Building International Cooperation for Trustworthy ICT

Partnerships

The BIC project has engaged with many projects/initiatives related to the intersection of International cooperation (INCO) and ICT Trust and Security. This section describes these projects/initiatives in some detail and describes the relationships forged with BIC.

B.BICE+

The Brazilian Bureau to Enhance the Bilateral Cooperation between Brazil and Europe (B.BICE+) project started in 2012. B.BICE+ aims to improve the bi-lateral cooperation and to support policy dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation among the European Commission, the EU Member States (MS), Associated Countries (AC) and Brazil. It is a successor project to both the B-BICE and APORTA projects. It also has a quarterly newsletter and a website and developed a Competency Map of the Brazilian Institutions created to help expand the knowledge of the Brazilian competencies in the EU. In the new phase of the project, it also has a work package for the relations between the EU and the Member States as well as enhancement of SME’s and enterprise participation in the new Horizon 2020 Programme.

Relationship with BIC: B.BICE+ took part in the launch of the BIC EWG in Brazil on 22nd October, 2013 and a conclusion drawn was that the B.BICE+ task force can become an important means for the BIC EWG Initiative. More information on B.BICE_ can be found in the report at http://www.bic-trust.eu/files/2013/10/BIC-Brazil-EWG-launch-WS-report.pdf.

BRASSCOM

Brazilian Association of Information Technology and Communications Companies (BRASSCOM) was established in 2004 and represents some of the most important and influential companies in the Brazilian ICT industry, and has over the past few years served as a link between the private and public sectors. Brasscom has played a leading role in the discussion of issues that are strategic to the Brazilian government, such as the change in social security taxation on payroll, promotion of the ICT sector internationally to help increase exports, expansion of broadband nationwide, job creation, and social inclusion. Brasscom organises many events throughout the year, related to many topics of relevance to ICT, including trust, privacy and security.

Relationship with BIC: Due to earlier Brazil – EU cooperation events in which he played a role, Jim Clarke was invited by Brasscom to attend the Brasil – European Union Dialogue conference on Digital Economy, Cloud computing, Security, Privacy and Data protection in Brasília during March 2013. Attendees included prominent government, industry and researchers from Brazil and the EU Commission presenting areas for cooperation including Digital economy, cloud computing, privacy and data protection. A significant amount of networking was possible and a large number of BIC flyers were distributed to the attendees. The BIC project was described to the delegates from both CNPQ and the European Commission and they said they would lend support to us in organising events for the SFI Brazil project during 2013 and beyond.

Further information can be found at http://www.brasscom.org.br/brasscom/Ingles/index.php

Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT)

CSIT based at Queens University Belfast is the UK’s Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC) for secure information technologies whose vision is to be a global innovation hub for cyber security.

CSIT has research groups developing novel technologies for the following key areas:
• Securing digital assets
• Securing digital devices
• Securing digital citizens

Relationship to BIC: CSIT host an annual Cyber Security Summit in Belfast (usually held middle of March) in a Davos style environment with research and government leaders participating from around the globe. WIT and other BIC IAG members have been actively involved in the annual summit and there is a possibility that after BIC concludes, this event could be used for continuing annual INCO events.

Further information can be found at http://www.csit.qub.ac.uk/.

Cyber Security and Privacy Forum (CSP Forum)

The CSP Forum is an initiative of the Coordination Action project Security & Trust Coordination & Enhanced Collaboration (SecCord) project, which is building on enhanced collaboration between Trust & Security Projects. The project carries out an analysis of Trust & Security Projects and holds CSP Forum cluster meetings and an annual conference bringing together the clusters. The CSP Forum also maintains a web portal repository for Trust & Security projects, including information on the clusters and conference events, catalogue for projects (past and present), and a searchable web repository for public deliverables.

