Birkbeck academic secures prestigious NATO funding for cybersecurity research
With the increasing prevalence of cyber-attacks as tools of disruption, this project addresses an urgent need for proactive solutions by aiming to forecast cyber threats and aligning them with mitigating solutions.
A research project led by Dr Paul Yoo, in Birkbeck’s School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences has secured funding from NATO’s highly competitive Science for Peace and Security programme. The initiative aims to transform how nations predict and mitigate cyber threats, placing Dr Yoo and Birkbeck at the forefront of global efforts to enhance cybersecurity.
Dr Yoo’s project, titled Explainable Forecasting of Cyber Threats and Pertinent Alleviation Technologies, is aimed at forecasting cyber threats and aligning them with mitigating solutions, known as Pertinent Alleviation Technologies (PATs). Using advanced AI and big data sources like news, government advisories, and scientific studies, the research predicts trends in cyber-attacks and identifies effective countermeasures. With escalating geopolitical instability and the increasing prevalence of cyber-attacks as tools of disruption, this project addresses an urgent need for proactive solutions.
Dr Yoo commented:
“We’re thrilled to receive this funding from NATO, which reflects the critical importance of our work in today’s rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape. Traditional methods of forecasting cyber threats rely on human expertise, which can introduce bias and limit accuracy. By leveraging AI and big data, this project addresses these challenges, providing unbiased, consistent, and scalable insights into cyber-attack trends. Its explainable AI models also ensure decision-makers understand the basis of predictions, enabling trust and informed action. With cyberspace being a global and rapidly evolving battlefield, this research empowers nations to respond proactively to threats, making it an essential step toward strengthening global cybersecurity.”
Funding from NATO will support the acquisition of a state-of-the-art GPU server for AI processing, top-up stipend for four research assistants, and international collaboration between researchers and end-users, including Samsung and the UK Cabinet Office.
The research is a joint effort involving Birkbeck, University of London; RMIT University in Australia; the University of Milan in Italy; and the University of Texas San Antonio in the United States. By fostering global collaboration, the project offers solutions with far-reaching impact, bridging the gap between machine predictions and human expertise.