In the last few decades and recent years in particular the pace of development in the field of digital information and communication technology (ICT) has accelerated in unprecedented fashion. Because of the current digitisation data can not only be streamed worldwide but, thanks to the internet, can also be interlinked, which in turn enables decision-making processes on multiple levels. Satellites now play a key role and have become indispensable.
In parallel, highly industrialised nations have encountered major changes in national security issues for the challenges of our time now include power blackouts, cyber attacks, international terrorism, as well as the effects of climate change like epidemics and pandemics. The rapid development in information and communication technology (ICT) is opening up great opportunities for efficient communication in crisis situations for example, but at the same time there is greater vulnerability to disruption as societies are more inter-connected and globalised both through internal causes and external actors, such as perpetrators of cyber attacks.
The ‘internet of everything’ and highly dense critical infrastructure (see Germany’s KRITIS legislation and the EU’s Programme for Critical Infrastructure Protection, EPCIP) in such areas as aerospace, energy and water supplies and networked health care systems have increased exposure to risk tremendously. Trust and security are thus central issues in the discussion about opportunities and risks in a digital society, and a ‘system of systems’ concept is needed as a holistic approach to early detection of cyber attacks and crisis recognition, prevention and management. The security systems of the future will require integrated cyber security solutions based on innovative coding methods, watertight testing and verification procedures and paradigms like ‘security by design’ and ‘privacy by design’.
ICT is the key technology in and innovation driver behind such solutions which will be permeating all areas of modern society. Maintaining control over ICT has become increasingly difficult due to the explosion in the number of internet-capable devices, vast data volumes (‘big data’) and the rapid appearance of disruptive new technologies like software-defined everything, blockchain and artificial intelligence. Mastering this technology is vital for successful precautionary security measures and crisis management.
The mission of Munich Aerospace will be to contribute significantly in developing robust, innovative security solutions, focusing primarily on issues affecting the aerospace industry.