Relationship with BIC: BIC has organised a number of sessions at the CSP Forum, in both CSP Forum 2012 (Berlin) and CSP Forum 2013 (Brussels). At the CSP Forum 2013/Trust in the Digital World conference, the BIC coordinator, Jim Clarke of WIT, co-organised a session with the Commission entitled Networking and Coordination cluster of CSAs in Trust and Security focusing on closer cooperation with the Coordination and Support Action and NoE projects, with a view to collaborating with the upcoming NIS platform. For more information on this session, see http://www.cspforum.eu/2013/programme/presentations-day-2 and a full report of the session can be found at http://www.cspforum.eu/uploads/CSP_Track14_Report.pdf.
In order to register your project & participate to CSP Forum, please go to https://www.cspforum.eu/

Digital Enlightenment Forum (DEF)

The Digital Enlightenment Forum Asbl (DEF) has been established in February 2011 in Luxembourg. DEF is a members-based, not-for-profit association with the objective to shed light on today’s rapid technological changes and their impact on society and its governance. It does so by stimulating debate and providing guidance, examining digital technologies and their application openly with essential societal values in mind.

DEF is unique in the sense that it brings together in workshops, a yearly Forum conference and a Yearbook, a community of high level experts from different disciplines (technology, law, social sciences, economy), and sectors (research, policy and industry) from across the globe to discuss the transformations in society that occur as a consequence of digitisation. It aims to link the longer term visions and trends with short term political and industrial decisions to ensure a flexible, sustainable and innovative society to evolve.

The 2013 edition of the annual event of the Digital Enlightenment Forum (DEF) took place from September 18 to 20, 2013 at Egmont Palace in Brussels on the theme “Personal data and citizenship in the digital society”. DEF 2013 focused on Personal Data and Citizenship in the Digital Society and includes, on September 20, a “Digital Futures Workshop” on the theme “The future of personal data and citizenship”, co-hosted by the Digital Enlightenment Forum and the Digital Futures Task Force of European Commission’s DG CONNECT.

Relationship to BIC: BIC members WIT and ENST are active members in DEF. While based in the EU, DEF is primarily an international grouping with eminent members from around the globe, and many members of DEF have actively participated to the BIC Working Groups due to their expertise in the related fields.

Further information can be found on http://www.digitalenlightenment.org/

DIMACS (US National Science Foundation Center)

DIMACS, the Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science, was founded in 1989 as a United States National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center. DIMACS catalyzes and conducts research and education in mathematical, computational, and statistical methods, algorithms, modelling, analysis, and applications. DIMACS is a joint collaboration coordinated by Rutgers University, New Jersey, United States of America. More information can be found at http://dimacs.rutgers.edu/.

Relationship with BIC: The DIMACS coordinator at Rutgers University, Prof. Rebecca Wright, has a long track record of collaborating with the INCO-Trust and BIC projects through an international coordination grant supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. CNS-1040356.  Fortunately, this NSF grant was able to provide mobility grants (travel only) for U.S. researchers to attend BIC events held in Europe. As a result, U.S. members of the BIC IAG and WGs have been able to attend the BIC events in Europe throughout the life of the project. In June, 2013, DIMACS co-joined with BIC in organising BIC’s TAFC 2013 workshop held in Malaga, Spain in conjunction with the 7th IFIP WG 11.11 International Conference on Trust Management. Full materials for the TAFC 2013 workshop including the slides, pre-workshop proceedings and final report can be found at http://www.bic-trust.eu/events/tafc2013/.

EuroAfrica-P8

Strengthening ICT Research and Policy Links under the 8th Strategic Partnership (EuroAfrica-P8), is an FP7 project funded by the European Commission (DG CONNECT) and spanning 24 months (2012-2013) with the aim of strengthening ICT research and policy links between Africa and Europe under the 8th Strategic Partnership (P8).

The project is defined in full continuity with and builds upon the substantial results obtained and the significant momentum created by several previous projects (2006+), designated – over the years – as ‘the EuroAfrica-ICT Initiative’.

