Cyber, Networks and Systems (CNS)
Protecting people and the systems on which they rely.
We are a research and education group that aims to address a wide range of issues related to the security and prosperity of society. Our research spans the cyber–physical environment, cloud, edge and in-network Computing) and mobile self-organising networks (VANETs, drone swarms). We cover everything from sensing and computational analysis to physical effects in the real world, along with the associated socio-technical elements. Additionally, we focus on the human aspects of cyber security, including insider threats, digital identity, and engagement.
Our team combines significant breadth and depth of practitioner experience with academic rigour. We work in small, focused teams that blend the right mix of skills and expertise from engineers, intelligence analysts, and former military specialists. This unique combination allows us to tackle complex problems faced by government, industry, and defence, and ensures that our theoretical research has practical, real-world applications.
We maintain a wide international network of collaborators and have a strong track record of funding from academic sources (such as EPSRC, ESRC, LMS, and the Royal Society) government (including Dstl, MoD), as well as international funders. Our theme is also actively involved in the academic community, organising and chairing international conferences to expand our connections and increase visibility in the field.
The main research topics in our Cyber, Networks and Systems research theme are as follows:
- Network Management
- Internet Protocols
- Network Performance Measurement and Modelling
- Network Programmability
- In-Network Computing
- Data Centre Networking
- Vehicular Network
- Accessibility and Usability
- Cyber Security and Resilience
- AI-based Security Systems
- Network Resilience
- Edge Computing
- Distributed Computing
- Scheduling and Load Balancing
- Management of Storage Systems
- Data Structures for Storage Systems
- QoS Provisioning and Enhancement in Heterogeneous Networks
- Network Security
- Data Governance and Security
The theme has its own specialist lab facilities housed within the Haslegrave Building, which include:
- a multi-computer routing and Internet algorithm test network
- a wireless sensor network development platform
- a line-rate network traffic generator
- a software defined data centre network testbed
- a programmable edge computing testbed consisting of over 300 Raspberry Pis and programmable network switches
In addition, students and members of staff are also currently sponsored by a nationally - leading cloud operator with unlimited access to virtual data centre resources. Our research work has been mainly funded by EPSRC, MoD, BAE Systems and other funding bodies. Our industrial collaborators include BAE Systems, Jennic, Arqiva, Sure, Toyota, Sensinode and Rolls Royce et al.
The CNS theme hosts a number of externally funded research projects.
- Synergistic Network Policy Management Project for Cloud Data Centres (SYNC)
- The Federated Raspberry Pi Micro-infrastructure Testbed (Fruit)
- Development of enhanced Mobility as a Service with Predictive analytics capability enabling understanding of customer behaviours (KTP)