A total of 8 meetings of the CYRIS Cybersecurity Research and Innovation Group have already taken place
The third meeting of the Platform for Research and Development in Cyber and Information Security took place in Prague
On 31 March 2022, the National Office for Cyber and Information Security, in cooperation with the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TA CR), organised the third meeting of the Platform for Research and Development in Cyber and Information Security. The topic of the meeting was to strengthen the possibilities of cooperation in the field of research and development in cyber and information security at the national and international level. The Platform brings together representatives of the public, academic and private sectors - the meeting was attended by representatives of the Technology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, the Ministry of the Interior, NAKIT, CESNET and universities (MU, BUT, VŠB-TUO, ČVUT).
The participants were welcomed by Jaroslav Šmíd, Deputy Director of NÚKIB, and Petr Konvalinka, Chairman of TA ČR. Representatives of NUCIB subsequently presented new developments in the field of national research and development, for example, in connection with the new National Plan of Research and Development in the field of cyber and information security and the building of the National Coordination Centre. The presentations of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, TA CR and the Technology Centre of the CAS presented the possibilities of financial support in the field of cyber security from national and EU programmes. Last but not least, the AFCEA representative spoke about the importance of cooperation and the possibilities to strengthen it.
The meeting also included a debate on the topic of public support and coordination of its provision in cybersecurity research and development. Furthermore, the role of the Platform in the framework of the emerging National Coordination Centre was discussed.
Participants agreed on the importance of sharing information regarding opportunities to participate in national and European programmes in the field of cybersecurity, as well as to continue cooperation in this area.
V Ostravě se uskutečnilo čtvrté setkání Platformy k výzkumu a vývoji v kybernetické a informační bezpečnosti
On 22 June 2022, the National Office for Cyber and Information Security, in cooperation with the Technical University of Ostrava (VŠB-TUO), organised the fourth meeting of the Platform for Research and Development in Cyber and Information Security. The Platform brings together public, academic and private sector institutions that are actively engaged in research and development in the field of cyber and information security. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of the Interior, the Police Presidium of the Czech Republic, the Technology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, AFCEA, CESNET and universities (MU, VUT, UO). During the meeting, topics related to current and future trends in research and development in cyber and information security were discussed.
The participants were welcomed by the Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics prof. Ing. Jan Platoš, Ph.D. and Director of the Department of Education, Research and Projects Mgr. Luboš Fendrych, who emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation in the field of cybernetic and information research and development. During the morning session, the NCIS presented individual measures that are part of the currently approved National Cyber and Information Security Research and Development Plan, which was prepared with the participation of the Czech cyber research and development community. The members of the Platform were also briefed by the NCIS on the current developments related to the establishment of the European Competence Centre and the National Coordination Centre for Cyber Security R&D. Experts from VŠB-TUO presented the thematic focus of teaching, publications and research at the university, including specific research projects on which they have collaborated with partners both nationally and internationally.
In the afternoon part of the programme there was a workshop on the NESPOQ project and a professional excursion to the national supercomputing centre IT4Innovations, which is part of VŠB-TUO. During the excursion, participants were introduced to the functioning and use of supercomputers, including how to secure them and a demonstration of computing time allocation.
Members of the Platform for Research and Development in Cyber and Information Security met in Brno
On 5 October 2022, the National Office for Cyber and Information Security, in cooperation with Masaryk University (MUNI), organized the fifth meeting of the members of the Platform for Research and Development in Cyber and Information Security, which brings together representatives from the public, academic and private sectors in the field of research and development in cyber and information security. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Academy of Sciences and the Technology Centre of the CAS, AFCEA, CESNET, CISCO, GreyCortex, Progress Software and universities (MUNI, Brno University of Technology, University of Economics in Prague and University of Mines - Technical University Ostrava).
At the beginning, the participants were welcomed by the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Informatics of MUNI Václav Matyáš and the Deputy Head of the Information Security Section of NÚKIB Martin Smrčka, who emphasized the need to strengthen mutual awareness and cooperation in the field of research and development of cyber and information security. The morning part of the programme was devoted to lectures focused on modern research in the field of security and cryptography at MUNI, where experts presented research activities of several professional departments. The topic was also the NUCIB's view and approach to quantum key distribution.
In the afternoon, the NÚKIB staff presented the current development of the European Competence Centre and the related National Coordination Centre for Research and Development in Cyber Security in the Czech Republic. The lecture was followed by a presentation on a new type of malware imaging and its classification, presented by a representative of the University of Mining and Metallurgy - Technical University of Ostrava. The final lecture presented the activities of the Cybersecurity Hub, a European digital innovation hub for cybersecurity, and demonstrated the unique KYPO Cyber Range Platform environment.