Relationship with BIC: The EuroAfrica-P8 project has closely cooperated with the BIC project over the last two years and to maximise participation to both project’s events, some have been co-located; for example, in Lisbon, Portugal in November 2012 (BIC IAG Annual Forum 2012) and upcoming Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in December 2013 (BIC Africa EWG meeting). See proceedings of conference at http://euroafrica-ict.org/proceedings-2013-africa-eu-cooperation-forum-on-ict/. EuroAfrica-P8 participated to BIC’s June 2012 workshop on Cross domain coordination of International Cooperation (INCO). See http://www.bic-trust.eu/events/bic-workshop-on-the-cross-domain-coordination-of-international-cooperation-day-1-and-technical-themes-in-trustworthy-ict-and-inco-day-2/. They have also been instrumental in actively recruiting members for the BIC Extended Working Group of Africa – see http://www.bic-trust.eu/2013/12/02/bic-south-africa-ewg-dec2013/.

European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA)

ENISA is an EU agency whose main purpose is being a centre of expertise on network and information security as the EU’s response to cyber security issues of the European Union.

Relationship with BIC: By the very nature of their scope as the EU “cyber security” agency, whose brief is to achieve a high and effective level of Network and Information Security within the European Union, ENISA deals with international cooperation in relation to their activities. Thus, the BIC project has a strong relationship with ENISA. There has been the involvement of ENISA at most of the BIC open forum related events and, conversely, BIC partners have been involved in ENISA activities.

Further information can be found at http://www.enisa.europa.eu/.

EU-INdia Fostering COOPeration in Computing Systems (EUINCOOP)

The main aim of EUINCOOP project is to foster collaboration and cooperation in the computing technologies field between both Indian and European research organizations and industry to achieve better understanding and future cooperation addressing the following issues:
• Parallel and Concurrent Computing
• Heterogeneous Computing Systems
• Embedded System Applications
• Multicore Systems-on–Chip
• Virtualization
• Constraints and Performance Ceiling Factors.

Relationship with BIC: BIC partner, TU Darmstadt, was an Advisory Board member of this Coordination and Support Action (CSA) project that ran for 24 months from 1st October 2011 to 31st October 2013. This fruitful collaboration with another like-minded EU – India project involved cross-fertilization with existing European Commission funded international partners, where BIC was able to play an influential role in reaching a wider audience of Indian academics, industrial leaders and government organizations to advocate Trustworthy ICT and systems-area cooperation between Europe and India. BIC’s interaction with EUINCOOP has proved very useful in the EU-India community building, and the high level contacts that are helping promote the BIC Trustworthy ICT areas of co-operation in Government, Industry and Academia.

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) is an non-government, not-for-profit association of business organizations in India. Established in 1927, FICCI draws its membership from the corporate sector, both private and public, including SMEs and MNCs. The chamber has an indirect membership of over 2,50,000 companies from various regional chambers of commerce. It is involved in sector specific business policy consensus building, and business promotion and networking. It is headquartered in the national capital New Delhi and has presence in 11 states in India and 8 countries across the world.

Relationship with BIC: In 2012, BIC partners, WIT and TU Darmstadt (TUD), established strong links with FICCI through their role in the Working Groups of EU – India Spirit project. Based on this relationship, TUD was invited by FICCI to present to a major industrial event in New Delhi, where he gave a presentation promoting INCO with the EU on Trust and security. In 2013, BIC strengthened their relationship with FICCI as a major participant to the jointly organised The India Conference on Cyber Security and Cyber Governance (CyFy) – see http://orfonline.org/cms/export/orfonline/img/cyfyn/index.html with Observer Research Foundation (ORF). In addition, FICCI are members of an international Working Group looking at the issues raised in the Tunis 2005-WSIS entitled Working Group on Enhanced Cooperation. It was agreed during CyFy 2013 that the BIC EWG and this WG should work together to discuss the bringing together of public and private and research communities to work through these important topics related to Cyber security. Further information on FICCI can be found at http://www.ficci.com/.

