Critical infrastructure elements such as wind power stations are partially controlled via mobile phone networks. Using state-of-the-art tests, researchers at Horst Görtz Institute for IT-Security (HGI) in Bochum are investigating how well protected such control systems are from external attacks. The team from Ruhr-Universität Bochum has joined forces with colleagues from TU Dortmund University in…
Internet of Things: Closing Security Gaps in Internet-Connected Household
IT security experts from Bochum, headed by Prof Dr Thorsten Holz, are developing a new method for detecting and fixing vulnerabilities in the applications run on different devices — regardless of the processor integrated in the respective device. In future, many everyday items will be connected to the Internet and, consequently, become targets of attackers.…
Easy Prey For Hackers: Navigation Systems
When it comes to route planning, drivers have almost blind faith in GPS; the technology plays a crucial role in identifying location and time in the industry as well as in other areas. If hackers attack the system, they can cause great damage. Deploying several GPS receivers at the same time could solve the problem…
Calculating the Service Life of Bridges
In future, the service life of bridges may be estimated more accurate than ever before. Engineers from the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have refined mathematical models for calculating them. Unlike previous models, they take local conditions into consideration, rather than depending on average default values. The RUB’s science magazine RUBIN reports. Comparison between the old and…
Making Synthetic Materials More Impervious
Synthetic materials are convenient in many respects, but they have one disadvantage: they are permeable to gases. In order to make plastic more impervious, Ruhr-Universität engineers apply wafer-thin layers on surfaces. READ: DARPA Seeks New Materials for Energy Transduction This would not only increase the shelf life of food in plastic packaging, but would also…