Société Générale, Cybersecurity chair

The Cybersecurity of Critical Infrastructures Chair welcomes new partner Société Générale

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Institut Mines-Télécom Cybersecurity Chair, launched last year on January 25 as part of the dynamic created by the Center of Cyber Excellence, is aimed at contributing to the international development of research activities and training opportunities in an area that has become a national priority: the cybersecurity of critical infrastructures (energy networks, industrial processes, water production plants, financial systems, etc.). The projects are in full flow, with the addition of a new partner company, Société Générale, and the launch of 3 new research topics.

 

Société Générale Group, an 8th partner joins the Chair

Nicolas Bourot, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Operation Risk Manager (ORM) for the Group’s infrastructures explains, “We are all affected, a lot is at stake. In joining this Chair, Société Générale Group seeks to ensure it will have the necessary means to support the digital transformation.” In the words of Paul-André Pincemin, General Coordinator of the Center of Cyber Excellence, “This Chair is truly a task force, bringing together partners from both the academic and industrial sectors.”

The Chair is led by Télécom Bretagne, in collaboration with Télécom ParisTech and Télécom SudParis, the Region of Brittany, as part of the Center of Cyber Excellence, and 8 companies: Airbus Defence and Space, Amossys, BNP Paribas, EDF, La Poste, Nokia, Orange and now Société Générale Group.

 

Launch of 3 research topics

Simultaneously with the arrival of the new partner, three research topics have been launched. The objective of the first one is to develop an analytic capacity for system malfunctions, with the aim of identifying whether they are accidental or the result of malicious intent. This analytic capacity is crucial to assist operators in providing an adapted response, particularly when the malfunction is the result of a simultaneous or coordinated attack. The digitization of industrial control systems, and the systems’ ever increasing connection with cyberspace, does indeed create new vulnerabilities, as evidenced over the past few years by several incidents, with some even capable of destroying the production tool.

The second axis is about developing methods and decision-making tools for securing vitally important systems. The great heterogeneity of components, constraints that are technical (time constraints, communication rates, etc.), topological (physical access to the power plants, geographic distribution within the networks, etc.) and organizational in nature (existence of multiple players, regulations, etc.) represent obstacles that prevent traditional security approaches from being directly applied. The objective of this research is to provide vitally important operators with a methodology and associated tools that simplify the decision-making process during both the phases of security policy definition and the response to incidents.

Finally, the chair will also start the co-simulation of cyber-attacks to network control systems. This third subject involves improving the resilience of critical infrastructures, i.e. their capacity to continue working, potentially in downgraded mode, when affected by cyber-attacks. The research is specifically focused on network control systems that enable a connection between the different components of a traditional control system, such as the controllers, sensors and the actuators. The objective is therefore to advance developments in this area by offering innovation solutions that reconcile requirements for safety, operational security, and continuity of service.

[divider style=”solid” top=”5″ bottom=”5″]

In the coming months…

Chair partners will contribute to major upcoming gatherings:

– CRiSIS, the 11th edition of the Conference on risks and the security of information systems, taking place next September 5-9 in Roscoff

– RAID, the 19th edition of the Conference on research on attacks, intrusions and defense, taking place September 19-21 in Evry (Télécom SudParis):

– Cybersecurity event, Les Assises de la cybersécurité, taking place October 5-8 in Monaco

– European Cyber Week, November 21-25 in Rennes

[divider style=”solid” top=”5″ bottom=”5″]

Recherche partenariale, Carnot TSN, Carnot M.I.N.E.S., Carnot 3

M.I.N.E.S and Télécom & Société numérique Carnot institutes have again been awarded the Carnot label

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Belles histoires, bouton, CarnotOn July 6th, the Secretary of State for Higher Education and Research, Thierry Mandon, announced the recipients of the Carnot 3 Label. M.I.N.E.S Carnot institute and Télécom & Société numérique Carnot institute were among the winners: having both held the label since 2006, they again earned concrete recognition of the quality of their partnership-based research.

 

 

“I am strongly committed to the Carnot label,” Thierry Mandon reminded the audience at the opening of the annual 17/20 meeting of the Carnot network, before announcing the list of the 29 Carnot institutes that received the label and 9 Carnot Springboards (new in 2016) as part of the Carnot 3 call for proposals. Since 2006, this accreditation has sought to encourage partnerships between public research labs and companies, in order to develop technology transfer and innovation.

After getting very good assessments from the National Agency for Research (ANR) for the Carnot 2 period (2012/2015), the two Carnot institutes of Institut Mines-Télécom received confirmation of their quality label for partnership-based research. In practical terms, this Carnot 3 will result in a financial contribution awarded over a period of several years, aimed at supporting the professionalization of corporate relations departments, the internationalization of partnerships, and upstream research.

 

The 2 Institut Mines-Télécom’s Carnots :

Find out more about M.I.N.E.S. Carnot institute, composed of six Mines schools, as well as some teams from Ecole Polytechnique and ENSTA Paris Tech, in partnership with the contract research organization Armines.

