KogniHome: a smart apartment for life

 

achelos contributes expertise on security tokens and key management

The door welcomes visitors, the wardrobe mirror reminds you to take your keys with you, while the stove warns you when the milk threatens to overcook. These ideas may sound like something from Alice in Wonderland, but they actually represent just a selection of the capabilities of the smart apartment developed at the KogniHome innovation cluster by 14 partners from the fields of science, industry, as well as social welfare and healthcare. Germany's Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) sponsored the project with €8 million up to 2017. The total investment volume was €11.3 million, including project partner’s own funds.

 

 

Some facts and figures about KogniHome:

KogniHome	Networked living – the smart apartment Regional innovation cluster as part of of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research's (BMBF) funding priority "Human-Technology Interaction in Demographic Change".
Project duration	August, 1 2014 to December, 31st  2017
Project partners	14 partners from science and industry, as well as social welfare and healthcare in Ostwestfalen-Lippe (OWL)
Overall project management	Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interactive Technology (CITEC) at the University of Bielefeld
Project contribution by achelos (sub-project management)	Development and implementation of a security token for the identification and authentication process Key management between devices and components in the apartment
Award	KogniHome has been named an "outstanding location" by the "Germany – Land of Ideas" initiative.
Project volume	€11.3 million (of which €8 million in funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research [BMBF])
Funding code	16SV7061
Project website	www.kogni-home.de

 

The objective:

An apartment that supports people in their day-to-day activities – equipped with intelligent and learning technology that can be easily operated by speech or gestures. The intuitive control in particular offers senior citizens and people with disabilities an opportunity to live longer in their own four walls.

 

The achelos tasks:

achelos managed the sub-project  "Development and implementation of a security token"

The basis for acceptance of the KogniHome is authenticated and confidential communication between individual devices and components. In order to guarantee secure communication channels, it is vital for the communication partners to be able to identify and authenticate one another before starting communication of actual content.

The objective of the sub-project managed by achelos was to develop a security token for the identification and authentication process, as well as the key management between devices and components in the apartment.

 

achelos contributes security expertise

The achelos team has in-depth knowledge for the resource-efficient and hardware-oriented implementation of the relevant security processes in the KogniHome. achelos has defined these processes in full - all the way up to the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). achelos implemented and adjusted the cryptographic processes developed by the Codes and Cryptography department at the University of Paderborn, as well as other known processes, and managed their implementation on suitable hardware platforms.

 

The prototype:

A smart apartment for life

The special feature of the KogniHome project is that the apartment can accompany its users throughout their entire life, as it learns from their needs and abilities. The technologies are invisibly integrated into the familiar living environment. A uniform security standard needs to be guaranteed for interaction of the various devices from different manufacturers with regard to authenticity and confidentiality. A research apartment is installed in a building of the von Bodelschwinghschen Stiftungen Bethel in Bielefeld.

 

The partners:

14 partners from OWL worked on the apartment of the future

The Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interactive Technology (CITEC) at the University of Bielefeld managed the KogniHome project. Alongside achelos, 13 other partners were involved in the project, including domestic appliance manufacturer Miele, the von Bodelschwinghschen Stiftungen Bethel and the company Hella from Lippstadt.

 

For more information:
www.kogni-home.de 

Press release from the University of Bielefeld on project conclusion with results of the project partners

 

Contact:

Dr. Lutz Martiny
Senior Consultant

lutz.martiny@achelos.de
Phone: +49 5251 14212-310

Energy efficiency as a driver of new business models

achelos: security and efficiency through rule-compliant implementation

In future, smart home technologies will change life and business in buildings. New fields of application for software and hardware promise exciting design options for landlords, tenants and owner-occupiers of buildings.

Some facts and figures about "green with IT":

green with IT	New digital processes in the housing and energy sectors The network offers proven and data protection-compliant digitisation solutions for commercial landlords.
History	Start of network activities in 2006 Foundation of the association in 2014
Project partners	Innovative application partners from the housing and building management sector in the Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan area, as well as additional partners for certain core competencies
Contribution by achelos	achelos supports management of the housing and energy sectors in the make-or-buy decision for introduction of Smart Meter Gateways and Public Key Infrastructures, as well as during implementation What achelos offers in terms of data protection and data
Project website	www.green-with-it.com

 

The objective:

In the "green with IT" network, achelos will cooperate with innovative application partners from the housing and building management sectors to examine and, if suitable, proceed with introducing Smart Meter Gateways and Public Key Infrastructures, as well as extending the approach to include measurement of water and heat consumption within the scope of defined parameters. The results will be published, so that as many disruptive applications as possible are created and lead to widespread acceptance through attractive prices.

