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In her dissertation for the University of Koblenz and Landau, the 29-year-old researcher established a comprehensive catalog of requirements related to the IT security of electronic voting systems. Based thereupon, she developed an internationally standardized protection profile, which has been certified by the Federal Office for Information Technology Security (BSI). The “Gesellschaft für Informatik” , a non-profit organization that supports the field of informatics, is currently using this profile to evaluate their Internet voting system. Her doctoral thesis, which she completed at the end of 2008, was published by the international publishing company Springer-Verlag. The Koblenz University Award is endowed with 2500 euros. Volkamer placed particular importance on the issue of errors made by voting machines, in order to ensure these are not repeated by future voting systems. She also called for transparent checks regarding the integrity of systems and election results.

The Center for Advanced Security Research Darmstadt was founded in Darmstadt in 2008 by the Darmstadt University of Technology, the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology SIT and the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences. The Government of Hessen is supporting CASED within the scope of its “Landes-Offensive zur Entwicklung Wissenschaftlich-Ökonomischer Exzellenz (LOEWE – an initiative for developing scientific and economic excellence)”.

Intensify communication

The financing of the project, which should strengthen the international competitiveness of the IT sector in the Darmstadt Rhein Main Neckar region, has therefore been secured. The objective is to promote the development of the region as a globally significant network and center of innovation for information and communication technology while increasing its prominence. One of the steps towards this goal will be to intensify the exchange of information between, above all, small and medium-sized IT companies. Furthermore, the transfer of knowledge between universities and companies should also be expanded.

Fifty percent of the project costs incurred by the Software Cluster Rhein Main Neckar will be financed by the IHK Darmstadt, the TU Darmstadt and the partners, Software AG, SAP AG and IDS Scheer AG. The State of Hessen will support the Cluster for a period of three years with a further fifty percent using money from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The overall budget for the project amounts to 700,000 Euros.

The coordinator is based at the IHK Darmstadt

Jürgen Ackermann, manager of the Cluster, is responsible for the practical implementation of the project. His office is located on the premises of the IHK Darmstadt and he has been working for the Software Cluster since April of this year. The strategic objectives of the project are determined by the steering committee of the Software Cluster Rhein Main Neckar. The steering committee includes representatives from the Cluster partners, such as the IHK Darmstadt, the TU Darmstadt, Software AG and SAP AG.

Contact:
Jürgen Ackermann,
Cluster-Manager,
c/o IHK Darmstadt,
Telephone: 06151 871-129,
E-Mail: ackermanndarmstadt.ihk.de

Dr. Roland Lentz, Economic Spokesperson of the Software Cluster Rhein Main Neckar:“The IHK Darmstadt has been relying on networks for many years now, such as the successful portal IT4work for example. The financial aid provided to the Software Cluster by the State of Hessen also confirms something that we have known for a long: closer cooperation between science and business will play a key role in the future of our region. This network can be used to develop innovations and products that will help the companies to remain competitive in the long term. It will also create jobs. We are not only convinced that the companies and researchers in the Software Cluster will benefit from the network over the next three years, we also think the Cluster will be able to stand on its own two feet by then end of this period.”

Dr. Roland Lentz, Scientific Spokesperson of the Software Cluster Rhein Main Neckar:“The Cluster will not only strengthen the traditionally good cooperation between the important research and training institutes in Darmstadt, but also the economy. The cooperation covers the most important areas: research and development, knowledge transfers and the training of specialists and managers. This will turn the region into a pioneer in one of the most important areas of the German economy.”

Norbert Eder, Vice President Corporate Communications of Software AG:“Today is an important and decisive day for the regional Software Cluster. Our future and the chances for the Rhein Main Neckar region as a key IT location lie in the formation of a cluster. The successful clusters in Oulu, Bangalore or Silicon Valley substantiate this fact very clearly. A cluster also provides a greater degree of clarity for everybody involved and, therefore, improves business opportunities. The potential provided by a software cluster, such as the global dominance in the business software sector, need to be utilized and expanded. This not only helps the region, but also Germany as a business location.”

