This research project is funded by Spanish National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE) within the Public Invitation for collaboration in the promotion of cybersecurity culture through the organization of CyberCamp events in Spain. The specific website for this research project with more information is this (in Spanish).
A series of activities are proposed and grouped into four different actions, with different specific objectives, and directly related to the strategic objectives set by INCIBE within this public invitation. Each of these actions corresponds to a line of cybersecurity promotion that is intended to be carried out at the University of Zaragoza.
These initiatives are carried out within the framework of the funds of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, financed by the European Union (Next Generation), the project of the Government of Spain that outlines the roadmap for the modernization of the Spanish economy, the recovery of economic growth and job creation, for solid, inclusive and resilient economic reconstruction after the COVID19 crisis, and to respond to the challenges of the next decade.
Specifically, the initiatives proposed are:
- Tardes de ciberseguridad. This action includes keynote talks related to aspects of cybersecurity and given by security managers and other experts, both from the academic sector and the industrial sector. From the University of Zaragoza (through the Telefónica-Cybersecurity Chair) and through the professional contacts of the work team, there is a wide range of personnel with positions of responsibility who can give these keynote talks. They will also contact an exhibition space for company cybersecurity solutions, where it is intended to hold an hour of professional networking between the different attendees of the talk. The purpose of this action is to raise awareness of the cybersecurity actors in the Autonomous Community of Aragón, as well as to generate synergies between companies thanks to the subsequent networking session. Monthly activities are planned during the school semesters related to this line of action. In order to achieve a better structure of the territory and given that the University of Zaragoza has offices in Huesca and Teruel, it is proposed to distribute the activities between the Aragonese provinces.
- CTF School. This action includes technical workshops specialized in aspects of cybersecurity through educational gamification. Experts in cybersecurity areas such as application analysis, forensic analysis, or cryptography, among others, will hold a technical workshop where, using a real example of a CTF test, they will delve into the knowledge necessary to solve the test. The research group that organizes these activities will propose another similar challenge to the audience, subsequently publishing the challenge and the resolution openly so that it can be verified whether the expected solution has been reached. Not only students, but also professionals from local companies who are interested will be invited to participate in this action. The purpose of this action is the promotion and recruitment of local talent in cybersecurity. Monthly activities are planned during the school semesters related to this line of action, with an estimated duration of each activity of 2 hours. These activities will take place at the Zaragoza Campus Río Ebro of the University of Zaragoza.
- Aragón is Cybersecurity. This action includes a two-day activity where, in collaboration with the School of Engineering and Architecture of the University of Zaragoza, a business fair focused on cybersecurity will be promoted. At this fair, interested companies will be able to set up exhibition stands for their companies and mailboxes for receiving resumes, so that they can attract talent. The day will be completed with a series of presentations of cybersecurity solutions and projects from local companies. The purpose of this action is to visualize the companies that work in cybersecurity within Aragón and to attract local talent, to avoid depopulation towards cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, or Valencia in search of opportunities related to cybersecurity. Therefore, the intention is that the participating companies are companies based (or have a presence) in Aragón. A single activity is proposed within this action. In order to achieve a better structure of the territory and given that the University of Zaragoza has offices in the rest of the provinces of Aragón (Huesca and Teruel), it is proposed to carry out this activity in Huesca.
- DFEx Congress. This action proposes the holding of an international conference specialized in cybersecurity, specifically, in the areas of reverse engineering of applications, analysis and exploitation of vulnerabilities, and digital forensic analysis. Despite the existence of numerous national industrial cybersecurity conferences, all of them are general and cover multiple areas of cybersecurity. On the other hand, the intention is that this congress is focused exclusively on the areas described, of a strongly technical nature, and that it attracts the interest of the State Security Forces and Bodies, both on the national and international spectrum. Local companies and the various chairs of the University of Zaragoza will also be involved in the search for sponsors. Using a scientific conference model, a book of proceedings will be published containing extended summaries of the papers presented. Contacts with Guardia Civil groups in Spain and other international organizations will be used to have experts on the subject from national and international Security Forces and Bodies. A single annual activity is proposed within this action. As it will be held annually, the venue of the congress can rotate between Zaragoza, Huesca and Teruel.
