Cybersecurity is one of the defining challenges of our digital age. As our lives become ever-more connected, the ability to protect systems, data and people from cyber threats becomes ever-more critical and complex.
UCL Computer Science’s cybersecurity research focuses on understanding how to build computer systems that remain dependable even in the face of deliberate attempts to compromise them. Our work spans the core security aspects of confidentiality (keeping secrets secret), integrity (preventing unauthorised changes), and availability (ensuring systems continue working).
What makes us different is our joined-up approach. We know that cybersecurity isn't just about the technology; it's also about people, how organisations work and the policies that guide them. So, while many institutions focus exclusively on technical solutions, our research recognises that solving today’s security challenges requires multiple perspectives.
Where’s research into cybersecurity taking us at UCL?
Human and organisational aspects of security
Often, security fails because of the way we use systems. Our research is digging into how cybersecurity can actually help us get things done, rather than slow us down.
We're making security tools easier to use and working to reduce the harm from online content. We’re also looking at how organisational dynamics affect security, so we can create policies and technologies that work with people, not against them.
Privacy enhancing technologies
We're developing technologies that protect people’s privacy and rights while still letting them enjoy all the benefits of digital services.
For example, we're working on systems that allow people to access sensitive services like mental health treatment without worrying about their personal data being compromised, making it easier for them to get the support they need.
Cryptography and cryptocurrencies
Curious about how these technologies will reshape our financial future, we're diving into areas like distributed randomness, transparency tools and cryptocurrency traceability.
Our research focuses on understanding both the good and the bad sides of these technologies, including how machine learning plays a role, so governments and regulators can promote responsible development and make sure these technologies benefit all of society.
Cybersecurity in public policy and international relations
The research we're doing goes beyond technical solutions to include public policy and how the digital world affects international relations.
We're looking at the security of everyday devices, like the Internet of Things (IoT), critical infrastructure, and important issues like gender and technology-enabled abuse. These policies affect all of us, and our work aims to make sure that technology benefits everyone, especially the most vulnerable.
Systems security and cybercrime
Our researchers are developing program analysis techniques that help create software that finds vulnerabilities before they’re exploited.
We not only look at how machine learning can improve security by finding bugs that humans might miss, but also how criminals might exploit these same technologies.
Another strand of our research in this area is looking at how to apply economics and traditional computer science insights to analyse and prevent cybercrime.
Ethics and power in security
Cybersecurity is also about fairness. Who can and can’t access technology? Is it protecting people or controlling them? These are important questions to ask.
For example, anonymous communications systems can be a lifeline for people seeking mental health support or for whistleblowers exposing wrongdoing. But can they also be used for criminal activity or weaponised to abuse or surveil others?
Through our Gender and Tech Research Lab, we're exploring how to make digital systems work for everyone, including how we conduct our research ethically and how our work might be used in the real world.
Ready for the future
Through our Centres for Doctoral Training in Cybersecurity and Cyber-Physical Systems, along with our MSc in Information Security, we're training the next generation of security researchers and practitioners.
So they’re equipped to think about tomorrow’s cybersecurity challenges not just from a technical perspective, but also from the ever-more important human, organisational and ethical angles.
