Technology

The perception of trust, or the lack thereof, is an overarching theme in social inclusion. In technological terms trust has been researched to a more limited extent than security, probably because it is a more complex problem that cannot be solved by technological means alone. Nevertheless, the acceptance of any software platform, any user interface, and any business model, stands or falls with the existence and nurturing of trust.

The technology strategy around trust is to build a software infrastructure that contains a layer that represents the computational trust layer. This layer can be implemented by reputation systems, economic mechanisms, trusted third parties or possibly other means. A software layer for trust is fundamentally different from more traditional system properties, such as security, dependability or scalability. Trust is a supplement to all these, and in some cases can supersede any system property in importance. The technology perspective will explore issues of trust and security for the delivery of digital technologies within the SiDE project.

Initial research is focussed on issues relating to the Connected Home and Community activity. Connected homes enable digital technologies to be integrated with residents in order to assist in the performance of everyday tasks. These digital technologies provide computation, storage and communication capabilities to augment the mental and physical capabilities of residents, and increase the speed, safety or enjoyment with which everyday tasks can be performed. This can lead to significant improvements in the Quality of Life for residents, particularly those with diminished mental and physical capabilities, such as the elderly and disabled.

Security and trust are fundamental to the viability of Connected Communities for residents. The digital technologies in these homes will compute, store and communicate potentially large amounts of intimate data pertaining to the tasks performed by residents, such that assistance can be provided in a pre-emptive and proactive manner. This data can be vulnerable to a range of different threats from malicious parties, and the exploitation of such threats can lead to reductions in Quality of Life for residents. Security mechanisms are required to reduce the vulnerabilities of residents to these threats, and provide controls on the access to, and manipulation of the data, such that the privacy of residents is preserved. Furthermore, trust mechanisms are required to enable the residents to establish trust in the digital technologies to provide their assistance securely.

Our work focuses on the realization of a Secure and Trusted Platform for Connected Communities. This platform looks to provide the security mechanisms required to preserve the privacy of residents in the connected home, and the trust mechanisms required for residents to establish trust in these technologies. The realization of such a platform would retain the viability of Connected Communities, and the improvements in Quality of Life which their assistance can yield.