Experts discuss current cybersecurity challenges in research and development
On 20 June, the National Cyber and Information Security Bureau held the sixth meeting of the Platform for Research and Development in Cyber and Information Security in Prague. The event was co-organised by the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, in whose building the event was held. The Platform was attended by representatives of the public and private sectors, as well as academia. The main objective of the event is to raise awareness of the topics discussed and to deepen cooperation between actors from the private, public and academic spheres that are actively engaged in research and development in cybersecurity, as well as to seek further opportunities for collaboration.
Tomas Krejci, Deputy Director of the NÚKIB, opened the Platform by saying, "NÚKIB plays an active role in cyber R&D at the national and international level. In this context, we can mention, for example, the implementation of the tasks of the National Cyber and Information Security Research and Development Plan, the establishment of the National Cyber Security Research and Development Coordination Centre (NCC-CZ) and cooperation with national and European partners in this field." Together with Deputy Minister Krejčí, the event was opened by Michael Prouza, Director of the Institute of Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. In this context, Deputy Minister Krejčí said that he sees the Academy of Sciences as an important partner of the NÚKIB and thanked them for providing the venue for the event.
During the morning programme, a series of lectures were held, mainly by NUCIB experts, the first of which was given by Luboš Fendrych, Head of the Research, Science and Innovation Department, whose team organised the event. In his lecture, he presented the activities of the European Competence Centre and the NCC with an emphasis on the current funding opportunities in the Digital Europe programme and the upcoming activities within two projects for which the NCC has received European funding. Other speakers from the NKIB were Milan Kříž, who spoke about compromising radiation, Jan Zdrha, who discussed Polygon Operational Technologies, and Bohuslav Rudolf, who introduced the audience to the topic of the transition of quantum-resistant cryptography. Online input was also given by the cyber attaché for Israel, Robert Kahofer, who outlined the possibilities for expanding Czech cybersecurity research abroad. In addition to the experts from NÚKIB, the event featured presentations by Josef Vojtěch from CESNET on quantum cryptography, Lenka Švejcarová from the Technology Centre Prague, Zbyněk Růžička from the Czech Technology Agency and Michaela Ceklová from the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, who discussed current opportunities for funding research and development under national and European programmes.
The afternoon programme was filled with four roundtables focusing on current topics in the field of research and development in cyber security, namely quantum technologies, compromising radiation, ensuring cyber security of control systems and increasing the security of network devices, where participants from different sectors exchanged their experiences, established mutual contacts and discussed opportunities for further cooperation. During the event, the visitors could also discuss the European NIS2 Directive with colleagues Daniela Procházková and Vladena Sasková from the Regulatory Department of the NÚKIB.
Experts discussed current challenges in the field of cyber security in Brno
On Wednesday 15 November 2023, the National Cyber and Information Security Bureau (NCISB) held the seventh meeting of the Platform for Research and Development in Cyber and Information Security (hereinafter referred to as the Platform) in Brno. The meeting was held at the headquarters of the CyberSecurity Hub, a co-organizer of the event. Among the participants were not only representatives of the state and private sector, but also academia. The event has long offered a prime space for discussion and networking among the diverse actors involved in cybersecurity.
The platform was opened by Pavel Štěpáník, Deputy Director of the National Cyber Security Institute, who spoke about the complexity of cybersecurity issues. It is a multidisciplinary issue that requires adequate involvement across the public, academic and private spheres."
During the morning session, Roman Čermák, Director of the CyberSecurity Hub, presented the activities of the CyberSecurity Hub and the Cyber Campus CZ to the audience in the CERIT Science Park II, where his organization is located. He was followed by Nikola Chvátalová from the Department of Science, Research and Innovation of NUCIB, who presented the activities of the European Competence Centre and the National Coordination Centre for Research and Development in the field of cyber security. No less interesting was the contribution of Lenka Škrábalová, Head of the Digital Economy and Society Division of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The morning session was closed by an online input of Alena Turoňová from the Multilateral Cooperation Department II of the NCSIC on the current EU developments in the field of cyber security and the role of the NCSIC in Brussels.
