Ceit presents innovative advances in cybersecurity within the CICERO Project

Over the past months, Ceit has showcased the technical progress achieved within the Cervera Network CICERO, an initiative aimed at addressing four fundamental challenges in cybersecurity: identification, protection, detection and response, and recovery.

In a context where cyber threats have become one of the main challenges for companies and critical sectors, CICERO advances in creating innovative solutions to strengthen cybersecurity in Spain. In collaboration with technology centers Gradiant, i2CAT, ITCL Centro Tecnológico, and FIDESOL, Ceit is part of this project, which, through the use of Artificial Intelligence and disruptive technologies, aims to tackle four key cybersecurity challenges: identification, protection, detection, and response and recovery.

Advancements Presented in the December Meeting

Over the past months, Ceit has made significant progress in each of these challenges.

In the area of identification, the center has presented a preliminary version of network discovery modules, threat and vulnerability association, and risk prioritization and mitigation, all based on the IEC 62443 standard. Additionally, it has advanced a system for monitoring hybrid industrial networks by integrating a tool for intrusion and anomaly detection and prevention.

In the protection domain, Ceit has introduced the design of an automated solution for deploying configurations in hybrid industrial network devices, along with progress in protecting wireless communications and GNSS positioning algorithms in hostile environments. In detection, it has implemented an AI-based system for identifying anomalies in 5G networks and a hybrid platform to evaluate the performance of industrial hardware against virtual and open-source systems.

Finally, in response and recovery, Ceit has developed SDN technology to mitigate attacks in industrial environments and has worked on software rollback mechanisms based on strategic restore points, accompanied by a methodology for comparing different rollback tools.

Key Contributions in International Forums

These advancements have also been presented in various international forums. In November, the center presented the papers “An HFB interface for the adoption of blockchain in data spaces” and “Distributed blockchain-based firmware update architecture for IoT environments” at the 5th International Conference on IoT, Blockchain, and Cloud Computing (IBCOM 2024) in Zurich, Switzerland. In December, Ceit participated in the ICIT 2024 Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, presenting the paper “ChainKode: A CICD methodology for chaincode development in Hyperledger Fabric based on Kubernetes.”

Additionally, Ceit published two academic papers in indexed journals: “Comparative analysis of the standalone and hybrid SDN solutions for early detection of network channel attacks in Industrial Control Systems: A WWTP case study” in Internet of Things and “Map-Matching Techniques for Train Localisation: A Taxonomic Survey” in IEEE Access.

Participation in Strategic Events

On January 24, Saioa Arrizabalaga, the project lead at Ceit, participated in an event alongside other technology centers from the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) to analyze the present and future of digital technologies. During this meeting, the new strategic investment agenda of BRTA was presented, defining R&D priorities and proposing scalable solutions for future digital challenges in the Basque Country. In her speech, Saioa Arrizabalaga introduced the CICERO project, highlighting its role in cybersecurity and its contribution to digital transformation.

Focus on Cybersecurity

Beyond CICERO, Ceit remains committed to cybersecurity in critical infrastructures. On January 15, it organized a meeting within the ZIBERURA project framework with its water advisory committee, discussing the challenges and threats in industrial cybersecurity within the critical water infrastructure sector.

Collaboration with the Advisory Board

The CICERO consortium has also held strategic meetings with its Advisory Board, composed of representatives from Accenture, AEI Ciberseguridad (Cyberlur), RENIC, INCIBE, and S21Sec/Thales. These sessions, held in January, aim to align project strategies with the real needs of the sector and ensure the practical impact of its technological advancements.

Through its participation in CICERO, Ceit reaffirms its commitment to developing innovative solutions that protect companies and critical sectors in Spain.