SITC News Articles

Experts Sought to Support SITC's SIGs

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 14:21:40 +0000

SITC and its European partners in the SIGNATURE Project need to identify experts within the security community who can support Special Interest Group (SIG) and Transnational Security Interest Groups (STIG) activities by:

Contributing as part of a multi-regional network of sector and funding experts to the identification and strategic review of relevant commercial and research funding opportunities for SIGs/STIGs.
Helping to organise SIG/STIG meetings (developing meeting proposals, agenda, identifying and recruiting suitable speakers, facilitating and presenting at meetings etc.)
Helping to facilitate the formation of consortia and development of collaborative bids and funding proposals involving SITC and European partner members.

Key qualifying criteria include:

Relevant domain knowledge, expertise, experience and industry contacts (among government, end user, systems integrator, SME and university communities)
Experience of organising and facilitating ‘workshop' style events to share knowledge and expertise
Experience and track record of success in facilitating the formation of consortia and the development of collaborative bids and funding proposals (especially where this involves international participants and/or is related to European programmes)
Familiarity and track record of engagement with SITC, its European partner organisations or similar sector support organisations.
The ability to communicate effectively in the English language (additional European language skills would also be desirable).

The support provided may involve a range of activities including:

Event Organisation: identifying key topics, programme design, recruiting speakers etc..
Event Chairing and Facilitation: managing an event to ensure key outputs are achieved and documented.
Opportunity Identification: attending, networking at and reporting on meetings/events to develop opportunities for collaborative bids.
Bids Management: Leading or supporting the project management of collaborative bids for R&D or commercial funded projects.
Speaking: Presenting as a keynote or topic expert at an event.

Through this Invitation to Tender, SITC intends to establish a list of ‘preferred suppliers' whom SITC and its European partners can call upon to deliver specific assignments based on an agreed day rate.

Travel and subsistence expenses evidenced by appropriate receipts etc. will be refunded for any assignments undertaken.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please set out your relevant skills, expertise and day rates on the form attached below to provide a basis for SITC to establish its ‘preferred supplier' list and select appropriate experts for particular assignments.

Please your completed form to Paul Osborne by 17.30 on Friday 24th September to be included in the initial selection of preferred suppliers.

New Study into Procurement of Security Technologies and Services

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 12:03:50 +0000

SITC is encouraging its members to contribute to a research study which aims to improve the understanding of current security procurement practices in the UK and develop recommendations for best practice, along with free web based tools and guidance, for purchasers and suppliers of security technology and services.

The research is being conducted by SITC member, Perpetuity Research, as part of its Security Research Initiative (SRI) which is supported by the British Security Industry Association (BSIA), The Security Institute and ASIS International and sponsored by 17 major companies with security interests.

SITC is keen to ensure that the particular issues faced by its members in the high technology and innovative segment of the security market are fully reflected in this study. SITC members are therefore encouraged to participate in this study to ensure that, for instance, the particular barriers that innovative SMEs face within standard security procurement processes are reflected or that the 'open innovation' approaches being adopted by more enlightened larger companies seeking innovative security solutions are properly documented.

If you would like further information or you a willing to spare up to an hour for a telephone interview to share your experiences and perceptions of the security procurement process with the research team, please contact Charlotte Lawson on 0116 222 5563 or c.lawson@perpetuitygroup.com

Thales wins INSTINCT TD2 Project

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 11:55:10 +0000

Thales UK and Intellect today announce the launch of a project to identify and trial new technologies, solutions and ideas from any small, medium or large-sized business or academic institution that can be used to enhance aviation security.

Known as the INSTINCT-Technology Demonstrator 2 (TD2), this is a dynamic, innovative project that is designed to discover, trial and showcase emergent security technologies, solutions and ideas. These will be validated through trials and analysis conducted in a combination of live physical environments, including UK Airports and synthetic environ ments. Support to develop technologies, solutions or ideas into real products that can be quickly implemented within the aviation security environment is a key deliverable for the INSTINCT-TD2 project, as is the awareness of these ‘products’ and their capabilities by the airport, airline and security authorities and companies.

Participation in the project is sought from any person, company or academic institution (‘demonstrators’), regardless of size or location, that has a technology, solution or idea that could improve aviation security at any stage in the air travel process, from the point of planning and booking a trip, through to boarding an aircraft. Ideally this would improve, or at least not affect, passenger experience and/or airport revenues.
Specific benefits to successful demonstrators include:

the opportunity to share in a cash prize from a prize fund of £50,000, provided by Thales;
the opportunity to test their technology, solution or idea in a real environment that they wouldn’t normally be able to access;
gaining invaluable knowledge of the aviation security environment and the application of their technology within this market;
access to aviation and industry experts to help them to trial, demonstrate and market their technology in the best possible way;
access to a wide range of potential customers and end users;
coaching and support in the development of their technology, solution or idea into a marketable product and business planning;
financial support to offset reasonable costs associated with taking part in the trials, subject to status;
protection of intellectual property; and
full support and guidance throughout the entire project.

