University recognised for excellence in cyber security research

The internationally leading research activity at the University of Kent’s Cybersecurity centre has been recognised by GCHQ and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through the award of the title of  Academic Centre of Excellence for Cyber Security Research (ACEs-CSR). This recognition is in the first instance for a two year period from July 2015, and comes with funding for promotional and organisational activities.

The announcement was made by Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office with responsibility for Cyber Security.

The University’s Interdisciplinary Centre for Cyber Security Research was established in 2012 to focus and showcase research in this area. With the Security group in the School of Computing and the Intelligent Interactions group in the School of Engineering and Digital Arts as its technical core, it contains a wide range of technical and interdisciplinary activity in research, enterprise, teaching, and public engagement.

The vision of the ACEs-CSR scheme is that it will assist government and business to interact more effectively with the university sector both to gain insight into leading-edge university cyber security research and to help exploit it for the benefit of the UK. It is also hoped the scheme will provide researchers at universities with better understanding of the range of cyber security problems faced by government and business.

Eerke Boiten, director of the Cyber Security centre, said, ‘The Cyber Security centre has proved to be a successful breeding ground for collaboration in technical and cross-disciplinary research. Following significant successes, particularly in attracting research money and in public engagement, we are very pleased to receive this recognition.’

Gareth Howells, deputy director of the Centre and Reader in Secure Electronic Systems said, ‘This external recognition awarded to the University underlines both the breadth and quality of cyber security research undertaken within the institution and emphasises the ability of the University to contribute positively to an area of significant current concern to society as a whole.’

Other universities with ACE-SCR recognition include Oxford and Cambridge.