In an age where the vast majority of our lives is reflected online in one way or another, cybersecurity is a true necessity. With hackers getting smarter each day, we simply cannot stay idle and rely on our previously implemented security measures. This is why the European Union has recently decided to launch the SISSDEN project – a network designed to strengthen online safety of organizations and citizens across the whole continent. The team responsible for its coordination will come from the Polish NASK Research Institute.
SISSDEN, which stands for Secure Information Sharing Sensor Delivery Event Network, is a collaboration between numerous international companies and research institutions. With the philosophy of spreading awareness and knowledge, the project aims to inform national Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and internet providers about all discovered internet attacks, along with tools needed to diagnose infections. The data may also be used by law enforcement authorities in tracking cyber crime.
The aim of the SISSDEN project is to build awareness of cyber threats in Europe. We have developed a large, world-wide network of sensors that allow us to detect and identify new types of threats. The network operates on the principle of virtual servers located all over the world. They are ordinary, commercial machines that transmit traffic to our center, where it is subject to analysis. These servers do not provide any real services, they are only traps for criminals looking for victims. Thanks to them, we are able to observe very different types of attacks in all parts of the world – explains Dr. Adam Kozakiewicz, head of the Department of Network and Information Security Methods at NASK.
Such a virtual server, also known as a honeypot, registers connection attempts and analyses its specification in order to detect the source of a potential threat. The data gathered by SISSDEN’s network can then be used to compare similar occurrences in other parts of the works in order to differentiate between targeted attacks from ones which may affect the wider public.
Funded by the European Union, SISSDEN is a part of the Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, and has a budget of over 6 million Euro. The Polish NASK Research Institute functions as its consortium coordinate, and is responsible for the analytical work carried out within the project. The institute has also been tasked with the construction of SISSDEN’s central infrastructure.
For more information about SISSDEN and their work, make sure to check out their website.