Get in touch

Further information can be found at www.intellectuk.org/INSTINCT-TD2, by emailing INSTINCT-TD2@uk.thalesgroup.com, or by registering (via the TD2 website) for the industry day to be held in Central London on 19 August. The closing date for submissions is 21 August 2010.

Global Security Challenge 2010 - DEADLINE EXTENDED TILL 6th August 2010

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:03:09 +0000

By entering the Global Security Challenge start-ups and SMEs have a unique opportunity to win $500,000 in cash support sponsored by TSWG of the US Department of Defence. You can also win mentorship from the industry’s best VCs as well as the opportunity to showcase your innovations in front of venture capitalists, government officials, industry leaders and the media.

Top contenders from previous Global Security Challenge competitions have raised over $78 million in new investment capital.

Entering couldn’t be easier!

There are less than 20 questions and the whole process can be completed in one session and it is free to enter, all entries receive feedback from the judges – it might prove to be the most important thing you ever do!

Apply Today!

You can enter the Global Security Challenge in one of two categories depending on the maturity of your idea and size of your organisation. For further information and to enter, please visit the GSC website: www.GlobalSecurityChallenge.com

Conference De-brief - Seawork 2010

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 13:42:11 +0000

Dear Members

I would like to take this opportunity to debrief you all on the conference sessions I attended last week at Seawork 2010.

The exhibition was specifically targeted at the maritime industry and I attended the event for research purposes for our Transport & Physical Security Special Interest Group. However the conference sessions had a strong focus on security, defence and exporting and felt that the information I gained at the event may be of interest to you.

Please feel free to download the documents below and if you have any comments/feedback I would love to hear from you!

Kind regards

Laura-Jane Pirie
Project Manager
Security Innovation & Technology Consortium (SITC)
www.securityintech.com

Tel: 07773 022933
Skype: laura.jane.pirie
LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/laura-jane-pirie/a/450/647

Unit 13a, Surrey Technology Centre, 40 Occam Road, Surrey Research Park, Guildford, Surrey. GU2 7YG.

SITC Newsletter - Spring 2010

Thu, 20 May 2010 16:47:34 +0000

Conservative National Security Green Paper

Fri, 14 May 2010 10:04:48 +0000

With the new Consevative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government in place in the UK, the Conservative's recently published Green Paper 'A Resilient Nation' gives clues to future security policy.

As anticipated, Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones has taken up a non-cabinet post as the new Security Minister, presiding over a newly created National Security Council.

The Green Paper (attached below), which was published in January 2010, sets out plans for a new, integrated approach to national security, with major changes including:

A liberal Conservative attitude to foreign policy which champions an enlightened vision of the national interest;
Reducing the need for military intervention by building a capacity for preventative action, including a greater role for diplomacy led by the FCO and for contributions from a wider range of government departments;
A more integrated approach to post-conflict reconstruction - with a new Stabilisation and Reconstruction Force;
A new focus on key parts of domestic security which have been ignored to date, such as border security;
A more structured military contribution to homeland security;
Much greater emphasis on the resilience of the country's critical infrastructure; and
A new concern with ensuring that security legislation does not compromise civil liberties, and with strengthening social cohesion.

The proposals for increasing the resilience of critical infrastructure include a programme of systematic mapping and modelling encompassing:

International supply chains, particularly when from or transiting through high risk and unstable areas;
The location and physical state of UK critical national infrastructure;
The interdependencies, capacity and redundancy of essential sectors to withstand and respond to extreme events and long-term trends (e.g. socio-demographic);
Regulatory arrangements in each sector;
Vulnerabilities of key installations and protections in place;
Foreign ownership of critical assets; and
Relevant computer networks and space based technologies essential to normal functioning.

This modelling would provide a risk assessed basis for upgrades and improvements in standards and procedures,

Security of supply of basic commodities, essential services and energy are key areas of focus, as well as a shake up the UK's fragmented cybersecurity infrastructure including the creation of a new Cyber Threat and Assessment Centre (CTAC).

SEEDA Funding Available for SMEs to Integrate their Sensors* into iGRC Solution

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:40:57 +0000

In addition to the co-funding recently provided by SEEDA, alongside TSB funding, to enable the iGRC Consortum's R&D project to proceed (see: SITC News Article), a further £100K fund was also secured by SITC to help to integrate additional sensor inputs into the iGRC solution by means of a new interoperability standard.

* Sensors in the context of the iGRC Consortium means any hardware or software system that can detect and report electronically a change of status, a possible incident or new risk or threat. Sensor examples range from intrusion detection / prevention, network traffic analysers, access control systems, authentication systems, malware detectors to data centre environmental control or intelligent video recognitions systems.

