Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security

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Issue 1/2026

Innovating with Security - Newsletter of Fraunhofer AISEC

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In 2026, hardly any topic is as relevant as digital sovereignty. Against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical tensions and dependence on non-European platforms, the pressure on Germany and Europe is increasing.

With a wide range of research and development projects, Fraunhofer AISEC is helping to reduce dependencies. One of these projects is the EU project EMERALD, in which Fraunhofer AISEC and its project partners are developing an automated certification process for cloud services and applications. Users benefit from automated security assessments, intelligent reuse of existing evidence, and support for auditors through user-friendly tools.

In the first 2026 issue of our newsletter »Innovating with Security« you will also learn:

• How the KIbSIS project is advancing the self-controlling factory and the sovereignty of Germany and Europe.

• How the open-source tool »QuBA-libre« supports you in identifying risks in just a few steps, taking security measures, and ensuring CRA-compliant protection for your products.

• How we are driving Trustworthy AI through interdisciplinary approaches to legally robust demonstrability (forensic readiness) of manipulations of continuously learning AI systems and new findings on the detection of audio deepfakes.

• The key messages of our networking event on post-quantum cryptography on May 4 and 5.

• Which research topics Fraunhofer AISEC is pursuing as a member institute of the Research Fab Microelectronics (Forschungsfabrik Mikroelektronik).

• Other dates you should absolutely not miss.

We wish you an insightful read!

Best regards,
Claudia Eckert and Georg Sigl

		Digital Identities Dedicated LinkedIn channel for the EUDI Wallet project

From 2027, the EUDI Wallet is to form the basis for a trustworthy, interoperable Europe-wide ecosystem for digital identities and digital credentials. Fraunhofer AISEC is involved in the implementation as a cybersecurity partner. Since March 2026, the project has had its own LinkedIn channel, where insights, updates, and information are published.

Contact: Marian Margraf

To the Fraunhofer AISEC LinkedIn post

Blog post
Workshop on Whole-Lifecycle Security for Smart Systems (LIFESEC) at the IEEE International Conference on Smart Computing

On June 22, the second »Workshop on Whole-Lifecycle Security for Smart Systems: Methods and Tools (LIFESEC)« will take place at SMARTCOMP 2026 (Messina, Italy). The focus is on interdisciplinary discussions on cybersecurity across the entire life cycle of IoT and cyber-physical systems.

Contact: Christian Banse

To the blog post

Blog post
Automated Cloud Certification with EMERALD: Architecture, Evidence, and Trustworthy Security

The security of cloud services is becoming increasingly challenging due to growing complexity and regulatory requirements, while traditional certifications are expensive and time-consuming. The EU research project EMERALD is therefore developing a framework for continuous, automated security certification based on semantically structured evidence.

Contact: Christian Banse

To the blog post

		Industrial Security KIbSIS research project: Fully automated AI-supported security sign-off for machine tools

By 2028, partners from research and industry will develop, in an international cooperation with South Korea, a fully automated AI-supported security sign-off for machine tools in the KIbSIS research project, based on standardized, trustworthy, and quantum-secure AI technologies.

Contact: Bartol Filipovic

To the article

Blog post
Automotive Security: Mastering Cross-Divisional Cybersecurity Risk Management in the Automotive Industry

Modern vehicles are highly networked systems in which cybersecurity risks can easily fall through the cracks between development, production, and backend areas. Standards such as ISO/SAE 21434, ISO/IEC 27000, and IEC 62443 provide important building blocks, but do not explain how cybersecurity should be coordinated across divisions. Research at Fraunhofer AISEC highlights the consequences of these gaps and outlines a practical, cross-divisional approach to better connect processes, tools, and terminology.

Contact: Patrick Wagner

to the blog post

		Post-Quantum Cryptography The PQC Update networking event is being held for the fifth time

The PQC Update is the central platform for dialogue between researchers, industry, users, and policymakers on the topic of post-quantum cryptography. The annual networking event took place for the fifth time on May 4 and 5 in Garching near Munich.

Contact: Marian Margraf, Daniel Loebenberger

To the press release

		Security Compliance Cyber Resilience Act (CRA): Open-source tool »QuBA-libre« quickly and easily assesses your compliance

Identify risks in just a few steps, take security measures, and ensure CRA-compliant protection for your products: The risk assessment method »QuBA-libre« developed by Fraunhofer AISEC together with SICK AG quickly and easily assesses the cybersecurity of products. It is now available as an open-source tool on GitHub.

Contact: Bartol Filipovic

To QuBA-libre on GitHub

		Trustworthy AI Research project creates legally robust methods for the forensics of AI systems

The research project »Forensics of Intelligent Systems« is developing new approaches to making manipulations of continuously learning AI systems provable in a way that stands up in court. Funded by the Cyberagentur, it is being carried out jointly by Atos, Fraunhofer IAIS, Fraunhofer AISEC, the Institute for Internet Security, and the University of Cologne.

