Periodic Reporting for period 2 - MariCybERA (ERA Chair in Maritime Cyber Security at Tallinn University of Technology)
Período documentado: 2022-07-01 hasta 2023-12-31
The European and international maritime industries face serious threats from cybercriminals. Shipping companies and ports have begun falling prey to computer viruses (AP Moller-Maersk in August 2017, COSCO Shipping Lines in July 2018, the ports of Barcelona and San Diego in September 2018, etc.) IT hackers are colluding with drug traffickers to import illegal drugs such as cocaine and heroin (Port of Amsterdam, 2011-2013), and shipping vessels have become vulnerable to GPS jamming and spoofing attacks (Black Sea in June 2017, Mediterranean Sea in August 2019). And these cyber security related incidents are just the tip of the iceberg as the majority go unreported in the maritime sector. A cyber-attack on cross-border critical infrastructures - such as ports, maritime authorities and maritime logistics, etc. –would have a crippling economic impact on maritime logistics and supply chains.
Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) is part of an Estonian ecosystem of cyber security and maritime actors –NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, several Estonian maritime associations, research institutes and private companies –with the collective know-how to tackle maritime cyber security threats. Estonia has first-hand experience of state-sponsored cyberwarfare (April 2007) and is renowned for its IT innovation (Skype, 2003), e-governance (e-Voting since 2005), e-residency (2014), and cyber savvy population (95% of income tax returns filed online).
To unite Estonia’s capabilities in a focused and integrated manner, TalTech will recruit an outstanding researcher and research coordinator to be the ERA Chair Holder (together with a team of experienced researchers) who will head a new, multidisciplinary Centre for Maritime Cyber Security at TalTech. Plus, a Research Administration Manager will be recruited to support TalTech’s Research Administration Office. Reflecting important structural change, the Centre for Maritime Cyber Security will be created by integrating research capabilities from TalTech’s Estonian Maritime Academy and TalTech’s Centre for Digital Forensics and Cyber Security. The The ERA Chair Holder will foster research excellence in two research focus areas:
• Technical Dimensions of Cybersecurity in Maritime Technology.
• Human Aspects of Maritime Cybersecurity
Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) is part of an Estonian ecosystem of cyber security and maritime actors –NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, several Estonian maritime associations, research institutes and private companies –with the collective know-how to tackle maritime cyber security threats. Estonia has first-hand experience of state-sponsored cyberwarfare (April 2007) and is renowned for its IT innovation (Skype, 2003), e-governance (e-Voting since 2005), e-residency (2014), and cyber savvy population (95% of income tax returns filed online).
To unite Estonia’s capabilities in a focused and integrated manner, TalTech will recruit an outstanding researcher and research coordinator to be the ERA Chair Holder (together with a team of experienced researchers) who will head a new, multidisciplinary Centre for Maritime Cyber Security at TalTech. Plus, a Research Administration Manager will be recruited to support TalTech’s Research Administration Office. Reflecting important structural change, the Centre for Maritime Cyber Security will be created by integrating research capabilities from TalTech’s Estonian Maritime Academy and TalTech’s Centre for Digital Forensics and Cyber Security. The The ERA Chair Holder will foster research excellence in two research focus areas:
• Technical Dimensions of Cybersecurity in Maritime Technology.
• Human Aspects of Maritime Cybersecurity
During the first and second period, the MariCybERA Chair team has facilitated the change through:
- Designing a strategy around the mission of creating a Centre for Maritime Cybersecurity at TalTech that will combine multidisciplinary research expertise in maritime and engineering, computer science and cybersecurity and aims to become an internationally recognized academic research centre supporting a secure, reliable, and sustainable maritime sector.
- Bringing closer EMERA and other faculties in Taltech by enabling multidisciplinary research at the Centre for Maritime Cybersecurity.
- Developing 2 research priority focus after an extensive set of contacts with industry:
1. Technical Dimensions of Cybersecurity in Maritime Technology.
2. Human Aspects of Maritime Cybersecurit.
These priorities enable the chair holder to address some of the most urgent needs of the industry in relation with maritime cybersecurity:
• The emergence of the MariCybERA has also resulted in a large set of international cooperation, with NTNU, French chair in maritime cybersecurity, Kokta maritime research centre in Finland, the university of Piraeus in Greece, etc., that is installing the regional and European visibility of the chair.
• The ERA Chair holder received an invitation by the European Council, in March 2022 to present the issues of maritime cybersecurity in preparation of the update of the European Maritime Security Strategy.
The first year of activity of MariCybERA has therefore settled the milestones that will be leveraged for implementing the strategy developed by the project team.
Sustainability of the research and activities under the umbrella of the MariCybERA projects is essential. During the reporting period the project team has developed a strategy targeting the long-term sustainability of the center. It has also implemented several activities toward the sustainability:
o Working toward developing a diverse team to support the long-term activities of the chair. We identified four categories of team members:
Academics or researcher already with positions in TalTech or other institution that are working closely with the chair
Post-doc and mid-career researchers
PhD students
Research Managers
o Ensuring financial sustainability through developing project proposals for different funding agencies. During the reporting periods the project team has submitted 23 proposals with 6 being funded 2 still under review.
o Improving the institutional sustainability inside TalTech through installing MariCybERA as an important research excellence and educational component of the university with visible publications and launching some postgraduate training initiatives.
Supervised (and published) 8 MSc theses, of which the majority are related to cybersecurity in the transportation sector.
During the 1st reporting period, academic and industrial networks with more than 30 Estonian and European partners have been established for teaching and/or research activities.