The afternoon programme featured three panel discussions moderated by representatives of the NUCIB, where experts from the private sector, public administration and academia discussed together. The first of these focused on the role of the state in the strategic framework and support for research and development in the field of cyber security. The latter not only provided an overview of the process of shaping national strategies for R&D in cyber and information security, but also allowed community members to present and discuss their positions and perceptions of the future direction of the state and its priorities in this area. In the second discussion on the transition to quantum-resistant cryptography, topics such as the reality of the quantum threat and differing predictions were discussed. Strategic projects in the area of building quantum communications infrastructure were also discussed. The afternoon session then concluded with a discussion on training and exercises in the field of cyber and information security. It addressed innovative approaches to training in this area, the topic of the European Qualifications Framework and the issue of measuring the success of training activities.
The members of the Platform welcomed representatives of the University of Pardubice, Tomas Bata University in Zlín and the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. The national research community has also expanded to include the private sector, with the First Certification Authority and Tropic Square also attending the meeting. Newcomers are also welcome to attend future Platform meetings and can contact NCRIB at vyzkum@nukib.cz.
Experts on research and development in cyber and information security met at CIIRC, CTU in Prague
On 11 June 2024, the National Office for Cyber and Information Security (NCIS), in cooperation with the National Cyber and Information Security Research and Development Platform (NCISRP), organized the ninth meeting of the members of the Platform for Cyber and Information Security Research and Development, which brings together representatives from the public, academic and private sectors in the field of cyber and information security research and development. The meeting took place at the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC) of CTU in Prague.
At the beginning, the participants were welcomed by the Vice-Rector of CTU Veronika Kramaříková and the Advisor to the Director of the CIIRC Jaroslav Šmíd, who emphasized the importance of intersectoral cooperation for strengthening the competitiveness of Czech research, as well as the role of CTU among the stable partners of the CIIRC in this field. The first part of the programme was devoted to lectures focused on the activities of the European Competence Centre and the National Coordination Centre for Research and Development in Cyber Security. Furthermore, the current call for project proposals of the National Coordination Centre entitled "CyberResilience Boost: Supporting resilience against cyber threats" was presented. The panel discussion concluding the first part of the meeting was on the topic of Supporting Research Cooperation and the Use of Innovation Accelerators - the panellists were Tereza Šamanová (CyberSecurity Hub), Ondřej Vodička (MoD), Petr Schwarz (Phonexia) and Jana Bašistová (NÚKIB).
Other topics of the presentations included the current challenges within the Digital Europe programme, which were discussed by Martin Podařil from the Ministry of Industry and Trade; innovations and developments in the field of publicly regulated services or innovative activities of NATO and the EU, which were presented by Ondřej Vodička from the Ministry of Defence. In the afternoon part, the panelists - Lucie Schaffelhoferová (MIT, Jan Kleindienst (MAMA.AI), Petr Kuchtík (NÚKIB) - debated the impact of legislation on the competitiveness and innovativeness of AI research and development, the discussion was moderated by Filip Hartmann from prg.ai. The current state of the field of conversational artificial intelligence and CIIRC research projects was presented by Jan Šedivý from CIIRC CTU, an expert on language models and AI. At the end of the meeting, Václav Stupka (MUNI) presented the current outputs of the European project REWIRE aimed at creating training courses according to the European Cybersecurity Skills framework.
The last meeting of the Platform for Research and Development in Cyber and Information Security was held in cooperation with the South Moravian Innovation Centre. The community will continue to act only under the brand CYRIS!
On Tuesday, 26 November 2024, the National Office for Cyber and Information Security (NCIS), in cooperation with the South Moravian Innovation Centre (JIC), organised the ninth meeting of the Platform for Research and Development in Cyber and Information Security, which is also the last one bearing this name. One of the highlights of the agenda was the unveiling of the new face of this community, which from next year will meet under the name of the Cyber Research and Innovations in Security (CYRIS) group. The group brings together representatives from the public, academic and private sectors in cyber and information security research, development and innovation. The meeting took place at the South Moravian Innovation Centre in Brno.
The participants were welcomed by David Uhlíř, JIC Regional Innovation Strategy Manager, and Pavel Štěpáník, Deputy Director of NUCIB. During the morning part of the meeting, the participants could hear about the support for innovative startups in cybersecurity from Monika Vrbková (JIC) or about the current calls in the Digital Europe Programme (DEP), including recommendations for preparing an application from Florina Munteanu (ECCC), which was preceded by a presentation of the results of the first call of the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre. The afternoon business session offered inspiring stories from practice - from implementing cyber measures to turning academic research into a successful business. A panel discussion focused on the sustainability of R&D results and the challenges involved. The event concluded with a 120-second familiarisation activity that encouraged sharing of experiences, collaboration and further development of the national cyber community.
