The project’s goal is to have a substantial impact on router security in the near future.
The Secure Networking by Design (SNbD) project was launched by the University of Oxford, TechWorks, and NquiringMinds, with the goal of pioneering digital security innovation and developing advanced, open source network protections for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and router manufactures.
With the increasing concerns associated with cyber security, the SNbD project will focus on the router, which accounts for over 75 percent of infected devices, according to a recent industry report. Compromised routers are a higher hazard than attacked IoT devices or even PCs! By integrating recent breakthroughs in router security (ManySecured) built on a secure computing hardware platform (CHERI/Morello), the SNbD project will directly address this “hyper-scaling” threat.
John Moor, COO of TechWorks said, “Cyber security attacks are constantly evolving and cost the global economy billions of pounds per year. It is therefore essential that we respond to that challenge with systems and collaborations which can evolve as new threats emerge. SNdB is intended to do just that with advanced technology and the power of the open-source community.”
Nick Allott, CEO of NquiringMinds added, “ManySecured and Morello have combined to deliver security. Remote network attacks are dangerous and infections. They present a security threat with a frightening ability to scale. Hardening this network interface right down to a fundamental silicon level, is an essential component of global security strategy and our team is perfectly placed to realise this vision.”
By designing secure networking pieces from the bottom up, the ManySecured project is enhancing router security. The ManySecured components are able to not only identify and prevent assaults, but also to self-heal against developing security threats and weaknesses, thanks to AI.
SNbD intends to significantly improve the security supplied by router technology by merging the secure router aspects provided by ManySecured with the memory protection and secure compartmentalization capabilities provided by CHERI/Morello.
Professor Andrew Martin, University of Oxford, said, “Digital Security by Design is undergoing translation from research to practice at scale. Our project will test the effectiveness of that paradigm shift and blaze a trail towards a security step-change for core network components.”
