Future-IoT PhD School: IoT Meets Secure Supply Chain at the Campus Cyber
From September 30th to October 4th, 2024, the 6th Future IoT PhD School took place at the iconic Campus Cyber in Paris, under the theme “IoT Meets Secure Supply Chain.” Co-organized by IMT Atlantique, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Deutsch-Französische Hochschule (DFH/UFA), the German-French Academy (GFA), and Projet Transfert Campus Cyber (PTCC), this year’s event brought together 40 on-site participants and many online participants to explore the intersection of IoT and secure supply chain management.
The secure supply chain is a critical topic in today’s interconnected global economy. As hardware and software become more intertwined, ensuring the security, scalability, and usability of supply chains is vital for the industry of the future. This week-long event delivered a deep dive into these challenges through a balanced combination of academic discourse, hands-on innovation, and networking opportunities.
The Unique Package of Keynotes, Competitions, and Networking
The Future IoT PhD School is renowned for its unique blend of keynote sessions, interactive challenges such as the Capture the Flag (CTF) and Makeathon, cultural activities, and networking. This year’s edition was no exception, offering participants an unparalleled experience where theoretical knowledge met practical application.
The program was packed with cutting-edge keynotes from industry leaders and academics who shared their expertise on crucial topics related to IoT and cybersecurity. These sessions were complemented by immersive challenges like the CTF—which pushed participants to think critically and problem-solve in real-time—and the Makeathon, where they collaborated to develop innovative solutions for secure supply chains. All of this took place in the dynamic setting of Paris, enriched by social events that fostered informal interactions, networking, and collaborations beyond the academic space.
Keynote Sessions: Insights from Experts
This year’s lineup of keynote speakers was particularly diverse and impressive, covering a wide range of topics critical to the future of IoT and secure supply chains. Highlights included:
- Prof. Marc-Oliver Pahl (IMT Atlantique), Prof. Sebastian Steinhorst (Technische Universität München), and Prof. Thomas Robert (Télécom Paris): Kicking off the event with the keynote, “IoT Meets Secure Supply Chain,” setting the stage for a week of in-depth exploration into the challenges and innovations shaping the field.
- Mohammad Hamad (Technische UNiversität München), Marc-Oliver Pahl (IMT Atlantique), and Mina Marmpena (ITML) gave an overview on the CyberSecDome EU project that provides an innovative approach for cybersecurity including Virtual Reality (VR) being a and securing supply chains.
- Filip Maksimovic (Inria): Delivered a deep dive into RISC-V security, showcasing its relevance to modern IoT architectures.
- Karthik Bhargavan (Cryspen): Presented a thought-provoking session on Formal Guarantees for Secure IoT Systems, stressing the importance of verifiable security in IoT deployments.
- Mina Marmpena (ITML): Spoke about the potential of federated learning in securing IoT supply chains, highlighting its role in privacy-preserving solutions.
- Laurent Toutain (IMT Atlantique): Explored evolving internet infrastructures and their importance for more secure and reliable supply chains, drawing attention to the scalability needs of modern IoT networks.
- Servann Pigault (Framatome): Took participants on a journey through the security challenges of critical industrial assets, offering insights into real-world industrial cybersecurity.
- Gael Musquet (Hacking Specialist): Led a hands-on Workshop on Security of Connected Vehicles, showing how IoT and cybersecurity intersect in the automotive industry.
- AFNIC Sessions: On the final day, we had the opportunity to participate at the AFNic annual event, with experts like Marc Blanchet (Viagenie), Louis Pétiniaud (GEODE), and Romain Jacob (ETH Zurich) discussing forward-thinking topics such as interplanetary internet, the geopolitics of the internet, and sustainable internet solutions.
CTF and Makeathon: Applying Knowledge in Real-Time
Beyond the keynotes, the CTF and Makeathon challenges brought a hands-on element to the event, testing participants’ ability to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios.