The aim of this SEEDA funding is to create a ‘critical mass’ of integrated capability, geographically clustered in the SEEDA region, which is able to offer solutions that can be rapidly deployed in as wide a range of customer environments as possible, thereby underpinning the new interoperability standard and speeding market access for the companies involved.

Any companies interested in this opportunity should contact Paul Osborne - posborne@securityintech.com - or Nick Connor - nickc@assuria.com - for further details, eligibility criteria and details on how to apply.

Further details about the iGRC Consortium can be found at: www.igrc.co.uk

TSB £8m Trusted Services R&D Call

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 13:41:10 +0000

The Technology Strategy Board (TSB) through its Network Security Innovation Platform is launching an £8m competition to fund projects that aim to speed up the deployment of secure and trustworthy information systems, within Digital Britain and the wider global economy.

A competition Launch Workshop is being held in London on 13th April. To register go to: http://www.innovateuk.org/event/event/trusted-services-competition-launch-event.ashx

There will also be a series of collaboration workshops running up to and during the competition phase.

The TSB are inviting applications for 'Fast-track' (up to £150K project costs) and larger business-led collaborative R&D projects.

Please see attached flyer for further details.

MoD Influence through Cyberspace Call

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:18:39 +0000

The Centre for Defence Enterprise (CDE) are running this competition on behalf of the MOD’s Cyber & Influence Science & Technology Centre for research to explore how human and social behavious is manifest in the virtual worlds of cyberspace.

Whilst Defence activities are known primarily for their physical effect upon the real world, there is increasing interest intheir ability to create effects, by means of military influence activities, in the cognitive domain, often described in terms of the 'battle for hearts and minds'.

Capabilities to analyse and understand human behavious and attitudes do exist, but these have traditionally focused on people in the physical world: there has been relatively little emphasis on how behavious and attitudes are revealed and can be shaped by online activity within the 'new media'. Cyberspace thus represents a new and challenging area of research for human and social scientists and as a domain within which Influence can be exerted.

To affect human and social behaviour demands an understanding of how this behaviour is shaped by multiple factors: personality, motivation, attitudes, social identity, group, organisational and social norms and cultural practices as well as the context within which the behaviour occurs. Analysis of these factors potentially allows the forecasting of human and social behaviour in response to interventions of all types.

Please note that the event to launch this call on 22 April 2010 at CDE Harwell, has already reached its application capacity. Please email CDE at science@mod.uk if you wish to be considered for any late availability of places at this event, or for more information on this call.

SITC Supports Members to £1.7m iGRC Project Success

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:26:24 +0000

SITC is delighted to announce that the iGRC Consortium (a consortium comprised exclusively of SITC Members) has recently secured funding from the Technology Strategy board (TSB) and South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) for a £1.7m R&D project to develop an innovative model for integrated Governance, Risk and Compliance (iGRC).

The iGRC Consortium is led by Information Governance Ltd and includes HP Enterprise Services (previously EDS), Assuria and Nexor, and the Universities of Cranfield, Loughborough and London (Birkbeck College). The project will develop and demonstrate the integration of Information Governance’s Proteus Enterprise GRC management product with Assuria, Nexor and other network sensor technologies.

SITC played a significant role in nurturing the development of the ideas behind the iGRC concept through its Governance, Risk and Compliance Special Interest Group (GRC SIG). Many of the key ideas for the project were first revealed at the GRC SIG's Inaugural Event in September 2008. SITC and the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) then jointly funded a Consultation and Demonstration event in January 2009 to develop and refine the initial concept. The iGRC Consortium bids for Technology Strategy Board and SEEDA R&D funding were also developed with the active support of SITC.

Further details about the iGRC Consortium and related press releases can be found at: www.igrc.co.uk

SITC Newsletter - Winter 2009-2010

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:46:26 +0000

SEEDA Funding Supports a New Security Knowledge Network

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:48:33 +0000

SITC is in the process of setting up a new Security Knowledge Network which will focus on developing collaborations between companies and universities, as well as fostering European collaborative research and development projects, both in partnership with other European Security cluster organisations. SEEDA has granted £100K of funding over two years to SITC to support this new initiative and enable it to provide the sustained impetus needed to build strong international partnerships.

Securing this SEEDA funding has already provided the basis for SITC to submit a bid to lever in a matching contribution from the EU Interreg IVB (ERDF) programme in partnership with nGage Solutions (UK), Systematic (France), LSEC (Belgium) and TeleTrusT (Germany). If successful, this bid will bring further resources into supporting the establishment of Security Transnational Interest Groups (STIGs) which will align with and add an international dimension to the six SITC SIGs. The consortium has already received a conditional offer of funding from ERDF and SITC expects to be able to announce a positive outcome of this bid in the coming weeks.

