U.K.'s University of Kent establishes cybersecurity and conflict institute

January 22, 2021

The University of Kent announced its Institute of Advanced Studies in Cyber Security and Conflict (SoCyETAL), a University-wide hub promoting interdisciplinary research and educational activities in cybersecurity and conflict.

SoCyETAL will extend cybersecurity research of the Kent Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Cyber Security (KirCCS), especially within its Socio-Technical Security and Privacy research theme, into wider areas such as international conflict, cyber influence and behavior, cybercrime, cyber law and digital financial technology.

Alongside KirCCS, the new Kent Cyber Security Educational Centre (KeCSEC) has also been established as one of the two pillars of SoCyETAL’s activities. It will coordinate University-wide educational activities around cybersecurity, such as setting up a pool of cyber-related modules across different schools and new cyber-related interdisciplinary degree programs. SoCyETAL will also support the University’s IT Services, informed by its research and educational activities, in several initiatives such as staff awareness on cybersecurity.

SoCyETAL brings together academics from many schools across the University, including the School of Computing, School of Engineering and Digital Arts (EDA), School of Politics and International Relations, School of Psychology, Kent Law School (KLS), School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research (SSPSSR) and Kent Business School (KBS).

"I am very excited to see the official establishment of the Institute and the appointment of its management team. Building on our past successes in cybersecurity research and the University of Kent's status as a UK government recognized ACE-CSR (Academic Center of Excellence in Cyber Security Research), we will continue to grow activities in cybersecurity research and education to the next level," stated Professor Shujun Li, Director of SoCyETAL. "I look forward to working with Dr. Virginia Franqueira and Dr. Harmonie Toros, who are appointed the two Deputy Directors of the Institute, all members of the Institute across different Divisions and Schools, and our external collaborators in different sectors to promote interdisciplinary cyber security research and education at the University of Kent and beyond."

Ransomware and the propulsion of the extortion economy has rapidly eclipsed into a national priority. Recently, we observed the catastrophic impact of a widescale ransomware attack impacting gas pipelines and raising national gas prices overnight.