SHIELD-6G: Leading the Way in 6G Security

Recently, SHIELD-6G emerged victorious as the sole recipient of the prestigious Horizon Europe Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) call, marking a significant milestone in the realm of secure 6G networks. Spearheaded by the esteemed Associate Professor Madhusanka Liyanage, Director of UCD NetsLab at University College Dublin, the consortium boasts unparalleled expertise in secure 5G/6G networks, AI-driven cybersecurity, explainable AI (XAI), and blockchain-based trust mechanisms.

Professor Liyanage envisions 6G as more than just a mere advancement in mobile connectivity. Instead, it is poised to become the intelligent digital nerve center of future societies, interconnecting individuals, industries, critical infrastructure, and autonomous systems. Through the groundbreaking SHIELD-6G initiative, the focus lies on ingraining security, trust, and resilience at the very core of this future technological landscape.

The core objective of SHIELD-6G is the development of an advanced Cyber Threat Intelligence platform native to 6G technology. This platform will empower future networks to proactively anticipate, identify, and mitigate cybersecurity threats intelligently, effectively, and in real-time, presenting a pivotal opportunity for Ireland and UCD to take a leading role in shaping secure and reliable 6G networks on a global scale.

Driving Innovation: SHIELD-6G’s Vision

At the heart of the project, UCD will witness the invaluable contributions of co-Principal Investigators Dr Ray Genoe from UCD Centre for Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Investigation (CCI), and Associate Prof Pasika Ranaweera from UCD School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, further solidifying the multidisciplinary approach of SHIELD-6G.

Empowering Networks Through Collaboration

The overarching goal of the SHIELD-6G endeavor is to tackle the paramount challenge of ensuring reliable service operation by pioneering an AI-centric, privacy-conscious, and energy-efficient platform. The platform introduces a sophisticated Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) pipeline tailored specifically to the semantics of 6G networks.

By amalgamating automated zero-touch security orchestration with privacy-preserving analytics such as federated learning, secure multi-party computation, and differential privacy, SHIELD-6G aims to enable multi-stakeholder networks to exchange intelligence and autonomously address escalating vulnerabilities without compromising the integrity of sensitive data.

SHIELD-6G unites a diverse ecosystem of 19 international partners, encompassing academic research institutions, multinational industry leaders, and specialized small-to-medium enterprises. Noteworthy among these partners is global technology powerhouse Thales, whose participation underscores the significance of SHIELD-6G in fortifying secure, resilient, and trustworthy 6G infrastructures.

Commercial Expansion: UCD’s Strategic Foray

Underscoring the commercial orientation of the initiative, UCD spin-out MBP Network Technology Ltd (MBP Systems) assumes a pivotal role within the consortium. Established in 2024 under the technical stewardship of Professor Liyanage, MBP has recently secured substantial funding to bridge the chasm between academic innovation and commercial implementation.

Dr Bartlomiej Siniarski from UCD School of Computer Science spearheads MBP’s involvement in SHIELD-6G. Emphasizing MBP’s commitment to translating cutting-edge 6G research into practical and resource-efficient security solutions, Dr. Siniarski envisions leveraging the project to drive industry dissemination, exploitation, and adoption while crafting edge-centric solutions for energy-efficient AI optimization and intelligent intrusion detection and prevention.

Supported by the NovaUCD innovation ecosystem, MBP’s involvement underscores UCD’s burgeoning prowess in translating pioneering research into impactful commercial ventures.