Community research activities in secure and trustworthy ICT infrastructures

Secure and trusted Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructures are key enablers for the development of a trustworthy Information Society. The European Union, recognising this, has launched over the last few years a number of research initiatives aiming at designing and building secure and dependable ICT systems and networks, which respect citizens’ rights and protect their privacy and personal data. The European Commission is already funding more than 37 R&D projects in this area under the IST programme, which is part of the 6th Framework Programme (2002 to 2006). The paper first presents the main research challenges in the development of secure, dependable and trusted ICT infrastructures. It then describes a representative set of these IST projects dealing with advanced research in network and service security. The paper also presents upcoming opportunities for research funding in this area under the newly launched ICT programme, part of the 7th Framework Programme that extends from 2007 to 2013.