University College Dublin Joins ROBUST-6G Project
UCD CS researchers are in a multi-disciplinary international project to enhance the security of next generation of mobile networks.
UCD is a member of the ROBUST-6G consortium aiming at revolutionizing future telecommunications (6G) through the ROBUST-6G project. Led by ERICSSON Turkey and involving a consortium of thirteen leading academic and industrial organizations from across Europe, this project aims to enhance the security, efficiency, and sustainability of the next generation of mobile networks.
The team includes Assoc. Prof. (opens in a new window)Madhusanka Liyanage and Dr (opens in a new window)Bartlomiej Siniarski from UCD School of Computer Science as Project Investigators.
Understanding the Challenges Ahead
The ROBUST-6G project seeks to address the evolving security landscape by developing an end-to-end (E2E) security platform tailored for the anticipated AI-driven 6G networks. As digital communication becomes increasingly integral to our society, ensuring robust security in these networks is critical to protect against a range of threats from data breaches to cyber-attacks.
Leveraging Advanced Computer Science
The project integrates state-of-the-art computer science methodologies, including federated learning (FL) and explainable AI (XAI), to ensure the trustworthiness and resilience of security solutions. These technologies are crucial in protecting against adversarial attacks and ensuring the privacy and integrity of the vast amounts of data processed by future 6G networks.
Collaboration at Its Core
UCD collaborates closely with esteemed institutions and industry leaders, including Telefonica, University of Murcia, Chalmers University, University of Padova, Nextworks, ENSEA, EUROCOM, Linkoping university, Thales, Axon Logic and GOHM, to bring interdisciplinary expertise into the project. This collaboration extends beyond computer science, involving insights from telecommunications, cybersecurity, and machine learning.
Research Innovation and Methods
UCD is leading Work Package 3 (Trustworthy and Sustainable AI/ML for 6G Security), where researchers are actively engaged in developing novel security protocols and conducting rigorous validations to ascertain their effectiveness in real-world scenarios. The focus is on creating scalable solutions that can be efficiently implemented in next-generation network infrastructures. What sets ROBUST-6G apart is its innovative approach to network security, emphasizing energy efficiency and scalability. The project develops novel scheduling algorithms that not only enhance security but also reduce the energy consumption of network operations—a critical factor in the sustainability of 6G networks.
Impacting the Future
The implications of ROBUST-6G are profound, promising to redefine the security standards of future telecommunications networks. The project lays the groundwork for more secure, reliable, and efficient communication systems that could eventually support the massive deployment of IoT devices and other advanced technologies.
Looking Ahead
With an eye towards the future, UCD is dedicated to leveraging the outcomes of the ROBUST-6G project to enrich its educational programs and foster a new generation of experts in network security and telecommunications. The project is also expected to trigger further research initiatives, both nationally and internationally, and contribute to the standardization of 6G security protocols on major platforms like ETSI and ENISA.
Acknowledgements
This transformative research has been made possible through funding from the European Commission via the Horizon Europe JU SNS project ROBUST-6G (Grant Agreement no. 101139068)
Project website: (opens in a new window)https://robust-6g.eu
Project duration: 30 months
Project start-date: 1st of January 2024
Project Investigators: Assoc. Prof. Madhusanka Liyanage and Dr Bartlomiej Siniarski
Project call: HORIZON-JU-SNS-2023-STREAM-B-01-04
Published 10th May 2024