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Software architectures for Secure, Private, User-Controlled Smart devices

Project description

Improving personal devices’ security

As smart devices become increasingly common, the EU has expressed concerns about non-EU vendors exerting excessive control over personal data, potentially limiting personal freedoms. To address these concerns, the MSCA-funded SPUCS project is dedicated to developing novel privacy-preserving structures for personal devices that can curtail vendor control. These will empower users to maintain their preferred operating systems and applications in a secure and private manner. The project’s objectives encompass enhancing mobile device security by enabling multiple operating systems to operate securely and privately. Additionally, it intends to create secure methods for running individual applications independently of the operating system or vendor software. Finally, the project will focus on implementing an adoption strategy aimed at fostering a more secure and self-sovereign Europe.

Objective

People increasingly depend on their personal smart devices (smartphones, smart watches, voice assistants) to communicate, access information, transact, and perform critical functions. These devices overwhelmingly comprise proprietary software and hardware components made by a handful of non-EU vendors. These vendors have exceptional control over those devices, raising justified concerns over anti-competitive practices, massive data gathering, surveillance, denial of service, and consequently personal freedoms and democracy. Digital sovereignty has been identified as a key political priority for the EU. SPUCS: “software architectures for Secure, Private, and User-Controlled Smart devices” contributes novel privacy-preserving architectures, realizable on existing hardware, that limit the control of vendors on user devices towards a future of open, sovereign personal devices. While previous initiatives for open and privacy-preserving smart devices lacked in functionality and therefore in adoption, SPUCS introduces concepts and methods that enable users to continue using their preferred operating systems and applications in an isolated way, with increased privacy protection. Specifically, the project will contribute secure mechanisms to seamlessly run multiple mobile operating systems simultaneously on a mobile device with strong isolation and privacy guarantees – limiting vendors’ ability to collect and connect data. Furthermore, the project will develop methods for securely running individual applications (phone, messaging, banking) on an open platform without trusting the operating system or proprietary vendor software. Finally, the project will plan an adoption strategy that will boost the scientific and industrial impact of the results towards a secure and self-sovereign Europe. The project also fosters interdisciplinary two-way transfer of knowledge between the researcher and the host, as well as training of the researcher in advanced scientific techniques.

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01

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Coordinator

ATHENS UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS - RESEARCH CENTER
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 153 486,72
Address
KEFALLINIAS STREET 45
112 57 ATHINA
Greece

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Region
Αττική Aττική Κεντρικός Τομέας Αθηνών
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

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Partners (1)

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