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Center for Digital Safety & Security
The security technologies of the future are developed at the Center for Digital Safety & Security: In addition to innovative encryption methods, blockchain procedures and tools for disaster control, market-ready quantum technologies are also being worked on.
More than 200 experts at the Center for Digital Safety & Security are working on state-of-the-art information and communication technologies to build and use our systems in a highly secure and reliable manner in the context of the comprehensive digitisation and global networking of the future.
Strong focus on data protection and privacy The protection of data and privacy are not only essential for a modern society, they also constitute an essential
core competence of the AIT research services. The Center thus contributes to creating a fundamental basis of trust for cultural, social and economic development. With its expertise in the development of methods, architectures and technologies, the Center for Digital Safety & Security makes an important contribution to the fundamental consideration and integration of the highest possible protection of data in technical solutions through privacy by design approaches. State-of-the-art cryptographic methods (post quantum encryption) Over the past decade, AIT has acquired an excellent international reputation as a specialist in quantum technologies and as a coordinator of major European projects. A case in point: in the spring of 2020, Magnus Brunner, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK) signed the "European Quantum Communication Infrastructure Initiative" ("EuroQCI Declaration") in Brussels. In this initiative, 24 EU member states affirm their intention to establish a European cyber-protection shield based on a quantum communication infrastructure within the next 10 years. Under the title "Open European Quantum Key Distribution Testbed" (OPENQKD), AIT has been leading the first European pilot project within the EuroQCI initiative already since September 2019, which deals with realising a secure and interconnected Europe by means of quantum encryption. At the same time, AIT is an international leader in the development of "Quantum Computer Safe" technologies – i.e. encryption methods that cannot be decrypted even after quantum computers are available. This competence comes into play in the "Quantum Flagship", for example: This programme is one of the EU initiatives, was launched in 2018 with a timefraAIT AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Helmut Leopold, Head of Center for Digital Safety & Security
me of 10 years and a funding volume of 1 billion euros and is intended e.g. to promote the development of a competitive European quantum technology industry and the establishment of Europe as a dynamic and attractive region for quantum research. With its high-end expertise in encryption, quantum technology, and secure data storage (cloud/encryption), the AIT Center for Digital Safety and Security thus makes a significant contribution to the technological independence of Europe and Austria.
Artificial Intelligence @ AIT The key future field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is also becoming a reality on a wide variety of levels at AIT. Whether automated driving, robotics, Industry 4.0, energy, public safety, crisis and disaster management, cyber security or applications in industries such as banking, insurance and law, in the social, health or education sectors – the possible applications are many and varied. The Center for Digital Safety & Security has extensive core expertise in data science and AI and is working on the development of state-of-the-art AI-based services and solutions that manifest themselves in application areas such as monitoring (e.g. in the field of cyber security), where large amounts of data can be analyzed in real time and patterns and deviations can be detected. By using self-learning mo PROFILE AND HIGHLIGHTS dels, AI systems are also specifically suited for finding and extracting relevant information from large amounts of data (data mining) and the interpretation of identified, abstract patterns. The interpretation ability of AI systems is of central importance: Thus, complex, unstructured data from images, videos, audio and text files and sensor data can be analysed and interpreted. Perhaps the most important function of AI, however, concerns the interaction with its physical environment, e.g. with robots or with sensor technology for efficient control and navigation of highly automated systems in combination with human interaction (via gestures, speech, facial expressions) and the interaction of machines with each other in M2M constellations.
Digital solutions for monitoring and crisis and disaster management For AIT, safety and security is a concept that extends across many areas of life and the economy. The AIT core competencies include environmental protection – via environmental monitoring technologies for food, water or health applications – and the protection of critical infrastructures – via new tools for communication, information and interaction with the population in crises etc. The Center for Digital Safety & Security develops e.g. new technologies that enable the innovative and digitised involvement of the population in the event of a crisis. The direct communication of emergency services with the population and the mutual exchange of information are also greatly facilitated in this way. At the same time, AIT solution approaches also integrate rescue organisations, fire brigades and authorities. Hence, a future-proof, digital crisis and disaster management is created. An essential basis for this is the development of intelligent sensor technologies that make environmental, climate and surrounding area variables measurable, analysable and comprehensible in order to (automatically) derive suitable measures to improve safety, health, the environment or the climate. The "Internet of Things", whereby machines, devices and sensors automatically communicate with each other and exchange data, plays an essential role here.
