We focus on the three essential themes that we consider at the core to securing our digital futures.
Firstly, we are looking at the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure, which is increasingly due to the digitization of cyber physical systems. From smart energy systems that support the world’s net-zero strategy, to automation in transport and logistics, to smart cities bringing together physical and digital services optimised for a large population, we all see the infrastructure our daily lives depend on being digitally enabled and connected.
Secondly, this drive to a more digitally connected world is accelerated by secure emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing, Space Technologies, etc, which support a very fast paced innovation ecosystem in Australia and the world. Ensuring that these technologies are designed, developed and deployed with security in mind, is the focus of this research theme.
Thirdly, we are considering digital futures in the context of our economy and society. Technology used to support human endeavour and enable efficiencies and allow humans to achieve feats thought impossible just a decade ago. This support is increasingly turning to collaboration, and co-evolution with human-led activities. With humans being at the centre of this digital transformation, their security, well-being and their impact on the digital systems they interact with is at the core of our human factors research theme.
Our core competencies and capabilities
SCADA/OT are the engine rooms of our critical infrastructure and industrial based economies, and much of Australia's key export industries rely on the safe and secure operation of this Operational Technology 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It powers and drives core parts of our national economy, including mining, electricity, oil, gas, water, manufacturing, ports, airports, industrial processing, refinement and production of goods, and any place where physical automation is utilised. ECU has extensive purpose-built laboratories for SCADA research and training. These include specialist SCADA/OT, Wireless, MQTT, SDN facilities and network cyber ranges. ECU also provides consultancy and research to various critical infrastructure providers about their cyber security where it relates to the states critical infrastructure .
ECU is home to the southern hemisphere’s largest Security Operations Centre (SOC) within a university. Housed in the School of Science, this cutting-edge $3M SOC offers ECU students first-hand experience in responding to cyber security threats, providing them with a unique real-world training in monitoring, detecting and responding to cyber security incidents.
ECU is leading the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre’s research theme on Incident Response and is investigating human-machine teaming and AI augmentation for incident responders and Security Operations Centre staff. Other projects currently underway consider the use of automation and digital assets in precision farming and the wider agricultural sector and a project on the security impacts of Consumer Energy Resources, such as Photovoltaic Power and battery systems. We are collaborating with innovators in space technologies to secure low-orbit-satellite systems and securing communication systems used.
We are working with our research partners to improve corporate strategies on cyber security and develop tools that help board directors and senior leaders to understand the risks and opportunities that cyber brings to their organisations. Aligned with Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy 2023-30, we are supporting small to medium enterprises (SME) to improve their cyber security through our award winning initiatives such as Cyber Buddy, and work with the Australian Government to improve awareness and capabilities from schools to board-rooms.
Cyber Enabled Crime
With a global reputation in cyber research, cyber crime is a national and international research priority, and key focus for SDF. Director of SDF, Professor Andrew Woodward, is a member of the INTERPOL Cyber Crime Expert Group. Locally SDF collaborates with WA Government and contributes significantly to the state’s cyber security capability via collaborations with the Office of Digital Government, the Office of the Auditor General and WA Police.
SDF collaborates extensively with law enforcement and security agencies at a state, federal and international level, with this position strengthened by the co-location of the WA Police Technology Crime Services Unit on campus.
With specialised digital forensics capabilities and purpose built facilities, SDF have performed forensic analysis of conventional IT systems, GPS, mobile devices, game consoles, network traffic, wireless devices, OT/SCADA devices, embedded devices and emergent IoT devices and new digital technologies.
Work was undertaken collaboratively with the WA Police from 2006 to 2013 to develop a triage tool to forensically capture illegal images and files from desktop and laptop computer systems. The project was called Simple Image Preview Live Environment (SImPLE) and was widely used by WA Police during the period 2008 – 2015 to triage suspect computer systems. It assisted WA Police to rapidly intercede in matters relating to child exploitation and facilitated the acquisition of evidence to support custodial charges sentences perpetrators, minimising their capacity to re-offend.
Secure Systems
The Centres secure systems research is relatively broad in focus, covering hardware, software, IT systems, cloud, embedded systems, operating systems, application systems and middleware. It also includes authentication, authorisation, monitoring, logging, auditing and implementation of cyber security countermeasures, along with the human factors of any “system”. The human factors include cyber security education, psychology, health, law and business research. ECU has purpose built laboratories for secure systems research has significantly invested in infrastructure for research to be conducted in this field.