- The CTF, led by Mohammad Hamad and Andreas Finkenzeller (TUM), focused on security vulnerabilities in supply chains, with participants racing against the clock to find and exploit weaknesses. This challenge was both thrilling and educational, sharpening the cyber defense skills of those involved.
- The Makeathon was a multi-day team challenge, where participants collaborated to devise innovative solutions for secure IoT supply chains. Working late into the night with the support of pizza and Asian food, the teams tackled real-world problems and pitched their ideas in front of an expert jury. The final pitch session and winner coronation on Friday afternoon were definite highlights, showcasing the creativity and ingenuity of the students.
Cultural Program and Networking
What sets the Future IoT PhD School apart from other academic events is the rich cultural program and focus on networking. The participants were treated to a guided tour of Paris, an evening at Centre Pompidou, and multiple dinners, offering them a chance to experience the city’s culture while building professional relationships. These informal settings allowed participants to forge collaborations and friendships that extended beyond the event itself, reinforcing the importance of networking in academic and professional development.
Thank You to Our Sponsors and Partners
We would like to extend our deepest thanks to our sponsors and partners: IMT Atlantique, TUM, DFH/UFA, GFA, and PTCC; Chaire Cyber CNI, AFNic, ACM, INRIA, IMT, Fondation Mines-Télécom, Framatome, IRISA, ITML, CyberSecDome, Einstein Center for Digital Transformation, Pôle d’Excellece Cyber. Your support made this event possible and enabled us to create a truly unforgettable experience for all participants.
A special thank you to Campus Cyber for hosting us in their state-of-the-art facilities, which provided the perfect backdrop for a week of learning, collaboration, and innovation.
Looking Forward: Join Us Next Year
The feedback from the participants has been overwhelmingly positive, with many describing the week as “inspiring,” “challenging,” and “an exceptional networking opportunity.” The unique combination of keynotes, hands-on challenges, cultural experiences, and networking made this edition of the Future IoT PhD School a memorable and enriching event.
We are excited to announce that the recordings of the keynote sessions will be available in the coming months, allowing a wider audience to benefit from the rich content shared during the week. Stay tuned to our blog and social media for updates on when these will be released!
Finally, we encourage everyone passionate about IoT, cybersecurity, and the future of supply chain management to join us at the next edition of the Future IoT PhD School. Whether you’re a student, researcher, or industry professional, this is a unique opportunity to engage with cutting-edge topics, collaborate with peers, and help shape the future of IoT security.We look forward to welcoming you in 2025!
Marc-Oliver is Vice President of the German Chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) (https://germany.acm.org/), he leads the axis Future Education of the German-French Academy for the Industry of the Future (https://future-industry.org/). He is continuously co-organizing scientific conferences since 2015. Until 2/2021, Marc-Oliver was co-leading a research team of more than 20 permanent researchers in the CNRS UMR LAB-STICC at IMT Atlantique. Until 10/2019, he headed a research team with 5 PhD students at Technical University of Munich.
Marc-Oliver’s research domains are cybersecurity, distributed networked systems, Internet of Things, data and service management. In addition to ethical aspects of computer science, Marc-Oliver promotes continuous exchange between business, academia and the public in the field of cybersecurity (https://future-iot.org/, https://talk.cybercni.fr/, https://being-human-with-algorithms.org/).
Besides his research around the Internet of Things and cybersecurity, Marc-Oliver loves teaching for a living. He has been continuously teaching Computer Networks and Distributed Systems at German and French universities since 2003. His biggest course is the freely available Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) "iLabX - The Internet Masterclass" (https://ilabx.ilabxp.com/).
Marc-Oliver is the recipient of numerous prestigious teaching awards. Among them the Ernst Otto Fischer Teaching Award 2013 and the PhD Supervisory Award 2020 of the Technical University of Munich.
Marc-Oliver conducts research in the national and international arena and has successfully acquired numerous research grants in the millions.
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