Steffen Saebisch, State Secretary of the Hessian Ministry of Economics, Transport and Urban and Rural Development (FDP): “According to our perception of market economy-oriented economic policy, it is not the task of the state to establish clusters for specific sectors in specific regions. However, the task of the state can and should be to help existing and emerging clusters develop their network structures and their network activities. In doing so, we view the promotion of cluster networks as an integral part of the promotion of innovation.“

Industrie- und Handelskammer Darmstadt - Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Pressinformation as PDF >>

Press information from the IHK (Chamber of Industry and Commerce) Darmstadt Rhein Main Neckar

It will be possible to communicate wirelessly with the electronic ID cards, which will be available from November 2010. In order to ensure the data stored on the ID card cannot be accessed by any unauthorized persons, the PACE encryption procedure, which was developed by the BSI, will be used when the initial connection is established. With the PACE procedure, a PIN needs entering before the ID card and the scanner can negotiate a cryptographic key, which is then used to establish a secure connection.

The latest results of the researchers, regarding the PACE procedure, prove that the keys generated during the negotiation process are secure. This even applies in environments where an attacker establishes communication with multiple ID cards and scanners at the same time. “Establishing complete proof of security for such an encryption procedure is very complex and can only be provided in rare cases”, explained Fischlin. The famous cryptologist went on to say that “no such proof exists for the SSL/TLS procedure, for example, which is commonly used nowadays for secure online banking”.

In contrast to other more common security procedures, PACE does not require a so-called public key infrastructure (PKI), a networked computer system that is used for generating, distributing and checking digital keys. This means a wireless connection can be established quickly between the chip and the scanner, even without an Internet connection.

It is envisaged that PACE will also be used for checking electronic passports in future and will replace the so-called Basic Access Control (BAC) procedure, which is used for protecting less sensitive passport and personal data, such as the date of birth or size. This data can also be retrieved directly from the passport when scanned. Although the BAC procedure can prevent passport data from being “passively heard” or retrieved by attackers under realistic conditions, the encryption used when transferring the information is comparatively weak. PACE will therefore provide a secure alternative in the future.

Conclusion: PACE will enable data to be transferred between the chip and scanner in an extremely secure and fast manner. The utilization of PACE together with the well-established PKI-based Extended Access Control (EAC), offers maximum cryptographic security while providing individual control of access rights, which is required, for example, with online identification systems for Internet or eGovernment services.

The details of the proof of security will be presented during the Information Security Conference 2009 and published by the ‘Springer-Verlag’.

Contacts

CASED

Technical Information
Dr. Marc Fischlin
marc.fischlincased.de
www.fischlin.de

Dr. Marc Fischlin is Principal Investigator at CASED and heads the ‘Emmy Noether-Nachwuchsgruppe’ (a program for promoting young researchers) - “Minimizing Cryptographic Assumptions (MiniCrypt)” - in the Computer Science Department of the Darmstadt University of Technology.

Press Contact BSI

Federal Office for Information Technology Security
PO Box 20 03 63, 53133 Bonn

Press office
Phone: +49 228 99 9582-5850
Email: pressebsi.bund.de
www.bsi.bund.de/cln_136/DE/Home/home_node.html

CASED acts as the headquarters of the Darmstadt IT Security Cluster, which was established by the Darmstadt University of Technology, the Fraunhofer SIT and the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, and offers a wealth of expertise in the area of IT security.

Above all the interdisciplinary research performed by the various employees of CASED, which includes computer scientists, mathematicians, physicists, legal experts, business economists and mechanical and electrical engineers, provides a unique advantage for the development of long-term IT security solutions.

Within the scope of the “Landesoffensive zur Entwicklung Wissenschaftlich-ökonomischer Exzellenz (LOEWE – an initiative for the development of scientific and economic excellence in Hesse)”, the State of Hesse is supporting innovative projects of the Cluster members as well as the associated networking.

Benefits through synergies and knowledge transfers

As cooperation partners, both CASED and the BSI benefit from a wide range of synergies in the research, development and training areas. “The collaboration with CASED allows us to convey knowledge on key topics from the high security sector to students at the University of Technology and the University of Applied Science in Darmstadt” explained Dr. Udo Helmbrecht, President of the BSI.

