Chancellor Friedrich Merz pays a visit to CISPA (Center for Information Technology and Internet Policy at Saarland University)
The CISPA Helmholtz Centre for Information Security, a leading German research institution, plays a pivotal role in safeguarding Germany's digital sovereignty. Based in Saarland, CISPA focuses on cybersecurity, data protection, and trustworthy AI research, contributing to cutting-edge research with broad national significance.
As a renowned global player in computer security, CISPA develops tools and methods to detect and mitigate cyberattacks and vulnerabilities in complex networked systems. This includes web applications and IoT devices, closing security gaps and making digital systems safer for users.
In line with Germany's and Europe's ambition to retain control over digital infrastructure without dependence on foreign systems, CISPA advances secure, privacy-preserving, and user-friendly technologies. One of their key areas of focus is self-sovereign identities (SSI) and decentralized technologies, fostering trusted data sharing and compliance with EU regulations like the Cyber Resilience Act and EU Data Protection Act.
Moreover, CISPA conducts interdisciplinary research combining cybersecurity and AI to develop trustworthy AI systems that are secure, privacy-respecting, and legally compliant. Their educational programs, such as summer schools, focus on trustworthy AI, usable security, and privacy-preserving cryptography, training the next generation of experts.
CISPA's research covers all aspects of information security, from theory to empirical research, with a thematic focus on the entire spectrum of cybersecurity and trustworthy artificial intelligence. Their scientists frequently publish at top security conferences and have contributed to groundbreaking findings such as the Meltdown and Spectre hardware vulnerabilities.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently visited CISPA, acknowledging its nationally and internationally well-connected research as a driving force for structural change in Saarland and Germany. The federal and state governments are investing purposefully and future-oriented in CISPA, with Saarland's Minister President Anke Rehlinger creating space for growth for CISPA with up to 350 million euros for a new building.
Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Michael Backes, CISPA's CEO and founding director, emphasizes the importance of disruptive research in cybersecurity and trustworthy artificial intelligence for Germany's digital sovereignty. CISPA is widely recognized internationally as a talent forge for the next generation of cybersecurity experts and scientific leaders in this field, attracting and nurturing talent from around the world.
In a world where cybersecurity, data protection, and trustworthy AI are concerns for all, CISPA stands as a major research institution that aims to make the digital world safer through innovative research. This includes demonstrations of monitoring systems for unmanned aerial vehicles, early warning systems against cyberattacks, and a focus on new AI-based methods for detecting deepfakes and disinformation.
With its commitment to creating new insights and translating them into excellence-driven innovations, CISPA is shaping a secure digital future for Germany and Europe within the global context.
CISPA, with its focus on cybersecurity and data protection, is developing technologies that aim for a secure, privacy-preserving, and user-friendly digital infrastructure. As a leader in this field, they are also pioneering research on trustworthy AI, self-sovereign identities, and data-and-cloud-computing, fostering compliance with regulations like the Cyber Resilience Act and EU Data Protection Act.
In their interdisciplinary research, CISPA combines cybersecurity and AI to make the digital world safer, addressing concerns such as cyberattacks, IoT device vulnerabilities, deepfakes, and disinformation. Their work is contributing to a secure digital future for Germany and Europe.