Find out more about Télécom & Société Numérique Carnot institute, which encompasses Télécom ParisTech, Télécom Bretagne, Télécom SudParis, Télécom Ecole de Management, Eurecom, Télécom Saint-Etienne, Télécom Physique Strasbourg, two Ecole Polytechnique labs and Strate Design.

 

PLEASE NOTE!

The next Carnot meeting will be the corporate meetings on October 5 and 6, 2016 in Lyon, with the objective of presenting the partnership offering in the area of R&D between the institutes and companies, from SME-SMI to large corporate groups.

[box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]

The Carnot label

Carnot 3, Carnot M.I.N.E.S., Carnot TSN

The Carnot label, created in 2006, is aimed at developing partnership-based research, conducting research studies led by public laboratories in partnership with socioeconomic stakeholders, primarily companies (from SMEs to large corporate groups), in order to address their needs.

The Carnot label is awarded to public research structures, Carnot institutes, which simultaneously carry out upstream research activities, enabling the renewal of their scientific and technological skills, while also committing to a proactive policy in the area of partnership-based research that benefits the socioeconomic worlds. The Ministry for Research awards the label to Carnot institutes following a very selective call for applications.[/box]

 

french tech ticket 660x330

French Tech Ticket : IMT incubators go global!

/0 Comments/in , , /by

The incubators at Télécom Bretagne, Télécom SudParis and Télécom Business School have been selected for the second edition of the French Tech Ticket operation. This international program allows foreign start-ups to be hosted by the incubators at these IMT schools over a 12-month period.

 

70. That’s the number of foreign start-ups that will be hosted from January 2017 by the 41 French incubators selected by the French Tech label as part of the French Tech Ticket program. The hosted entrepreneurs will develop their projects over the course of 12 months, while attending masterclasses and being mentored. The start-ups will also benefit from €45,000 in financial assistance provided by the program.

Among the incubators selected are those at Télécom Bretagne (in Brest and in Rennes), and Télécom & Management SudParis — the incubator of the two Evry schools. The firms selected to be hosted by these sites will benefit from an ecosystem of excellence. The survival rate of start-ups supported by the institute is 89% after 5 years, compared to the national average of 71% after 3 years.

Incubators and campuses that are already global

According to Godefroy Beauvallet, Director of Innovation at Institut Mines-Télécom (IMT), the nomination of incubators in Brittany and the south of Paris comes thanks to the schools already being internationalized. “At Télécom Bretagne, 64% of our PhD students are international students” he explained. On a broader level, 34% of students at IMT schools are international students.

“We already have this international attractiveness in the area of training. We also have this in research through our international partnerships; and with our position in programs such as the French Tech Ticket, we now have this attractiveness in the area of innovation.” added Godefroy Beauvallet. The nomination of these incubators therefore represents an additional asset in the Institute’s international development, creating value.

That’s because behind this operation, connections are formed and knowledge and skills are shared. According to the Director of Innovation, the relationships forged between foreign and French companies are never only one-sided. The proximity of the start-ups in the incubators can lead to the restructuring of teams as well as new projects. Finally, the “connections created in France represent numerous collaborations and potential partnerships, even several years after the hosting phase” concludes Godefroy Beauvallet.

Find out more on Télécom Bretagne’s participation
[divider style=”solid” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]

 

Le+bleu

Discover the second edition of the French Tech Ticket operation:

[divider style=”solid” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]

Horizon 2020, Commission européenne

IMT to embark on two new H2020 projects on the IoT and 5G

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Projets européens H2020At the end of May the European Commission announced the results of two joint calls (Europe/Japan and Europe/Korea) of the Horizon 2020 program dedicated to digital technology. Institut Mines-Télécom is taking part in two new projects in the areas of the Internet of Things (South Korea) and 5G (Japan) through the work of researchers at its Télécom SudParis and Eurecom graduate schools.

 

“After working with Japan on the FP7 NECOMA project focusing on computer security, IMT is embarking on two new European projects with Asia. This makes IMT one of the leading players in collaborative research with Japan and South Korea in the strategic fields of digital technology for Europe”, explains Christian Roux, Director of Research and Innovation. “Developing scientific partnerships with Asia is a matter of great importance to us, as the high-level academic players there will provide crucial support in defining future standards in the areas of the Internet of Things and 5G on a global level.”

 

[box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]Télécom SudParis, H2020, WiseIoTThe WiseIoT Project (South Korea) and Télécom SudParis

While work is being carried out to develop benchmark architectures in the Internet of Things, the Wie-IoT project brings together top European and Korean contributions to major activities for IoT standardization. Six European and Korean testbeds will be grouped together and applied to smart cities, leisure, and health in order to demonstrate the flexibility of the IoT’s global services. A substantial dissemination plan has been put in place for standardization in particular and will reach its culmination during the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in PyeongChang.

