Cyber Security in the Age of Large-Scale Adversaries

IT security has become a central societal issue since networked devices have permeated our world. This is what the Cluster of Excellence CASA is concerned with.

Hacker attacks against the Bundestag or large industrial plants prove the explosive nature of the problem. Today, many IT attacks come from large-scale attackers, especially from governmental or semi-governmental organizations. These adversaries are particularly worrisome because they act long-term and have significant technical capabilities and resources.

Countermeasures against these most powerful attackers are the focus of the Cluster of Excellence Cyber Security in the Age of Large-Scale Adversaries, CASA for short. The research follows an interdisciplinary approach, in which leading scientists from the fields of mathematics, computer science, and engineering cooperate with psychologists who investigate the interaction of human behavior and IT security. This constellation is unique in Europe.

The CASA cluster is located at the Horst Görtz Institute for IT Security (HGI) at Ruhr University Bochum. It is regarded internationally as one of the leading research institutions in the field, has Europe’s largest training programme for IT security, and has extensive academic and industrial networks. Professor M. Angela Sasse, Professor Eike Kiltz, and Professor Christof Paar are the speakers of the Cluster.

In the Transfer Lab, the research results are examined with regard to their practical relevance in various critical application scenarios from the fields of intelligent production, logistics and e-health.

Cluster of Excellence CASA

Background Excellence Strategy

The aim of the Excellence Strategy is to strengthen Germany’s position as an outstanding place for research in the long term and further improve its international competitiveness.

The Excellence Strategy compromises two funding lines:

Clusters of Excellence for project-based funding in internationally competitive fields of research at universities or university consortia
Universities of Excellence to strengthen universities as individual institutions or as university consortia in the long term and further develop their leading international role on the basis of successful Clusters of Excellence

In addition to the Cluster of Excellence CASA, the Cluster Ruhr Explores Solvation (RESOLV) is funded within the framework of the Excellence Strategy.

News from the CASA Cluster of Excellence

Newsportal dossier

Excellence Strategy

Overview