IBE (Brazil)

Instituto de Estudos Brasil Europa – Institute for Studies Brazil Europe (IBE) is made up of Brazilian University partners and European University associates following a call for the establishment of a European Studies Institute in Brazil. IBE organises annual conferences and workshops and it has spawned a number of bi-lateral activities between Brazil and individual EU Member States, including Brazil – Germany.

Relationship to BIC: IBE participated to the BIC Brazil EWG launch workshop on 22nd October in sao Paulo and it was concluded that this initiative could be highly relevant to the BIC project’s EWG as they have held set up a Think Tank structure already, have held annual conferences and workshops and it has spawned a number of bi-lateral activities between Brazil and the EU and also with individual EU Member States, including Brazil – Germany. It is possible that the Brazil EWG could study the bi-lateral approaches of other EU member states and gain some insights and lessons learned. The full presentation made during the launch meeting can be found at http://www.bic-trust.eu/files/2013/10/PLovato_EWG.pdf. Some additional information on the IBE Think Tank can be found in the presentation found at http://www.bic-trust.eu/files/2013/10/SKofuji_EWG.pdf. The web site of IBE is http://www.ibe.usp.br/index.php/en/

IST Africa

Supported by the European Commission (EC) and African Union Commission (AUC), and Co-Funded under FP7 (Contract 288691), IST-Africa is a strategic collaboration between IIMC (Ireland) and Ministries and National Councils responsible for Information Society, ICT and/or STI (Science, Technology & Innovation) adoption, policy and research in 18 African Countries.

Relationship with BIC: BIC partners have participated to IST Africa events in the past and they can certainly assist with recruitment of BIC EWG Africa members. Further information on IST Africa can be found at http://www.ist-africa.org/home/.

Joint Working Group (JWG) on Cyber Security of India

The India JWG was set up in October, 2012 under the chairpersonship of the Deputy National Security Advisor. The main purpose of the JWG is for engaging the private sector in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) for strengthening the cyber security architecture in the country. The JWG has recommended a “Roadmap” for PPP on Cyber Security that includes:
• Setting up of an institutional framework;
• Capacity-Building in the area of cyber security;
• Development of cyber security standards and assurance mechanisms;
• Augmentation of testing & certification facilities for IT products.

The institutional framework would consist of setting up a permanent JWG, with representatives of government and private sector. A Joint Committee on International Cooperation and Advocacy (JCICA) will advise the JWG in promoting India’s national interests at various international forums on cyber security issues.

Relationship to BIC: Members of the BIC IAG members from India have been active in the JWG and members of the JWG sub Working Group dedicated to international cooperation are currently members of the BIC India EWG, creating an excellent cross linkage. The full presentation made to the BIC Annual Forum 2013 on the JWG can be found at http://www.bic-trust.eu/files/2013/10/JWG_BIC_IAG2013.pdf.

LatinAMerica-Europe ICT Cooperation Advanced Strategies (AMERICAS)

The AMERICAS project aims at supporting sustainable ICT policy dialogues and fostering ICT R&D cooperation between the EU and strategic partner countries in Latin America, by enabling new synergies and effective collaboration through policy makers, researchers and key stakeholders networks in ICT and international cooperation. The AMERICAS project covers all countries with a bi-lateral S&T Agreement in the region (Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico) plus Colombia.  AMERICAS concluded on 31 October 2013.

Relationship with BIC: The AMERICAS project has participated to the BIC events, and provided excellent inputs to BIC’s June 2012 workshop on Cross domain coordination of International Cooperation (INCO). See http://www.bic-trust.eu/events/bic-workshop-on-the-cross-domain-coordination-of-international-cooperation-day-1-and-technical-themes-in-trustworthy-ict-and-inco-day-2/.

Latin America (LEADERSHIP) project

LEADERSHIP is the successor of AMERICAS that finished on 31 October 2013. And LEADERSHIP started on 1 November 2013, we had the KoM at the beginning of December and it is a two year duration project. The website http://www.leadershipproject.eu/ will be ready at the end of January 2014.

