EMERGE IoT
Sindabus

List of publications

Our working group is engaged in research on web technology, networks and related aspects of security and privacy.

In the area of web technology, we are interested in how information is best transported to the end user. We focus in particular on the application situation in the classroom and in session support, as we know the relevant requirements best from our own experience and find a suitable test environment here. We have developed and tested our own systems, which are distributed by the start-up company Tweedback, among others. Further questions deal with the presentation of information for the knowledge worker on mobile devices.

In the area of networks, we deal with aspects of efficient data processing in wireless networks and so-called serverless infrastructures. Results in the area of Wlan networks have led to the foundation of the Opennet initiative and the start-up Vestifi, investigations in the area of acoustic communication continued in the start-up DEJ. In the area of security, we are investigating the possible uses of blockchain technology and are cooperating here with the universities of Göttingen and Tallinn. Security plays a major role in buildings. As part of a project consortium, we are investigating issues relating to the security of networked building management systems and industrial plants. Our interest in privacy and technology assessment accompanies all activities.

Field buses network sensors and actuators in automation systems. Due to the long service life of the systems and often insufficient documentation of changes, it is hardly possible to obtain an up-to-date overview of the existing infrastructure during the service life. This also makes threat analyses and the implementation of countermeasures much more difficult. Weak points in the installations remain undetected. A lack of or incomplete documentation with media breaks makes it even more difficult to obtain an overview. Experience shows that even immediately after the construction and handover of an industrial plant or building with fieldbuses, document erosion reaches critical states. Practically no network is in the state in which it was planned or which corresponds to the documentation status.

Today, a complete inventory and threat analysis requires a considerable amount of personnel. Many users would like to avoid these costs and in practice, an analysis - sometimes only selective - is often only carried out after an incident. The proposed project is intended to offer a solution approach here. A system is to be developed which shows a picture of the current infrastructure on the basis of existing analogue and digital data sources. Furthermore, an automated detection of weak points and possible attack scenarios should be created on this basis.

TopoTool is part of the larger SIINDUS network and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy through the ZIM programme (Central Innovation Programme for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises).

Contact Darshit Pandya or Thomas Mundt for further information.

The protocols used for fieldbuses must essentially manage without special safety functions. Unauthorized and unnoticed intrusion into the network can cause the configurations of the various connected devices to be changed or reset to the delivery status. For these scenarios, the attacker needs direct access to the network. Due to the structure of fieldbuses, however, it is usually possible to attach to "one wire" at almost any point. With simple technical means, an interception and attack device can be implemented. Access to a suitable box or cable harness is easy - especially in public buildings.

Therefore it seems reasonable and necessary to secure these network infrastructures on the field level in building automation. This is where the planned solution of the project should start. It is the goal of the partners in the "SeBuNet" project to develop a system for the internal monitoring of fieldbus networks. The system should be able to detect potential attacks on the network as soon as it is connected to the network.

The idea is to develop an additional network component that passively monitors the bus and detects anomalies. This is the case, for example, if additional devices are connected to the bus or existing devices are removed or moved. With the help of the network component to be developed, it is possible to detect these changes on the bus that cannot be detected by conventional packet analysis.

SeBuNet is part of the larger SIINDUS network and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy through the ZIM program (Central Innovation Program for Small and Medium Enterprises).

Please contact Andreas Zdziarstek or Thomas Mundt for further information.

EMERGE-IoT stands for the development of competences, methods and tools for future-oriented investigations and investigation support in the "Internet of Things". The project is funded from 2018-2021 by the European Fund for Internal Security (ISF) and runs in cooperation with the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Our goals:

• Identification and analysis of the technical basics of the IoT
• Development and verification of police-relevant IoT attack scenarios
• Development of tools for detection and analysis of attacks
• Transfer of knowledge on the IoT phenomenon to law enforcement authorities

For further information please visit the project website or contact Johann Bauer or Thomas Mundt.

The SINDABUS project aims to improve the security of IT infrastructure found in industrial automation and field bus systems.
The Consortium, consisting of the University Rostock together with two corporations SKM Informatik and Logic Way, develops individual moduls that put together a construction kit to enhance the cyber security of thos systems. The results will help to enhance protection of heterogeneous network infrastructures within production plants and building automation systems - across protocol boundaries - against malicious attacks from the inside as well as from the outside.  

SINDABUS is part of the greater SIINDUS network and is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy via the ZIM program (Central Innovation Programme for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises)

Contact Simeon Wiedenmann or Thomas Mundt for further details