MariCybERA project team has produced news articles that were circulated in an electronic format to different stakeholders and uploaded to the official project webpage maricybERA.taltech.ee also, shared on our social media channels. All articles published illustrated the team members, project goals, achievements reached, as well as activities, such as meeting with stakeholders, open positions and strategic planning. In addition to the series of articles we have produces overview of our activities on our social media platforms:
LinkedIN https://www.linkedin.com/company/maricybera/
Twitter https://twitter.com/cyb_era
- Designing a strategy around the mission of creating a Centre for Maritime Cybersecurity at TalTech that will combine multidisciplinary research expertise in maritime and engineering, computer science and cybersecurity and aims to become an internationally recognized academic research centre supporting a secure, reliable, and sustainable maritime sector.
- Bringing closer EMERA and other faculties in Taltech by enabling multidisciplinary research at the Centre for Maritime Cybersecurity.
- Developing 2 research priority focus after an extensive set of contacts with industry:
1. Technical Dimensions of Cybersecurity in Maritime Technology.
2. Human Aspects of Maritime Cybersecurit.
These priorities enable the chair holder to address some of the most urgent needs of the industry in relation with maritime cybersecurity:
• The emergence of the MariCybERA has also resulted in a large set of international cooperation, with NTNU, French chair in maritime cybersecurity, Kokta maritime research centre in Finland, the university of Piraeus in Greece, etc., that is installing the regional and European visibility of the chair.
• The ERA Chair holder received an invitation by the European Council, in March 2022 to present the issues of maritime cybersecurity in preparation of the update of the European Maritime Security Strategy.
The first year of activity of MariCybERA has therefore settled the milestones that will be leveraged for implementing the strategy developed by the project team.
Sustainability of the research and activities under the umbrella of the MariCybERA projects is essential. During the reporting period the project team has developed a strategy targeting the long-term sustainability of the center. It has also implemented several activities toward the sustainability:
o Working toward developing a diverse team to support the long-term activities of the chair. We identified four categories of team members:
Academics or researcher already with positions in TalTech or other institution that are working closely with the chair
Post-doc and mid-career researchers
PhD students
Research Managers
o Ensuring financial sustainability through developing project proposals for different funding agencies. During the reporting periods the project team has submitted 23 proposals with 6 being funded 2 still under review.
o Improving the institutional sustainability inside TalTech through installing MariCybERA as an important research excellence and educational component of the university with visible publications and launching some postgraduate training initiatives.
Supervised (and published) 8 MSc theses, of which the majority are related to cybersecurity in the transportation sector.
During the 1st reporting period, academic and industrial networks with more than 30 Estonian and European partners have been established for teaching and/or research activities.
MariCybERA project team has produced news articles that were circulated in an electronic format to different stakeholders and uploaded to the official project webpage maricybERA.taltech.ee also, shared on our social media channels. All articles published illustrated the team members, project goals, achievements reached, as well as activities, such as meeting with stakeholders, open positions and strategic planning. In addition to the series of articles we have produces overview of our activities on our social media platforms:
LinkedIN https://www.linkedin.com/company/maricybera/
Twitter https://twitter.com/cyb_era
Main goal is to develop a sustainable long-term collaboration network with different sectors both in Estonia and internationally.
The center aims to become a sustainable center. Therefore we need to diversify our funding. In addition to the project plan, we are planning to target most of the bigger funding calls related to the topic, also develop graduate school and find additional funding for it.
The key targets for 2024-2025 include the following:
• The defense of 2 doctoral theses:
• The recruitment of 4+ PhD students. Number depends on received funding.
• At least 5 ETIS 1.1. publications (in Q1, Q2 journals)
• At least 1 ETIS 2.1. publication - Research Monography “Maritime Cybersecurity: Technical and Human Aspects” (Springer)
• At least 5 ETIS 3.1. publications (WoS, Scopus, IEEE)
The expected impact of MariCybERA project includes:
- Increased participation in the EU Research and Innovation Framework Programme projects;
- Increased coordination of the EU Research and Innovation Framework Programme projects;
- Strenghtened and wider academic and industrial networks accross Europe to support excellent research;
- Increased attractiveness for other researchers and PhD student;
- Increased visibility of the research in maritime cybersecurity;
- Effective collaboration with Estonian and European policymakers in the field of maritime cybersecurity;
- Increased engagement with academic, industrial, public stakeholders, and the public at large.
The center aims to become a sustainable center. Therefore we need to diversify our funding. In addition to the project plan, we are planning to target most of the bigger funding calls related to the topic, also develop graduate school and find additional funding for it.
The key targets for 2024-2025 include the following:
• The defense of 2 doctoral theses:
• The recruitment of 4+ PhD students. Number depends on received funding.
• At least 5 ETIS 1.1. publications (in Q1, Q2 journals)
• At least 1 ETIS 2.1. publication - Research Monography “Maritime Cybersecurity: Technical and Human Aspects” (Springer)
• At least 5 ETIS 3.1. publications (WoS, Scopus, IEEE)
The expected impact of MariCybERA project includes:
- Increased participation in the EU Research and Innovation Framework Programme projects;
- Increased coordination of the EU Research and Innovation Framework Programme projects;
- Strenghtened and wider academic and industrial networks accross Europe to support excellent research;
- Increased attractiveness for other researchers and PhD student;
- Increased visibility of the research in maritime cybersecurity;
- Effective collaboration with Estonian and European policymakers in the field of maritime cybersecurity;
- Increased engagement with academic, industrial, public stakeholders, and the public at large.