Contact: Gerhard Wunder

to the article

		Trustworthy AI How artificial intelligence can help detect audio deepfakes

Audio deepfakes are becoming a growing threat to business and society. Researchers at Fraunhofer AISEC show that people find it difficult to recognize AI-generated voices – but specialized AI models can support them in doing so. The results of the experiment with around 500 participants provide important insights for improving detection systems and training programs.

Contact: Gerhard Wunder

to the article (German)

		Trustworthy AI New spotlight on the AISEC website: GenAI – opportunities and risks for cybersecurity

After three years, the ATLAS-L4 project has successfully concluded: twelve partners from industry, science and infrastructure have made autonomous trucks on the road a reality. Around 150 engineers from MAN, Knorr-Bremse, Leoni, Bosch, Fernride, Fraunhofer AISEC, TU Munich, TU Braunschweig, TÜV SÜD, Autobahn GmbH and WIVW worked together on automated transport on motorways.

Contact: Philip Sperl, Gerhard Wunder

to the Spotlight

		Trustworthy Hardware Michael Weiß and Matthias Hiller in an interview for the Research Fab Microelectronics

Michael Weiß talks about secure system-on-chip – about protecting operating systems and hardware. Matthias Hiller sheds light on hardware security in a networked world. The topics include threat scenarios, protection against tampering, and the importance of roots of trust.

Contact: Michael Weiß, Matthias Hiller

to the Interview with Michael Weiß (German)

to the interview with Matthias Hiller (GERMAN)

		Award Claudia Eckert receives the Fraunhofer Medal

For her outstanding services to the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Claudia Eckert, director of Fraunhofer AISEC, professor at TU Munich and president of acatech, received the Fraunhofer Medal. It was presented to her by President Holger Hanselka.

Contact: Claudia Eckert

to the LinkedIn Post

		Review Highlights since the beginning of the year

• January 12, 2026: Fraunhofer AISEC now has its own Instagram account. Follow us @fraunhoferaisec!

• January 19-21, 2026: At OMNISECURE in Berlin, we contributed our applied research expertise on on smart bureaucracy, post-quantum cryptography, generative AI, trustworthy hardware, Zero Trust, and technological sovereignty.

• February 12-13, 2026: The Munich Cyber Security Conference 2026 hosted by our institute director Claudia Eckert, once again demonstrated that cybersecurity is a central pillar of national and global security architectures.

• March 5, 2026: AISEC department head Marian Margraf explained the risks of quantum computers at the CPT Cybersecurity Conference 2026. He summarizes the key message of his masterclass in our reel.

• March 8, 2026: On International Women's Day, several female researchers from Fraunhofer AISEC introduced themselves on Instagram and explained how they are advancing cybersecurity research.

• March 10-11, 2026: The meeting at Fraunhofer AISEC in Garching marked the start of the final phase of the EMERALD project, which is developing an automated certification process for providers and assessors of cloud services and applications.

• April 23, 2026: 1st Symposium on Artifical Intelligence throughout the Human-Centered Design Process (AI-HCD 2026) in Dresden.

• May 4-5, 2026: 5th PQC-Update at Fraunhofer AISEC in Garching near Munich.

		Outlook Upcoming Highlights

• June 7, 2026: 200th anniversary of the death of Joseph v. Fraunhofer: commemorative year under the patronage of UNESCO.

• June 22, 2026: 2nd Workshop on Whole-Lifecycle Security for Smart Systems Methods and Tools as part of the 12th IEEE International Conference on Smart Computing (IEEE Smart Comp 2026) in Messina, Italy.

• September 30-October 1, 2026: Join the leading minds shaping Europe's semiconductor future at FIRST by FMD and secure your early-bird ticket by June 22.

		Current career opportunities Join our team

Apply now to become part of our team. Fraunhofer AISEC, with locations in Garching near Munich, Berlin and Weiden in the Upper Palatinate, supports digital transformation in key industries such as the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, aviation and healthcare with internationally recognised cutting-edge research.

to our job vacancies

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Tobias Steinhäußer
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Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte und Integrierte Sicherheit AISEC
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The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is the leading organization for applied research in Europe. Its research activities are conducted by 72 institutes and research units at locations throughout Germany. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft employs a staff of more than 26,600, who work with an annual research budget totaling more than 2.5 billion euros. Of this sum, more than 2.1 billion euros is generated through contract research. Around 70 percent of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s contract research revenue is derived from contracts with industry and from publicly financed research projects. International collaborations with excellent research partners and innovative companies around the world ensure direct access to regions of the greatest importance to present and future scientific progress and economic development.

Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC
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Phone +49 89 322 99 86-0

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Copyright:
© Gradiant, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft e.V., Fraunhofer AISEC, Felix Adler, ATLAS-L4 Konsortium, freepik, Bernd Müller