Two Luxembourg institutions have joined the new €7.8 million EU project bIoTope, focused on the standardisation and security of data being collected in the Internet of Things (IoT).

Currently, these data are allowed to flow largely unprotected between the various nodes of the Internet, and even between service providers in the IoT, whilst standardisation of the data streams remains distinctly lacking, limiting the interaction between various IoT services.

As a result, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT) of the University of Luxembourg and the company itrust consulting have joined 19 other project partners to tackle these aspects through the new project. bIoTope, which recently held its kick-off meeting in Helsinki, is receiving more than €7.8m in funding from the European Commission.

"While in the USA IT giants like Apple or Google are setting up their own IoT ecosystems, Europe's many smart and agile - yet comparably smaller - companies need to cooperate through open IoT ecosystems," commented Dr. Sylvain Kubler of the SnT. By providing a new method framework, companies will gain a basis for developing reliable and standardised products for the IoT.

"It will be a major challenge to specify the security protocols and implement cryptographic methods," added Dr. Carlo Harpes of itrust consulting, a Luxembourg SME specialising in Information Security Systems.

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a network of everyday physical objects such as devices, vehicles and buildings, with data streams of the Internet. For example, logistics companiese nowadays continuously track both real parcels and their virtual representations, whilst vehicles, smart homes and renewable energy generators have all or are all expected to make their way into the fray.

"The Internet of Things - and in particular the issue of data security within it - is a new sector that has a lot of potential and in which many players from Luxembourg are involved," continued Dr. Carlo Harpes. "We are convinced that closer collaboration between the research groups and industry from Luxembourg would produce very great benefits."

The second day of an industrial workshop hosted by the two Luxembourg institutions from 19 to 21 April 2016 was therefore centered around the topic, with Dr. Sylvain Kubler explaining: "A kit for IoT applications has to cope with the peculiarities of the IoT and give customers full end-to-end control over their data. Payment functionality in the IoT is yet another important aspect."

The two have been involved in collaborations for more than three years, which has involved the exchange of scientific and personal knowledge. Their shared objectives are mutual learning and a common search for new projects.

 

Photo by bIoTope