The CSIR Information and Cybersecurity Research Centre focuses on research, development, and innovation of home-grown cyber and information security inclusive of identity management solutions and approaches to securely identify and protect people (cradle to grave) and technological systems (physical and digital) against vulnerabilities, threats and risks in the digital realm.

The technology innovations and cutting-edge research pursued by the centre include amongst others, sovereign information and Cybersecurity capability development that enhances data, applications, networks and mobile security. Building of cyber-crime combatting platforms through digital forensics and cyber-crime analysis. Development of the next generation identity authentication approaches and systems, and cyber-physical critical infrastructure.

The Centre strategically partners and collaborates with multi-stakeholders both in the public and private sectors to innovate, design, develop, commercialise and localise transformative technologies in the information and cyber security domain for the enablement and advancement of national security imperatives in the digital space.

In order to support a capable state and the security industry, the Centre also contributes towards the building and growth of information and cyber security skills in South Africa, including the establishment and hosting of strategic R&D infrastructures to support government, academic institutions, and industry in responding to digital identity challenges, cyber threats and risks.

The Centre focuses on research, development and innovation of information and Cybersecurity capabilities, inclusive of identity authentication. Our research focus is guided by the adapted Cybersecurity National Institute of Standards and Technology framework which covers key areas of information and cybersecurity capability development.

• Identity: Research and development of identity authentication approaches and tools for the tangibles and non-tangibles (more information)
• Protect: Approaches and technological solutions to protect people, processes and technologies in the digital realm
• Detect: Innovative and develop new technologies and processes to detect anomalies, security events and conduct risks and threat assessment against assets, platforms and people in the digital space.
• Predict: Solutions and approaches for understanding the threat landscape, predicting future threats and attacks, discovering new vulnerabilities, testing of cybersecurity-centric solutions.
• Respond and recover: Build and support National cybersecurity structure (e.g CSIRTs, SOCs, Hubs) to respond to cyber threats and vulnerabilities in order to minimize their risks and the resililient. In addition, support the National Cybersecurity structure to recover quickly from cyber attacks and breaches.
   

The capabilities that we build and offer have the ultimate strategic objective to securely identify and protect people (cradle to grave) and technological systems (physical and digital) against vulnerabilities, threats and risks in the digital realm.