CRiSIS 2023

Biography :

Mohammad is the Saudi Aramco Cybersecurity Chair Professor at King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM). Prior to joining KFUPM, Mohammad was the head of the CfACS IoT and Cyber Security Lab he founded in 2016 at the Manchester Metropolitan University. Mohammad is the founder and co-Editor in Cheif of ACM's journal of Distributed Ledger Technology: Research & Practice. His research interests are centred around the applications of zero trust security to Internet-connected critical national infrastructures. He co-developed a state-of-the-art unprivileged and trustless computing zero trust security theory. Working with a global collaborative research network spanning the academic community, industry, policymakers and wider technology stakeholders, Mohammad published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, and over 100 refereed conference papers. Mohammad advised the UK’s Government on law reform related to national cybersecurity through a number of committees and hearings. He is a Senior Member of IEEE and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy UK.

Title :

Forging Cyber Resilience with Digital Twins: A Futuristic Approach to Safeguarding Critical National Infrastructures

Abstract :

Digital twins technology is an area of growth for companies across a host of industries. It is poised to become the perfect partner for metaverse, virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, blockchains and the internet of things to integrate physical and digital worlds with real-time interaction. In this talk, I take the digital twin out of the abstract and talk about real-world use cases of the digital twin. I will particularly focus on strengthening cybersecurity and the resilience of critical national infrastructures with digital twins. I will end the talk by showcasing digital twin capabilities to accelerate digital transformation, artificial intelligence and Smart Cities' strategy. Digital twins empower organizations to take targeted action to lessen the likelihood and impact of cyber-attacks while staying one step ahead of the cybercriminals. And crucially, digital twins can also help bridge the cybersecurity skills gap by strengthening the effectiveness of cybersecurity teams on the ground today.

Biography :

Anas Abou El Kalam is a full professor at “Ecole Nationale des Sciences Appliquees de Marrakech”, Head of the Cyberdefense and Embeded Telecommunication System Department, in charge of the Cyberdefense, Infrastructures and Data Protection Master Degree and president of the Morrocan Association of Digital Trust. He is ISO certified 27001 Lead Auditor, CEH and CISSP. He was Assistant director of the OSCARS laboratory and in charge of the “Networks, Systems and Security” master. He was the head of the “Network and Telecommunication department” and he was an associate professor at the “Institut National Polytechnique” (INP) of Toulouse – France where he obtained his HDR (Habilitation à Diriger les Recherches) in “security of critical networks and systems” as well as his PhD in “security policies and models”. He had several responsibilities as the Head of the “Computer Science Department” and the head of the “Networks and Systems security” Department at ENSIB – France. He is the Chair of the 2023 Global Summit Symposium on Energy, Environment, Agriculture and Industry, the 14th International Conference on Cryptology and Network Security, the organization chair of the IFIP International Information Security and Privacy Conference (IFIP SEC 2014),.... He is/was a member of the programme committees of several prestigious conferences on security such as IEEE ACSAC (Annual Computer Security Application Conference), SECRYPT (International Conference on Security and Cryptography), IFIP SEC (International Information Security Conference), ESORICS, WSCN, CMS, etc. His current research interests are Blockchain-based security policies, security policies and models, Internet of Things security, Big data security, Privacy, evaluation of security mechanisms, critical infrastrcutures protection, … He co-authored more than 150 high level research paper and participated to several Airbus projects (such as Aircraft Data Communication Networks “ADCN” and Information management for Avionics Platforms “IMAP”) as well as several European projects such as FP6/IST PRIME, FP7/IST CRUTIAL, NoE Newcom++, Celtic Fell@home.

Title :

An AI-driven framework for Security, QoS and Data Quality in Critical Infrstructures

Abstract :

Security, Data Quality and QoS are precious objectives for network systems to attain, especially for critical networks with temporal constraints. For example, in the context of the avionic data network various domains and heterogeneous applications with different levels of criticality cooperate for the mutual exchange of information, often through gateways. It is clear that this information has different levels of sensitivity in terms of security and QoS constraints. Given this context, the major goal of this paper is then to increase the robustness of the next generation e-enabled avionic data network with respect to security threats and ruptures in traffic characteristics. Moreover, from the network’ perspective, the rapidly evolving RF environment in which aircraft operate presents new challenges and opportunities, as the new generation of commercial wireless communications and 5G antennas emerge. While these new technologies offer significant benefits, they have also raised concerns about security attacks and interferences with aircraft operation. Inparticular we address, both, Security (confidentiality, integrity and availability) and QoS (packet loss, throughput, bandwidth, delay) issues within the next-generation avionics networks, especially when using the 5G. To mitigate some of these issues, we propose an AI-driven infrastructure based on Deep Learning techniques. In particular, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) can be used to predict attacks before they happen, learn the unique characteristics of interfering signals and effectively eliminate them without the need for human intervention, while ensuring the harmonious coexistence of technologies. This will constitute a stepping stone for easing out the deployment of 5G in this kind of safety-critical infrastructure, which aviation’s operational communication services clearly are. our framework is tested and our evaluation results are presented and discussed.

Biography :

Samir Ouchani, a distinguished Ph.D. graduate of Concordia University, currently holds the position of Research Director at CESI Engineering School and the Lineact CESI Laboratory in Aix-en-Provence, France. With a profound focus on security and privacy, his groundbreaking research endeavors revolve around reinforcing system security and advancing the analysis of multidisciplinary systems through the application of formal methods and distributed artificial intelligence. In his current role, Samir is dedicated to fortifying security measures and addressing vulnerabilities in large- scale, interdisciplinary systems, particularly in the realms of cyber-physical systems and interconnected heterogeneous devices. Samir contributes to numerous prestigious journals as author and reviewer as well as chairing various international conferences. He actively engages in mentoring and supervising Ph.D. candidates, fostering an environment that promotes research excellence for emerging scholars.

Title :

Securing Autonomous Vehicles: Fundamentals, Challenges, and Future Perspectives

Abstract :

This talk delves into the fundamentals of security for autonomous vehicles, exploring the challenges and existing solutions in this rapidly evolving field. It discusses the limitations of current security measures and introduces the application of formal methods to model safety and security in autonomous vehicles. The talk outlines the process of applying formal methods to analyze security aspects for autonomous vehicles, emphasizing their role in ensuring robustness and resilience. It further explores the synergy between artificial intelligence and formal methods, showcasing how these two domains collaborate to overcome vulnerabilities in autonomous vehicles. At the end, the talk covers relevant tooling and provides insights into real-world scenarios where formal methods contribute to enhancing the security of autonomous vehicles. Lastly, it concludes udergoing and in perspectives projects related to the security of autonomous systems.

Title :

Cybercrime in Morocco: Scope, Legislation and Future.

Title :

Borderless cybersecurity challenges in Africa : Perspective on unprecedented attacks in 2023 and emerging threats.