Smart devices present many problems regarding security and privacy. It is for instance possible to track people and map their activities. A new project involving researchers from Karlstad University will investigate these problems with the aim of increasing the security and privacy of next generation smart devices and environments.
“When you use smart devices, you usually have to enter a number of personal details collected from you, sometimes for no apparent reason,” says Simone Fischer-Hübner, professor in Computer Science at Karlstad University. “Why does my lighting app need to know my name, address and email address to work? Often we need to provide unnecessary information. Through this project, we hope to develop a prototype for different components that can safeguard privacy. In this way, we can show that it is actually possible to do things in a privacy-friendly way.”
The main aim of the project is to increase user’s security and privacy with, among other technologies, the latest identity management systems. This for example includes giving users the possibility to interact in a privacy-friendly way, even anonymously, while being able to identify any false identities they encounter.
“We will review the operation of smart devices - how they connect to networks, how they are identified and how this can be done in a more effective and privacy-friendly way,” says Simone Fischer-Hübner. The project will deliver trustworthy smart environments that will give people control and oversight over their smart devices by delivering better ways for us to conceal and disclose our identities, all supported by user-friendly visualization tools.
About the project
The project Secure and Private Connectivity in Smart Environment (SURPRISE), will run for five years and is funded by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research. In addition to researchers from Karlstad University, researchers from Lund University, Linköping University and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology also participate in the project. The project budget is SEK 33 million.
Further information on the project is available here.
