The Chair of Information and Communication Services (IuK) deals in research and teaching with networked digital services and their applications.

The rapid development of information and communication technology requires a constant change in research questions. We are currently concentrating on security issues in networked applications and are particularly interested in networked buildings and industrial facilities. We are also investigating applications of blockchain technology, which has become well known in recent years under the buzzword "Bitcoin". Particular attention is paid to the applications of digitization in teaching, which we support through our own system development. Finally, we are interested in spontaneous communication at close range, which can take place using ultrasound or radio techniques. In addition to the theoretical investigation of these areas, practical applications are important to us. Therefore, we are pleased that three start-up companies have been spun off by employees of the chair for the aforementioned research topics, who are struggling on the market to prove their ideas in practice.

In teaching, we cover the basic training in the areas of computer networks and data security. The following questions, among others, are covered: How are communication networks, such as the Internet, structured? What are protocols and how do they work? Which concepts enable us to exchange private information, e.g. by email encryption? Participants learn the first basic concepts of communication, from physical data transmission to programming application services, and encounter topics such as encryption, data protection, data security and privacy. We systematically deepen these topics in advanced courses. Our services there include the development of modern web and browser applications, cyber security issues, communication protocols, high-speed and mobile communication, networked applications and devices, and technologies for maintaining the operation of IT systems. In two special events we deal with the role of computer science in science and society and investigate the social effects of digitization.