“integrated software toolbox for secure IoT-to-Cloud computing” (INTACT)

Informations projet

INTACT

N° de convention de subvention: 101168438

DOI

10.3030/101168438

Date de signature de la CE 15 Juillet 2024

Date de début 1 Octobre 2024

Date de fin 30 Septembre 2027

Financé au titre de

• Civil Security for Society

Coût total

€ 7 080 270,00

Contribution de l’UE

€ 5 644 566,75

Coordonné par

INNOVATION COMMERCIAL PATHWAYS CLG
Ireland

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - INTACT (“integrated software toolbox for secure IoT-to-Cloud computing” (INTACT))

Période du rapport: 2024-10-01 au 2026-03-31

Résumé du contexte et des objectifs généraux du projet

The aim of the INTACT "Integrated software toolbox for secure IoT-to-Cloud computing" project is to develop an Integrated Software Toolbox that will offer predictive cybersecurity sensing, threat detection and response optimisation, and management services for the distributed IoT-to-Cloud continuum. The intention is for this toolbox to continuously maximise the continuum’s infrastructure security and data privacy with minimal effect on its computing capacity, energy consumption, monetary costs, etc., which are necessary considerations that organisations such as businesses need to account for. To do so, Digital Twinning tools will replicate the continuum as virtual (isolated) data spaces, such that threat intelligence tools can stress-test the attack surface of these data spaces and predict optimal risk mitigation measures accurately and safely (i.e. pre-emptively protecting the system in question) without affecting a real system's operation. Such measures will need to be subject to certain computing, energy, etc., thresholds set by the end-user.

The scalability and interoperability of services and data will be achieved via the use of open standards and APIs, while AI Automation will be embedded in all toolbox processes. Identity and access management will be advanced over a zero-trust distributed computing pipeline covering all hardware-, system-, and application-level security.

An initial Laboratory-based test bed with mature DevSecOps and ML/Data-Ops stemming from previous EU Actions will lead our development roadmap before embarking on the deployment of INTACT products to 4x + 1 Pilot Use Cases (PUCs). The PUCs aim to lead the developed products to reach a final TRL7 when considering the operational deployments, which will be validated over 1st and 2nd Stage Demos. These PUCs cover situations related to Telcos, Health 4.0 Transportation, Safety-critical Nuclear Infrastructures, and Smart Cities (i.e. cross-vertical supply-chain assessments).

The impact of the project will not only lead to enhanced safeguarding of the EU's position in data security, economy, and applications verticals, but will also allow greater energy efficiency and a reduced CO2 footprint when incorporating cybersecurity measures into the cloud and associated devices. Sustainability and industry acceptance will be achieved via open source ecosystems, standardisation involvement, and a dedicated portal (the INTACT Open Science Portal) for linking our data spaces to EU Data Spaces (GAIA-X, IDSA, etc.) and our innovations to EU Bodies related to cybersecurity, AI, IoT, and robotics.

Travail effectué depuis le début du projet jusqu’à la fin de la période considérée dans le rapport et principaux résultats atteints jusqu’à présent

During the first reporting period (M1–M18), the INTACT project successfully advanced its core technical and scientific foundations toward delivering an Integrated Software Toolbox for secure IoT-to-Cloud computing. In WP2, the consortium successfully established the system requirements, reference architecture, and developments roadmap, aligning the technical framework with use case scenarios, KPIs, and business models. The specification of DevSecOps and ML/Data-Ops methods was finalized and the lab-based programming testbed was deployed to serve as the initial experimental playground. Significant progress was made in designing integrated models and mechanisms for predictive cybersecurity services. This includes establishing unified security-vs-computing KPIs and heterogeneity sensing models, designing the predictive threat intelligence engine, developing automated threat analysis enginesand laying the groundwork for the AI-enabled attack-defence emulation mechanism. Parallel to this the toolbox infrastructure for resilient IoT-Cloud Twinning and management progressed by initiating the development of IoT-to-Cloud security replication and twinning tools, integrating zero-trust distributed computing tools for identity, privacy, and resilience, and designing explainable AI visualization assistance tools alongside the dashboard and security service repository selection. Finally, transition toward integration was kicked off, where partners successfully prepared the early stages of the TRL7 testbed environment, including initial tools unification and data integration, and initiated the planning and implementation frameworks for the planned Pilot Use Case (PUC) validation and demonstration scenarios.

Progrès au-delà de l’état des connaissances et impact potentiel prévu (y compris l’impact socio-économique et les conséquences sociétales plus larges du projet jusqu’à présent)

INTACT project goes beyond the state of the art turning cybersecurity-focused digital twins from isolated, domain-specific demonstrations into a modular, service-oriented and cross-domain framework for secure IoT-to-cloud systems. It addresses the lack of scalable and reusable methods by providing a domain-agnostic architecture where cybersecurity services can be selected, deployed, orchestrated and adapted to each use case. It turns digital twins into operational cybersecurity platforms capable of supporting secure design, attack emulation, threat detection, predictive analysis, decision support and adaptive response across IoT-to-cloud infrastructures. INTACT has established the architecture for an AI-enabled Integrated Software Toolbox for predictive cybersecurity across the IoT-to-Cloud continuum, alongside concrete early results: systematic vulnerability discovery (combinatorial testing of Bluetooth Low Energy devices revealed 19 vulnerabilities, including critical remote denial-of-service risks), automated testing methods extended to proprietary and post-quantum protocols, AI/LLM-driven monitoring and fuzzing tools, and a user-centric methodology for secure Digital Twin services in critical infrastructure. For further research, INTACT will validate the toolbox by integrating the Digital Twins into the pilot use cases and demonstrating across the automotive, healthcare, telecom, and safety-critical sectors