With these extra resources in place, SITC is now in a position to recruit a new member of staff and will be advertising this post in the next few days.

New UK Counter Terrorism Science and Technology Strategy

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:22:52 +0000

As part of the UK Government’s new Science and Technology Counter Terrorism Strategy scientists are being asked to come forward with state-of-the-art ideas that could be used to identify new threats and develop ways to counter the challenges we face from international terrorism.

The three-year strategy aims to:

Understand future threats and opportunities
Develop effective solutions
Work with the UK's international partners on counter terrorism-related science and technology

Alongside the strategy, an 'Ideas and Innovation' brochure has been produced for science and technology experts, to put them in touch with key contacts (the strategy and brochure are attached below).

The strategy and accompanying brochure set out key challenges and invite commercial experts to get in touch to see if they can work towards meeting the operational needs of the wider counter-terrorism community as well as our traditional partners such as the police, military and security services.

The strategy has three principle objectives:

To use horizon scanning to understand future scientific and technical threats and opportunities and inform our decision making on counter-terrorism
To ensure the development and delivery of effective counter-terrorism solutions by identifying and sharing priority science and technology requirements.
To enhance international collaboration on counter-terrorism related science and technology.

The brochure sets out some of the challenges faced by Government:

Reducing the vulnerability of crowded places
Protecting the national infrastructure
Protecting against cyber terrorism
Improving analytical tools
The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

It also describes some of the key technologies critical to counter-terrorism:

Knowledge management
Biometrics
Screening
Physical protection
Countering improvised explosive devices

And it explains who to contact for more information and advice.

UK Cyber Security Strategy Launched

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:11:45 +0000

Today the UK Government announced a new cyber security in conjunction with its first annual update of its National Security Strategy.

Its publication is a sign of the growing recognition within government of the need to bolster defences against a growing threat.

In line with a wider focus within the National Security Strategy on not just protecting the state but also citizens, the cyber-strategy encompasses protecting individuals from forms of fraud, identity theft and e-crime committed using technology as well as defending government secrets and businesses.

Two new bodies will be established in the coming months as part of the strategy:

An Office of Cyber Security (OCS) to provide strategic leadership for and coherence across Government. The OCS will establish and oversee a cross-government programme to address priority areas in pursuit of the UK’s strategic cyber security objectives.

A Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC) that will bring together existing functions: to actively monitor the health of cyber space and co-ordinate incident response; to enable better understanding of attacks against UK networks and users; and to provide better advice and information about the risks to business and the public.

For further details see the Cyber Security Strategy document attached below:

Technology Partners Sought by Telstra for Australian MoD

Thu, 07 May 2009 14:22:03 +0000

Telstra Enterprise & Government based in Sydney, Australia have made UK Trade & Investment - Team South East aware of an opportunity for UK companies to work with them to deliver solutions to the Australian DoD.

Telstra is the largest Telecommunications Company in Australia and one of the largest in the Asia Pacific region and Telstra Enterprise & Government (TE&G) is the leading provider of network based solutions and services to enterprise and governments in Australia and New Zealand.

Networking Infrastructure
Next Generation IP
Unified Collaboration
Encryption
Voice & Carriage
Network Operation Support

TE&G would like to hear from any SITC Members with relevant defence-related capabilities in these areas as soon as possible (and would especially appreciate an initial contact before 14 May).

If you believe your company has relevant capabilities and has the resources necessary to partner with Telstra to supply services to the Australian DoD, please contact Telstra directly. Click here for contact details (members only access).

NG seeks SME partners for integrated Airport Security Solution

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:00:00 +0000

SITC has been asked by Northrop Grumman (NG) to help them to identify SMEs with complementary capabilities to partner with them on their new ‘Airtight' Integrated Airport Security Solution.

The Airtight solution, which was launched at ATC Global in Amsterdam in March, is being developed by Northrop Grumman Mission Systems in Fareham. It builds on NG's proven COPEX technology developed for the US Military and links to the installed base of Ground Movements Radar supplied by NG Subsidiary Park Air Systems to the majority of the world's airports.

More details of the Airtight proposition are available in the attached flyer.

Richard Mears, Director of Business Development at NGMS described the types of SMEs they were keen to hear from:

We are now seeking new partnerships with SME's to help us present a value proposition to our emerging customers. In the first instance we wish to partner with companies providing risk assessment services. This will be a sold service and one that with us will inform the customer on the considerations they need to factor into their specification.

Also we require details of SME's providing services to other aspects of security and will want to seek partnerships for mutual benefits. Companies that are already selling to Airports and that currently don't work with large integrators are of specific interest.

Any SMEs who believe they meet NG's requirements are encouraged to contact Roberto Clementi - rclementi@ngms.eu.com - or Peter Boxall - pboxall@ngms.eu.com - at NG for further information.