SKIMS: Vitamin C for Mobile Phones

Computer Scientists at Freie Universität to Develop Immune System for Mobile Devices

Just in time for the start of the flu season, computer scientists at Freie Universität Berlin are working to improve the immune system of mobile devices. The research is being coordinated by Freie Universität and conducted jointly with experts in mobile systems and security in Hamburg and Bochum. The project, which is called SKIMS, is being funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research for two and a half years with almost one million euros.

Cell phones and smartphones are constantly being given new features. They already serve not only as a phone, calendar, and address book - soon they will also replace airline tickets and be used for cashless payment. Equipment that can do so much requires particular protection from unauthorized access from outside. "Similar to our biological immune system, each device must learn from the threats and build defense strategies," said Jochen Schiller, professor of computer science and head of the project.

By the time the project is completed in mid-2012, the group aims to have developed a collaborative, digital immune system capable of providing comprehensive protection. Schiller and his colleagues will develop intelligent detection and prevention software, which would itself function to protect mobile phones and would also draw on other technical devices in the area for assistance. It would establish a kind of defense system, making it possible to reduce the spread of infections.

Cooperation partners are the Internet technologist and the security group at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences and two companies, the DFN-Cert and the escrypt.

Further Information:

Project website: http://skims.realmv6.org/

About Freie Universität Berlin:

Freie Universität Berlin is a leading research institution. It is one of the German universities successful in all three funding lines in the federal and state Excellence Initiative, thereby receiving additional funding for its institutional future development strategy. Freie Universität can thus take its place as an international network university in the global competition among universities. Its future development strategy is focused around three strategic centers: for cluster development, for international cooperation, and for graduate studies. Development and assessment of research projects takes place within various focus areas such as area studies, Urban Earth System Studies, or nanosciences. Freie Universität has various offices abroad, e.g., in New York, Beijing, New Delhi, Cairo, and Moscow, that provide a platform for international cooperation. The university’s performance in the Excellence Initiative has provided funding for several new graduate schools and transdisciplinary research clusters.

Contact:

Prof. Dr. Jochen Schiller, Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Computer Science

Tel.: +49 (0)30 / 838-75213, Email: jochen.schiller@fu-berlin.de
Web: http://cst.mi.fu-berlin.de/staff/schiller.htm

This release was published on openPR.