“We would like to make a contribution towards providing budding computer scientists and electrical engineers with the requisite know-how and raise their awareness of the importance of IT security.” Students and colleagues of Prof. Dr. Werner Schindler, who is a consultant in the area of cryptography at the BSI and Professor at the Darmstadt University of Technology, are already benefiting from the transfer of knowledge via his CASED workgroup and his lectures on the subject of side-channel attacks.

“Thanks to the close cooperation with the BSI, CASED receives important feedback regarding the current requirements of and demands from public authorities and companies. This information forms the basis for practical research and development work”, says Prof. Dr. Johannes Buchmann, director of CASED.

The particular perspectives and experience of the BSI also enrich the range of training offers in the area of IT Security provided by the University of Technology and the University of Applied Science in Darmstadt.

2. IT Forum Rhein Main Neckar 2009 – Research promotion in the region using CASED as an example

“The support that CASED is receiving via the LOEWE initiative is helping to further IT security research and training in Darmstadt at both a national and international level”, added Buchmann. “This makes the region attractive for IT companies, who can benefit directly from the know-how and networking between the scientific and business worlds.”

The promotion of research was also the subject of a podium discussion, which was held as part of the second Rhein Main Neckar IT Security Forum on the 25. June 2009 in the Darmstadium Science and Congress Center: Representatives from CASED and the BSI discussed the chances and effects of regional research promotion together with other guests, using CASED as an example.

CASED was represented by Prof. Dr. Johannes Buchmann, the director of CASED and a Professor at the Darmstadt University of Technology, and Prof. Dr. Christoph Busch, principal investigator at CASED and a Professor at the Darmstadt University of Applied Science.

The BSI’s views were represented by Dr. Gerhard Schabhüser, head of the cryptography and research department at the BSI. IT security was the focal point of the IT forum this year.

The Fraunhofer SIT presented a number of application-oriented IT security solutions to visitors at the CASED stand in the foyer of the Darmstadtium.

Electronic ID cards and the software MobileSitter, which is used for the secure administration of passwords and secret code numbers on mobile phones, were demonstrated.

As an IT security specialist, the Fraunhofer SIT develops ready-to-use solutions that fulfill all the requirements of the respective customer.

Trend-setting IT security solutions

CASED is supported by the LOEWE initiative of the State of Hesse and acts as the headquarters of the Darmstadt Security Cluster. Within this cluster, the Darmstadt University of Technology, the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology SIT and the Darmstadt University of Applied Science perform research into trend-setting IT security solutions for commercial exploitation.

For example, within the scope of the project “Innovative ID Card Applications”, which is being sponsored by ISPRAT, scientists from the Darmstadt University of Technology are developing applications for electronic ID cards in cooperation with the Lorenz-von-Stein Institute of Administrative Sciences.

Lifetime eSafe, an electronic storage system that allows users to store personal documents of any kind in a secure and confidential manner, is at the center of this research. The electronic ID card allows users to authenticate themselves securely to the eSafe.

The confidentiality of the data stored in the eSafe is guaranteed, above all, via the use of a decentralized service provider consortium.

Promoting the modernization of public authorities

The ISPRAT Institute wants to promote the modernization of public authorities through the use of information and communication technologies. This target is being pursued via strategic research projects, public relations work and symposia and congresses on the specific subjects in question.

Trend-setting strategic projects form the basis of this work, for which the ISPRAT Institute has established a network containing research institutes and experts from the worlds of business and politics. Founding members include partners from the industry sector and research facilities as well as persons from the political, business and science arenas. ISPRAT was founded in Frankfurt in 2007 under the patronage of Roland Koch, Minister President of Hesse, and works in a cross-party manner.

Other ISPRAT research projects include studies related to the introduction of a standard public authority telephone number throughout Germany, the implementation of EU service directives, the second phase of the federalism reform and balancing public sector budgets. ISPRAT wants to help exploit the chances provided by new technologies for Germany.