Relationship with BIC: LEADERSHIP promotes multi-lateral cooperation between Europe and Latin America and it will identify and update ICT priorities for EU-LAC cooperation in research and innovation under Horizon 2020, including trust and security in ICT. LEADERSHIP also provides input to the EU-Brazil dialogue on ICT and facilitates engagement of stakeholders in the discussion about topics and good practices for EU-Brazil coordinated calls, and can possibly help support the BIC EWGs in Brazil in the coming years.

Network Information Security Public Private Platform (NIS Platform)

The EU’s Network Information Security Public private Platform (NIS Platform) is a public/private/cooperation in the form of an EU platform on Network and Information Security (NIS). The NIS Platform has been established as a key action of the EU Cyber security Strategy and aligned with the implementation of the Cyber Security Directive, which launched on Jan 2013.

The objectives of the NIS platform are:
• To support the EU cyber security directive EU decided to create a public/private/cooperation in the form of a EU platform on Network and Information Security (NIS);
• Unique opportunity to better understand NIS Challenges;
• Identifying Threats and Risks;
• A platform for bringing together policy and technical experts to debate about the current and future challenges;
• A platform for influencing future R&D in NIS issues;

An expression of interest to relevant stakeholders was sent in May 2013 and the first meeting was held on June 17th, 2013 in Brussels. The operational structure of the NIS platform is spread across three working groups (two mainly operational and one mainly research oriented):
• WG1 on risk management, including information assurance, risks metrics and awareness raising;
• WG2 on information exchange and incident coordination, including incident reporting and risks metrics for the purpose of information exchange;
• WG3 on secure ICT research and innovation.

Relationship with BIC: BIC partners are currently involved in WG2 and WG3 and strongly advocating the Building of International cooperation in these WGs. We feel there could be an excellent synergy with groups in the other BIC countries, for example with the Indian Joint Working Group (JWG) on Cyber Security, who already have a sub-WG on International cooperation.
The full presentation of the NIS Platform made at the BIC IAG Annual forum can be found at http://www.bic-trust.eu/files/2013/10/Martinelli_IAG2013.pdf

PACE-Net Plus project

The PACE-Net Plus project is a European Commission funded initiative that held its kick-off meeting during October, 2013. The major activities of the project will include a series of high-level bi-regional policy dialogue platforms to be hosted alternatively in the Pacific region and in Brussels. These platforms will bring together key government and institutional stakeholders in both regions, around STI issues. These policy dialogue platforms will be supported through a series of thematic workshops on the above-mentioned societal challenges that will identify synergies amongst current initiatives (for example, in climate change research). The project will work towards identifying difficulties faced by innovation actors, and help to bridge the gap between the public and the private sectors in the Pacific countries.

PACE-Net Plus is the successor project of PACE-Net (2010-2013), which successfully contributed to Pacific-EU bilateral collaboration by improving the visibility of science and technology networks in the Pacific region. PACE-Net recommendations have been communicated to the Pacific Plan Review, strategic tool of governance of the oceanic countries, and members of the Pacific Forum.

Relationship with BIC: Partners from PACE-NET Plus and PACE-Net took part in the BIC Annual Forums of 2011-2012 and also providing insights on INCO in the Pacific region (specifically Australia) during BIC’s June 2012 workshop on Cross domain coordination of International Cooperation (INCO). See http://www.bic-trust.eu/events/bic-workshop-on-the-cross-domain-coordination-of-international-cooperation-day-1-and-technical-themes-in-trustworthy-ict-and-inco-day-2/.

Additional information on PACE-Net Plus can be found here –> PACE-Net Plus media release November 2013 and at http://pacenet.eu/.

Observer Research Foundation (ORF)

The Observer Research Foundation (ORF) initiative was established on September 5, 1990 as a non-profit, public policy think tank based in India. ORF is supported by a cross-section of leading intellectuals, academics, public figures, social activists, business leaders and institutions of higher learning. ORF is responsible, along with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), in organising an annual Cyber Security conference in India entitled The India Conference on Cyber Security and Cyber Governance (CyFy) – see http://orfonline.org/cms/export/orfonline/img/cyfyn/index.html. ORF also have a regular journal related to Cyber Security entitled ORF Cyber Monitor – see http://orfonline.org/cms/export/orfonline/html/cyber/cybsec5.pdf.

