Brussels, October 24th 2014

EU’s First Cyber Security & Privacy Innovation Awards

European researchers, ICT Security professionals and industry, supported by the European Commission to honour those making an impact in Privacy and Cyber Security.

Europe’s most innovative and forward-thinking researchers and entrepreneurs gathered in Brussels on 23 October 2014, recognising those who are bolstering Europe’s cyber security landscape. 

The awards are the brainchild of an EU-supported research project, named Innovation Framework for Privacy and Cyber Security Market Opportunities (IPACSO). This consortium which comprises a diverse range of industry, academic, R&D and policy-making experts collaborating to build a faster, more effective and efficient road-to-market landscape for cyber security entrepreneurs.

Ulrich Seldeslachts, CEO from LSEC Leaders in Security, member of IPACSO says:  “We are delighted these inaugural awards have attracted widespread interest and an eminent lineup of speakers including Giovanni Verhaeghe, Innovation Director Vasco Data Security and Jarno Limnell, Director Cyber Security McAfee.

Cyber Security is one of the fastest growing technology sectors worldwide and IPACSO is supporting IT security innovators to improve their innovation practices. We hope this event provides a fitting platform to champion and celebrate the critical work taking place on the European stage.”

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The Finalists

Amongst the finalists were companies from Slovenia, Ireland, Norway, the Netherlands, UK, Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany and France:

o BRI-Business Risk Intelligence GmbH: Intelligence Alert & Risk Management Service. FORE-WARNED IS FORE-ARMED
o BusinessForensics: Tailored dissemination of information to meet privacy requirements
o Compumatica: Secure - Bring Your Own Device (S-BYOD)
o Covertix: SmartCipher™ Control & protect confidential information while in motion, at rest, anywhere.
o Ercom: CRYPTOSMART – High Level Mobile Security on High end Commercial Available Smartphones & Tablets
o EyeRa: Next generation SCADA SECURITY
o G DATA: USB Keyboard Guard
o Intrinsic-ID: Saturnus® Security Framework, framework for developing secure and convenient mobile and desktop applications
o DelITad NV: Privacy Helpdesk & Pooling system: Providing cost-efficient access to a (legally required) Data Protection Officer
o Kahuna: AbuseDesk Solution for Internet Service Providers, automating detection, evaluation & client solution process from Malware infected consumer PC's or phones
o Lumeta: Lumeta ESI network discovery, leak path detection, visualization, and cyber-security analytics
o Rosberg System AS: Protecting Smartphones against advanced and silent attacks
o Regify: Regichat®, the registered business chat with digital notary service
o XLAB Research: Device Monitor for Android: Botnet hunting on Android mobile devices
o Sedicii Innovations Ltd: Sedicii, patented technology that eliminates the need to transmit or store private information
o P@SSPORT: Triple A framework: Centralized Identity & Access, Threat, Vulnerability and Trust management capability
o SQR technologies: Security by Quantum Randomness

Jury Members & Review Process:

Since launching the awards in February 2014, IPACSO has received a phenomenal number of entries from candidates across the EU hoping to win one of the 6  “Innovation” categories spanning: “Cyber Security Product, Cyber Security Service, Cyber Security Company, Privacy Company, ICT Security Innovation, and Privacy or Cyber Security Innovator 

The winners have been selected by an international jury on site and from a distance, consisting out of an independent group of security & privacy experts, IT Security research authorities, innovation experts, and captains of industry. These include members of the IPACSO Advisory Board.

And the Winners are.......

