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Critical National Infrastructure centre and Professional Doctorate in Information Security launched at UEL

Thursday 7 December 2006

Years of privatisation have weakened the security of the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) and placed crucial services in danger of serious electronic attack, according to Dr Hamid Jahankhani, Principal Lecturer at the University of East London’s (UEL) School of Computing and Technology.

Dr Jahankhani is responsible for UEL’s new Professional Doctorate in Information Security and the development of a UK based centre of excellence for research into digital forensics and CNI. Both projects were officially launched at the UEL Docklands Campus on Thursday 30 November.

CNI relates to the key assets, services and systems that support the economic, political and social life of the UK. Sectors involved include health, energy and emergency services, and any compromise of CNI could result in large scale loss of life and have a serious impact on society and the national economy.

Dr Jahankhani said: “In 1996 President Clinton established a Commission on the Critical Infrastructure protection, with a charter to designate critical infrastructures and assess their vulnerabilities. In the UK, we had always been aware of these vulnerabilities, but years of privatisation had taken control of CNI away from the government and into the hands of corporate stakeholders.

“The National Infrastructure Co-ordination Centre was established in 1999 to protect the CNI from electronic attack, but much of the academic research in this field is still being conducted outside of the country. At UEL, we now have a number of doctoral candidates with an interest and grounding in the subject matter from both the technological and the physical security side.

"Our new Professional Doctorate in Information Security will allow us to establish a UK based centre of excellence for research into digital forensics and CNI, which will play a leading role in the development of technology and knowledgeable professionals to combat the growing threat of cyber-terrorism."

The unique Professional Doctorate in Information Security at UEL aims to make a significant contribution to the professional and academic development of the fields of information security, digital forensics and compliance. The programme is extremely flexible, providing information security professionals with the opportunity to develop specialist skills and leadership capacities, as well as to prepare for the industry’s varied and constantly-changing requirements.

UEL's School of Computing and Technology brings together computing, business information systems, energy studies, pipeline technology, product design, geographical information systems, land surveying, and civil, electrical and manufacturing engineering. The School has dedicated facilities for both engineering and computing, housed in new, purpose-built laboratories at UEL’s Docklands Campus.

For further information on UEL’s Professional Doctorate in Information Security, contact Dr Hamid Jahankhani on 020 8223 2071 or visit www.uel.ac.uk/scot.

Ends/.

For details and pictures contact Patrick Wilson: 020 8223 2061 or 07951 797 975

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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