The SCULI program has received £6.3m of funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to deliver cybersecurity at society scale.
The Securing Convergent Very Large Scale Infrastructure (SCULI) program is led by teams from Lancaster University, Bristol University and Oxford University.
The team will work with partners across industry and policy to implement large-scale cybersecurity measures across the UK.
Why is large-scale cybersecurity important for UK infrastructure?
The UK is the third most targeted country in the world for cyber-attacks, after the US and Ukraine, according to a House of Commons inquiry into the cyber resilience of the UK's critical national infrastructure.
From smart buildings to connected cities to critical infrastructure, the pace of change in digital technology is accelerating. Consequently, this also increases our dependence on them.
As dependence increases, so does the risk of cyber-attacks and large-scale infrastructure disruption.
About the SCULI program
The SCULI program brings together a unique combination of expertise to transform the way cybersecurity is delivered in a world with unprecedented connectivity.
Today, experts are building and testing cybersecurity approaches to components and systems on a small scale. These will be scaled up into infrastructure that will be deployed to serve citizens.
The SCULI program is focused on transforming the way we protect critical infrastructure, helping us understand large-scale problems and design solutions that work at scale.
This complexity cannot be removed and is accepted as part of the problem to be achieved through the design and testing of technological advances.
Professor Awais Rashid, Head of the Bristol Cyber Security Group and SCULI Program Leader, said: And it flows into the infrastructure of the real world. ”
Main developments of the project
Within the SCULI program, researchers are developing models that can dynamically represent cyber security in real time. The model introduces new metrics aimed at enhancing the decision-making process regarding cyber risks.
Additionally, the initiative explores innovative ways to harmonize and manage security provisions across various infrastructures. This includes devising strategies that accommodate both traditional and modern system elements.
The SCULI program is at the forefront of advancements in detection capabilities, enabling accurate and timely assessments of security within operational infrastructure. Such developments aim to ensure continuous monitoring and foster confidence in these systems.
The team has also created an incident response handbook specifically for very large infrastructure. These aim to optimize decision-making processes and strike the best balance between human intervention and automated response during cyberattacks.
Sadie Creese, Professor of Cybersecurity at the School of Computer Science at the University of Oxford, said: “As the UK faces unprecedented risks to critical services, the SCULI program promises an important and timely shift in the scientific approach to cybersecurity for large enterprises.” Infrastructure Scale Expand. ”
