Mauro Conti
Mauro Conti (1978) has been a part-time professor Cybersecurity at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics & Computer Science (EWI/EEMCS) since November 2019. His specialty is 'Security and privacy of modern information and operational technologies'. An important goal of his appointment was to expand the still young Cybersecurity research group.
In the slipstream of the development of (mobile) internet, Conti's career progressed rapidly. This resulted, among other things, in his appointment as a professor at the University of Padua (Italy) at the age of 39. Recently (2022), he was honoured with a Knighthood of the Italian Republic for his broad contribution. As a scientist and researcher, he is affiliated with various universities (including the University of Washington). As an advisor, he is involved with various organisations and governments. He is not only a member of the Advisory Council for Safety & Security Institute at TU Delft but also a member of the Blockchain Expert Panel of the Italian government and an Academic advisor for entrepreneurship development. The latter is because his name is also associated with several enterprises and startups, such as SPRITZ (a Security and Privacy Research Group), SPRITZMATTER, CHISITO, and Dyaloghi.
In 2019, TU Delft felt that there was an urgent need to attract a top scientist and pioneer like Mauro Conti. This was particularly due to the growing impact and relevance of cybersecurity on societal life, and the necessity for Europe to acquire an independent research and knowledge position in this field. Against this background, Conti worked on a testbed (test environment) for a safer internet and on cybersecurity.
The internet of the future
The current internet is based on TCP/IP network architecture. This is not optimally secure and certainly not sufficient for the future, given the increasing data traffic. The alternative is a network based on ICN architecture. ICN stands for ‘InformationCenterNetwork’. Compared to traditional IP networks, ICN is much more efficient, secure, and better equipped for mobile data traffic.
Enabling a secure transition
‘In recent years, I have been able to work on a coexistence testbed,’ Conti explains. This is used to investigate how TCP/IP and ICN network architecture can coexist. This is necessary to enable an absolutely secure transition to a future internet. ‘For this purpose, we
first design a complete, secure coexistence architecture. With new solutions for all identified vulnerabilities of the internet. Including possibilities to counter any possible cyber-attacks,’ Conti explains. ‘Such a secure coexistence architecture is first used in a virtualised environment and eventually implemented in the real world.’
Protecting WhatsApp from cyber hacks
In the field of cybersecurity, Conti has been particularly concerned with the secure use – and breach thereof! – of PIN codes and WhatsApp. ‘Regarding Machine Learning and security, I devised an attack to reconstruct PIN codes that people enter while covering the typing hand with the other hand,’ Conti explains. ‘It turned out that covering with just the hand is not effective. With malicious intent, PIN codes can still be reconstructed. It is more effective to shield the entire keyboard.’ Another attack method Conti designed is intended to investigate to what extent detailed information about the location of a WhatsApp user – such as the room they are in – can be obtained based on a voice message. The results of both studies were published in 2022.
‘Expanding the young Cybersecurity research group at the EEMCS faculty is one of my best achievements ever,’ Conti says about the impact of his appointment. ‘To go from scratch to an internationally renowned research group with passionate young researchers.’
Driver of education and research
One of the arguments for attracting Conti was his large international network, which could have a flywheel effect on both research and education, as well as on innovative co-creation with other parties. This promise has been more than fulfilled. Under his leadership, a large number of lecture series has been set up. Such as an Executive Master Cybersecurity together with Leiden University, a course on CS4265 Computer and Network Security, seminars and webinars for students and young researchers. Top researchers from the University of Padua, among others, are also involved in this.
Significantly improved position of TU Delft
‘During my lectures, I invite other researchers to present their work,’ Conti says about that. ‘This creates a connection between students and the research world. In this way, I was also able to promote new collaboration opportunities and internationalization. Students from here work on their thesis at the University of California. And I was able to set up an Erasmus+ exchange agreement between Padua and TU Delft.’ Thanks in part to this, the research group grew with bachelor and master students, PhDs, and postdocs, and TU Delft's position in cybersecurity research has significantly improved. This can be deduced, among other things, from the large number of symposia and congresses that have come to Delft in recent years. Also, the fact that Conti is involved as a Local Principal Investigator in research projects of the European Commission reflects positively on the position of TU Delft. As well as the fact that many large industrial names are often associated with these, such as Adyen, Siemens, Fujitsu, Unilever, Thales, Renault, Philips, Intel, Cisco, and so on.
For the well-being of everyone
New cybersecurity solutions are needed for societal issues such as securing social networks, authentication methods, and organisation through user profiling of (mobile) devices. In view of geopolitical developments, it is also important that Europe achieves digital autonomy in this area, including an independent European cybersecurity ecosystem. ‘In practicality, my research is about the safety and privacy of all Dutch and European citizens,’ Conti says. ‘And improving them according to GDPR and national legislation. My research focuses on the development of technologies and (user) skills to improve the security of critical infrastructures and technologies. And of operational technologies in practice, such as the cybersecurity of self-driving vehicles. For everyone's well-being, it is important that research is conducted into technologies that can increase cybersecurity,’ Conti emphasises the urgency once again.
Conti’s Personal Passion Pride
‘Of course, there's always something more to wish for. For example, I hope to get additional funding; we're in the final phase for this. It is for an impactful project to address the infrastructure of the internet, to make its use even safer. The challenge is that cybersecurity is often an 'afterthought,' something people only consider afterward. But especially with security aspects, you need to consider them from the very first design phase.’
TU Delft has become a catalyst
With an investment from the TU Excellence Fund for two PhDs and a postdoc, and for a cyber-physical system lab as part of the 'Do loT Field Lab,' Conti was able to start at TU Delft. Over the years, the department became a catalyst for a national education program on cybersecurity and also gained more impact within the Hague Security Delta and international networks. ‘I've been able to help give TU Delft more visibility,’ says Conti. ‘Among other things, by organising international events in Delft. TU Delft is now even more of an established name in cybersecurity and can contribute to more growth and attention for this research area worldwide. Also by educating the next generation of cybersecurity engineers.’
The journalist's laptop
Research in the field of cybersecurity is community work and 'trial and error’, Conti often says. A longer-term project is researching the ability to hear what someone is typing. Listening to someone typing on a keyboard and reconstructing the content based on the sound. ‘When a journalist wanted an interview, he asked beforehand if we could test this during the conversation, so we could demonstrate that it is indeed possible. That made us very nervous,’ Conti says laughing. ‘So, we looked into what kind of laptop this journalist would use in advance, so we could practice a bit...’ See the video next to this.