1. Innovative Cyber Security Product : XLAB Mobile Device Monitor (SI) :
   XLAB is an innovative Slovenian company, active in the ICT Security domain already for a couple of years. With the Mobile Device Monitor, the company has developed an application for Android actively monitoring external communications and alerting the user when attemps are undertaken to access rogue IP addresses or other known malicious hosts. When the mobile user clicks on a link on his mobile (either via email or an app), the XLAB Mobile Device Monitor will block the communication and alert the user. 
   The jury praises the company for its innovative product and encourages further developments also on iOS and expanding to other information sources.
2. Innovative Cyber Security Service KAHUNA Abusedesk Solution (NL) :
   The Abusdesk Solution is spearheading the AbuseInformationExchange, the collaboration in the Netherlands amongst various ISPs collectively mitigating abuse of systems and platforms by sharing information about vulnerabilities, indicators of compromise, malware and other information leading to detecting the source of the abuse. By fighting the problem at the source, end users will be able to experience a significant reduction in cyber security threats from within the country. End users will be guided in cleaning up their machines preventing to cause further harm to other users and other networks. The KAHUNA solution should be considered by other ISP's throughout Europe and supported by policy makers in order te be able to take preventive measures. 
   The jury praises Kahuna in particular for making situational awareness an active means to fight cyber threats, going beyond the intelligence. 
3. Innovative Cyber Security Company :  GDATA continuously innovating, most recent with the USB Keyboard Guard (DE) : 
   GDATA has been an independent cyber security innovator for more than a decade. The company is constantly researching new threats and building solutions to prevent some of these threats to become serious attack vectors. End users and industrial systems sometimes forget they can not only be attacked by an internet connection. Also USB devices can carry a series of potential threats without the consent or even awareness of the user. With teh USB Keyboard Guard, the company steps into a domain allowing the end user to make a conscious choice wether a simple usb stick should also be allowed to act as a keyboard. 
4. Innovative Privacy Company : SEDICII Securing Identities (IE) :  
   Based upon a earlier research, Sedicii decided to focus on protecting the identity of the end user, by protecting his personal data and personal information. This reduces not the potential impact of a data breach, but also considers the protection of the privacy of the end user by masking the true identity from the start (in the browser, on the device, or elsewhere.) 
   The jury praises Sedicii for their attempt to monetize the challenge of privacy protection, and endorses the idea of protecting the end user identity end to end.
5. ICT Security Innovation : Rosberg Systems (NO) : new generation security for smartphones 
   In many European countries SMS is still a major medium to reach out to end users for different types of information or transactions. These could be related to online banking, transportation or other. End users can be lured into phising attacks by untrusted senders. The solution provides an additional layer of trustworthiness in this widespread medium.
   The jury praises Rossberg for their approach in trying to reduce the impact of SMS-fraud, that results in cyber security threats.
6. Privacy or Cyber Security Innovator :  Intrinsic-ID (NL) : 
   Innovation entails perseverence and capability to constantly pivot, with new opportunities appearing. The latest innovative solution by Intrinsic-ID uses the original identity of a chip in a smartphone by means of physical unclonable functions, in order to use this unique phone identity to authenticate to applications, services and to prevent potential cyber threats, or preserve the privacy of the user (by using his / hers unique mobile phone identifier to make transactions). 
   The jury praises Intrinsic-ID for their innovative approach in defining a unique id, to a device. Providing a solid identity is one of the key infrastructure requirements for the future internet, including challenges related to Internet of Things or Industrial Control Systems.
    

Are you an innovator in cyber security or privacy? Want to compete in the 2015 edition of the European Cyber Security & Privacy Innovation Awards? Stay informed about the IPACSO project, events, practical tools and best practices, that will help you to find your road to market faster, more effective and more efficient? Join the IPACSO community, membership is free of charge and will provide you with all of the above, and a schedule of Innovation Bootcamps ['Workshops for cyber security & privacy entrepreneurs, with proven methodologies from other industries, but applied to the ICT Security landscape']. Getting involved is beneficial, easy, and free of charge: Fill out the designated form, and become a member of the IPACSO community of innovative security companies, academia and research institutes. And sign up as a member of the IPACSO LinkedIn Group. From this point on this will be the primary communication channel for you to stay informed about the project, connect with your peers, and learn about security- related events and news, relevant to your organization

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Impressions of the 2014 Award Ceremony:

Director Cyber Security Intel-McAfee Jarno Limnell delivered a keynote speech during the 2014 IPACSO Innovation Awards

Award winner in the category 'Innovative Cyber Security Product': Ales Czernic, XLAB  

 

Award winner Kahuna, in the category Innovative Cyber Security Service, represented by Rhett Oudekerk-Pool 

IPACSO, TSSG-RIKON partner Jamie Power, jury member 2014

  

Award winner Sedicii, in the category Privacy Innovation, represented by Richard Coady  

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For further information please contact:

Press Relation: Rafael Timarche
Quadrant Communications

Ulrich Seldeslachts
Coordinator : LSEC Leaders in Security
innovationawards2014 at ipacso.eu