The consortium comprises prestigious research institutions, SMEs and a wide range of industries from Europe (EGM, IMT, NEC Europe, Telefonica, CEA, University of Cantabria, Liverpool John Moores University, Ayuntamiento de Santander, FHNW) as well as from Korea (Sejong University, KAIST, KNU, KETI, Sktelecom, Samsung, Axston, KT Corporation., GimpoBigData). The Wise-IoT environment will support SMEs and start-ups from these two regions in their efforts to penetrate the industrial sector of the IoT, by giving them access to a platform providing interoperability between heterogeneous data in smart environments.

Wise IoT is integrated in the IMT-run French-Korean laboratory ILLUMINE (http://illumine.wp.tem-tsp.eu/). Télécom SudParis will contribute its expertise in Social IoT and semantics and will manage an inclusive approach combining social networks and the IoT.[/box]

 

[box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]Eurecom, Pagoda, H2020The 5G Pagoda Project (Japan) and Eurecom

The Pagoda project involves European partners such as Ericsson, the Aalto University in Finland, Eurecom, Orange Poland, the Fraunhofer Fokus along with two Swiss SMEs and Japanese partners:  Tokyo and Waseda universities, the operator KDDI, Hitachi and NEC.

The project’s goal is to create a virtual mobile network which can be deployed upon request, dedicated to an application (through idea of Network Slicing), during the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020. To this end several technologies will be explored and used: Software Defined Networking (SDN), Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC).

Eurecom will contribute its expertise in network softwarization (SDN, NFV et MEC) and its Open Air Interface (OAI) tool to create solutions defined during the project on an open source 5G platform.[/box]

 

Augmented Reality, Marius Preda, Télécom SudParis

Augmented Reality: new standards and new tools

/0 Comments/in /by

Thanks to their sensors, mobile phones have become powerful platforms for augmented reality. Marius Preda and his team of researchers from Télécom SudParis, GRIN (Graphics and Interactive Media), have developed technologies recently chosen by ISO (International Organization for Standardization) for the production and transmission of augmented reality content.

 

As their capabilities have developed, smartphones and tablets have become powerful platforms for 3D visualization. The integration of sensors (video, photo, position, etc.) has made them platforms for augmented reality. “The idea is to build a bridge between the digital world and the physical world, by enabling the identification of elements in the real world that will trigger a digital action on a smartphone or tablet, and provide a combined view on the screen,” explains Marius Preda, a researcher at Télécom SudParis, in charge of the “graphic content” group for MPEG, a media standardization organization within ISO. His team creates standardized content production and transmission tools for augmented reality, for use with mobile devices.

 

Formal standardized language for augmented reality

Most companies are currently developing integrated augmented reality applications, but another development method is also possible: “We can formalize augmented reality experiences using a standard language that defines the user’s experience and can be interpreted by a browser, just like the web works today.”

Marius Preda and his team therefore developed ARAF technology: an open-source navigator with its own formal standardized language. “Mobile telephone manufacturers will have their own ARAF installed and optimized for their platforms, and content producers will be able to quickly create augmented reality experiences using authoring tools, without going into all the technical details, just like today we can create a website without knowing HTML.”

 

An image recognition cloud platform

At the same time, researchers have developed an image recognition cloud platform within a database. A unique signature, which is specific to each image, makes it possible to compare images and find similar objects in them, such as the Eiffel Tower, for example. To avoid false positives and false negatives, the development of the algorithm must involve a compromise between these two problems.

“One way of doing this is to identify unique characteristic points: we reproduce the human visual system, which focuses its attention on control points with many details,” explains Marius Preda. We obtain a constellation of unique points for an object and we record characteristics, such as the distance between the points, which will be used to compare an image with others in the database. We also work on atypical cases by using contour detection, especially to differentiate cars using images of their tail lights. If the signatures are similar, there’s a big chance the images are similar as well.”

This technology was used in particular by the GOOT application to recommend a similar wine, based on a picture of a wine label.

 

Authoring tools facilitate the creation of augmented reality content

Based on this technology, researchers are also creating authoring tools, like those developed as part of the BRIDGET European project. For users, these tools make it possible to offer quality, interactive and customized content on a second screen while watching television. A signature audio system enables the tool to recognize the program being broadcast, downloads additional content from a server, and displays the content in a synchronized manner.

For content producers, a video on the main screen can be enhanced, either manually using the web, or automatically using a visual search system: “With our huge database of indexed and annotated images, we try to see whether the content is similar to that in the database for each video frame,” explains the researcher. For example, if the Eiffel Tower is recognized in the video, the tool will offer information on the monument that is indexed in the database or retrieved from web. A second phase of the project plans to integrate a connection with social media.

There are many uses for these tools (personalized advertising, interactive cultural content, etc.) and many that have yet to be imagined, which is why companies are encouraged to try the technology and contribute to the database on the cloud platform via APIs.

 

Learn more about MPEG group