Relationship with BIC: During 2013, the BIC project collaborated significantly with ORF during their annual CyFy 2013 conference held during 14-15th October, 2013 in New Delhi, India. The BIC IAG members from India were in chair roles (Dr. Gulshan Rai, DG CERT, Govt of India), and paper/presentations (Mr. Abhishek Sharma, CEO Beyond Evolution Technologies) and the BIC coordinator, Jim Clarke, had a dual role as panellist in a session entitled MULTISTAKEHOLDERISM: Avoiding the PRISM Paradigm and Mr. Clarke was a member of the conference rapporteur team for the overall conference. In addition, Mr. Clarke was asked to submit an article to the ORF Cyber Monitor 4 based on his participation to the panel session. The published article is entitled Bridging the gap: Public, private participation in policy formulation in a digital society, which can be found at http://orfonline.org/cms/sites/orfonline/html/cyber/cybsec.html.

Research Brazil Ireland (RBI)

Research Brazil Ireland (RBI) is a recently started strategic cooperation initiative enabling mobility grants that are financed by the Irish state research funding agency Science Foundation Ireland International Strategic Cooperation Award (SFI ISCA[1]), which has designated Brazil as a priority country for research and education partnerships with Ireland. RBI brings together Irish third-level institutions and research centres as a consortium to drive a coordinated national approach to promote Ireland’s scientific and technological reputation in Brazil and to highlight Ireland’s attractiveness as an international research partner. The BIC coordinator, Waterford Institute of Technology, is a member of the Irish RBI consortium. The RBI  programme develops research and educational links between the two countries across five thematic areas, including Information and Communication Technologies; Environmental Science and Technologies; Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology; Biopharmaceuticals, Biotechnology and Health; and Sustainable Energy and Agroproduction.

Relationship with BIC: Thanks to the involvement of the BIC coordinator, Waterford Institute of Technology, in the RBI launch programme, the BIC EWG launch workshop on 22nd October 2013 was co-located with the Research Brazil Ireland (RBI) launch and showcase event held on 21st October in the University of São Paulo in Brazil. This cooperation enabled a very strong attendance from all over Brazil to both of our events. Since RBI will continue into 2014, it is expected there will be continued collaboration between RBI and the BIC EWG in Brazil. The full report of the BIC EWG launch in Brazil can be found at http://www.bic-trust.eu/files/2013/10/BIC-Brazil-EWG-launch-WS-report.pdf. For more information on the RBI launch event in São Paulo, please see http://rbi.ie/minister-ruairi-quinn-launches-research-brazil-ireland-in-the-university-of-sao-paulo/.

Trust in the Digital Life (TDL)

Trust in Digital Life (TDL) is an association focusing on Trust as a prerequisite in our digital lives. TDL is a members based community encouraging the industry to develop innovative information and communication technologies, enabling consumers and enterprises to judge for themselves if their devices, applications and services are trustworthy enough to protect them from internet threats.

TDL supports the industry and government in achieving a take-up rate of trustworthy ICT by the following means:
• Raising awareness through the monitoring of the impact of incidents.
• Raising awareness through the definition and testing of interoperable frameworks for e-authentication services in public and private domains.
• Through defining end-to-end technology platforms for user controlled data life cycle management.
• Through defining end-to-end technology platforms for mobile service integrity.

Relationship to BIC: BIC consortium members TU Darmstadt and ATOS are on the Advisory Board of TDL. There is an international cooperation with Australia related to trust and security that has started recently. The building – up of the joint EU – AUSTRALIA call for trustworthy ICT resulted from interactions established within the INCO-TRUST project and continued within BIC.
More information can be found at http://www.trustindigitallife.eu/

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