User privacy and personal data protection are one of the current mainstream research topics in the context of the Internet of Things (IoT) based applications for the European Union. To meet the various issues raised by this topic, several calls to national and European projects were launched. I am actually directly involved in three project proposals on behalf of the L3i laboratory of the University of La Rochelle, namely ITEA3 PARFAIT, ITEA3 ALADIN, and CHIST-ERA SPIRIT. I limited below the description to the accepted projects for funding.
ITEA3 APE (Automatic Privacy Explorer)
ITEA3 PARFAIT (for Personal dAta pRotection FrAmework for IoT): The main objective of PARFAIT is to develop a secure platform to protect personal data contained in applications managing connected objects. Another goal of the project is to reduce the complexity of the steps required to integrate and deploy services in connected objects.
Interoperability, security, and privacy of personal data are the most important requirements for ensuring the expansion of the connected objects market. Interoperability increases the complexity of processes and the cost of producing services. However, the lack of security and trust in data privacy protection puts a barrier between service providers and consumers. This barrier slows down the adoption of connected object applications in consumers' lifestyles and the expected economic boom in terms of both services and jobs created, as well.
The University of La Rochelle, represented by the L3i Lab, is one of the initiators of the project and is involved in developing a standardized user-centric knowledge base, which takes into account mandatory rules for personal data protection, and user privacy of users of connected objects.
PARFAIT consists of a consortium of several countries such as France, Turkey, and Romania. The FUI French has selected the project for funding the French consortium, which represents funding of more than 300k€ for the L3i Lab of the University of La Rochelle.
ITEA3 ALADIN (Airports Landside and Air-land Side Attacks Detection and Prevention):
The project aims to design and develop a shield system for airport protection against cyber attacks (malware, spyware, virus, intrusions within connected objects), along with auto-recovery mechanisms in case of massive attacks.
This project gathers a consortium of partners from 5 countries: France (Cassidian Cybersecurity, University of Burgundy, Blue Green Technology, University of La Rochelle, etc.), Portugal (VisioSpace, ISEP), Roumania (BEIA, CERTSIGN S.A, etc.), and Turkey (BitNet Bilisim Hizmetleri Ltd, Ericsson, etc.).
FUI and BPI France have selected the project for funding the French consortium, which represents funding of about 300k€ for the L3i Lab of the university of La Rochelle.
CHIST-ERA SPIRIT (Security and Privacy foR Internet of Things): This project aims to exploit the developments being made in the field of security (encryption) of reproduced documents as images (e.g. a photocopied ID card), protection of personal data collected from connected objects and semantic analysis, for the design and development of a communication platform to ensure security, privacy, and trust between individuals and/or applications that exchange data to achieve a common goal. This project brings together a consortium of 3 countries: France (University of La Rochelle), the United Kingdom (Kent and Essex universities), and Switzerland (University of Geneva).
This project proposal has been granted for fundings the ANR (French National Agency for Research), and by funding authorities of the UK and Switzerland. The L3i Lab benefits from a funding of 250 k€.