The technology:

Key role for the Smart Meter Gateway
The Smart Meter Gateway is the central communication unit of intelligent measuring systems in the energy sector. It is developed according to the specifications of Germany's Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).

 The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) manages the technical guidelines

The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has drawn up protection profiles and technical guidelines (TR 03109). These are binding as per the Measuring Point Operation Act (MsbG) and guarantee data protection, data security and interoperability of intelligent measuring systems based on the respective state-of-the-art. Among other things, they include the minimum requirements of the following:

• Intelligent measuring systems (§ 21)
• The Smart Meter Gateway (§ 22)
• Secure connection to the Smart Meter Gateway (§ 23)
• Certification of the Smart Meter Gateway according to Common Criteria (§ 24)
• Certification of the Smart Meter Gateway Administrator (§ 25)

As an authority, the BSI is responsible for a uniform safety level and interoperability and is responsible for the permanent further development of the documentation. It takes the initiative to update and revise existing protection profiles and technical guidelines in the event of possible new or technically advanced threat scenarios and other applications (e.g. the Smart Home).The tasks for achelos:

Security and efficiency through rule-compliant implementation

achelos supports the management of the housing and energy sectors in the make-or-buy decision for introduction of Smart Meter Gateways and Public Key Infrastructures, as well as during implementation.

Security for future IoT applications in day-to-day residential activities through:

• Definition of safety requirements as per ISO 27001 and basic protection as per the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI)
• Designing the IT security policy, as well as its strategies and guidelines
• Drafting the IT security concept
• Drafting the IT security architecture
• Developing the IT security organisation technical concept and necessary processes
• Analysing remaining risks
• Defining the back-up and contingency plan
• Preparing/supporting the CC evaluation and CC certification
• Drawing up requirements-compliant documentation

The partners:

achelos is an active member of the green with IT association alongside eleven other members.

 

 

For more information:

www.green-with-it.com

 

Contact:

Dr. Lutz Martiny
Senior Consultant

lutz.martiny@achelos.de
Phone: +49 5251 14212-310

System integrity for self-service systems (SiS)

Some facts and figures about SiS:

 

System integrity for self-service systems (SiS)	Improved protection of ATMs as a central self-service system
Project duration	2010 bis 2013
Project partners	University of Paderborn Wincor Nixdorf International GmbH (now Diebold Nixdorf AG) Morpho Cards GmbH (now Idemia) achelos GmbH
Overall project management	Wincor Nixdorf International GmbH (now Diebold Nixdorf AG)
Project contribution by achelos	Experts in smart card technology and security processes
Project volume	More than €2 million, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Funding code	01IS10030D
Final report	Final report

 

The objective:

achelos as an expert in smart card technology and security processes

The objective of the project was to improve protection of ATMs as a central self-service system. The project partners have drawn up a holistic concept to ensure the integrity of an ATM with regard to hardware and software. New identity-based cryptographic processes are used which allow the verification of software and hardware integrity. achelos actively supported the project in this field and was involved in the project as experts in smart card technology and security processes.

 The tasks for achelos:

• Analysis of existing security processes
• Definition of adapted security processes
• Prototype implementation

The partners:

Four companies from the German city of Paderborn are working together on the joint project for IT security research.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research funded the SiS joint project for development of a security token to ensure system integrity of self-service machines. Alongside achelos, the University of Paderborn, Wincor Nixdorf International GmbH and Morpho Cards GmbH were all involved in the project with a total volume in excess of €2 million.

Further information:

31 August 2011 | Announcement from the Institute of Computer Science

Better protection for ATMs – Institute of Computer Science secures system integrity for self-service systems

The project partners were able to present their final report in 2013.

 

Contact:

Marcel Schriegel
Senior Consultant
marcel.schriegel@achelos.de
Phone: +49 5251 14212-312