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ERIS

Research

The successful operation, maintenance, and further development of critical infrastructures like the Internet, mobile networks, or the power grid are key for life in our technology-oriented societies. The nEtwork and cRitical Infrastructure Security Group, short ERIS, focuses on the protection of complete infrastructures comprising of complex, interconnected systems. We particularly investigate (I) the Internet representing nowadays’ prime communication infrastructure, (II) mobile networks bringing the Internet anywhere, and (III) the power grids supplying the energy that is necessary for life in our technology-oriented societies.

Our research topics include:

  • Network measurements
    As a consequence of its decentralized organization, no map of the Internet is available and instead measurement experiments, similar to those in natural sciences like physics, are necessary to gain insights in the Internet’s current state. We develop novel measurement methods and run large-scale Internet measurement campaigns. Among others, the gained information allows to understand currently deployed Internet technology or the prevalence of vulnerabilities, and serves as a foundation for further improvement of the Internet as a whole.
  • IPv6 measurements
    Due to address scarcity, the Internet currently undergoes a major transition from Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) to version 6 (IPv6). This does not only vastly increase the address space for measurement campaigns, but also gives raise to new vulnerabilities. We develop new resp. adapt existing methods for IPv6, and investigate how security changes when operating IPv6 or Dualstack (simultaneous operation of both protocols).
  • Measurement platforms
    We operate two permanent research platforms, namely the Austrian Internet Measurement Hub (AIM) for active Internet measurements, and MobileAtlas for measurements in mobile networks. The platforms are also made available other researchers and students, e.g., for their bachelor or master theses.
  • Power grid security
    The on-going digitization of legacy infrastructures makes them vulnerable to cyber-launched attacks. In this context, we develop novel attacks against the power grid and its ecosystem facilitated by these new digital opportunities in order to strengthen the resilience of this vital infrastructure.

Our research has lasting impact. Among others, our work (I) motivated the revision of RFC4941, an IPv6 address format for privacy detection, and respective implementations in client operating systems, (II) revealed multiple misconfigurations on the Internet and lead to the improvement at national ISPs, and (III) revealed vulnerabilites that were responsibly disclosed to the vendors.

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