system, software, and network designs and achieve ‘security and privacy by design’.

With the ubiquity of data-intensive computation and networked devices, the group’s research into designing more secure and privacy-preserving protocols and systems benefits all the stakeholders in the existing and emerging digital and cyber-physical ecosystems, including the public and private sector service providers and corporate and individual users of these services. 

Through the analysis of malware the group is developing better understanding and designing detection and prevention methods for such undesirable software and as a result combat and limit the harms inflicted by such software. 

The group also conducts stress testing and analysis of existing systems and software to uncover any unintentional vulnerabilities present and propose better designs and mitigation measures. Through the responsible disclosure of discovered vulnerabilities to the stakeholders and proposing mitigation measures, the group makes the corporate and individual users of such software and systems safer in the long term. 

The group promotes and encourages innovation in theory, concepts and methods and applies these to solving real-world problems of cyber security, whilst stimulating discussion and engagement across academia, government, enterprise, defense and security agencies, media and the general public.

Finally, as a result of the design of practical systems that are secure and privacy-preserving by design, the group contributes to limiting the individual and societal harms that stem from the unwanted disclosure of confidential and private data.