Press Releases

The Fraunhofer RISC-V Secure Element is now available as a licensable security platform for custom systems-on-chip (SoCs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and chiplets. The silicon prototype has successfully completed functional validation. Based on this verified hardware foundation, companies can shorten development cycles, reduce technical risk, and implement security by design more effectively at the semiconductor level.

Advances in agentic AI are making it increasingly easy for attackers to find and exploit vulnerabilities in software. The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC is therefore joining the seL4 Foundation and conducting research into the use of the formally verified seL4 microkernel as the foundation for provably secure systems. An ini-tial focus is on virtual machines and confidential computing.

ANONY-MED 2 is working to make health data securely usable for AI-based diagnoses. The project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space BMFTR, implements two key approaches: first, the anonymization of datasets through privacy-preserving data synthesis; and second, the anonymization of AI model parameters through privacy-preserving model training. The goal is to develop an open toolkit and a practical handbook to help hospitals get started with modern anonymization technologies. Using the specific case of stroke therapy as a model, demonstrators are being developed using modern security concepts and architectures. Under the consortium leadership of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC, partners include Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the software company Smart Reporting GmbH.

U.S. tech giants dominate the cloud market. This threatens the technological sovereignty, data protection, and innovative capacity of European companies. In the “ApeiroRA” project, the Fraunhofer Institutes for Software and Systems Engineering (ISST) and for Applied and Integrated Security (AISEC) are supporting the software company SAP in securing Europe’s technological and economic independence in the cloud and edge sectors. The partners are developing an open-source blueprint for a European, vendor-neutral cloud-edge infrastructure that guarantees interoperability among different providers.

With the RISC-V Secure Element, the Fraunhofer Institutes for Integrated Circuits IIS, for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC, and for Electronic Microsystems and Solid State Technologies EMFT are introducing a security chip that was designed and manufactured in Germany. The design is based on transparent open-source hardware, integrates post-quantum cryptography, and can be used as a standalone chip or as a system-on-chip component. The goal is to offer companies a trustworthy and customizable trust anchor – with points of contact in the EU – for connected devices and to support them in meeting the requirements of the European Cyber Resilience Act (CRA).

An industry consortium comprised of Intel, Infineon, Siemens, SAP and Bosch will develop a joint data room infrastructure for semiconductor manufacturing by September in the Semiconductor-X project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security (AISEC) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation (IOSB) have now joined the consortium as cybersecurity partners and are developing a road map for secure data rooms. The goal is to enable companies to exchange sensitive production and process data securely along the value chain. The results are also intended to support other Manufacturing-X initiatives.

lowRISC C.I.C., the open-silicon ecosystem organization, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC, one of Europe’s leading institutions for cybersecurity research, today announced that Fraunhofer has officially joined the OpenTitan® project as a key security testing partner. By bringing its world-renowned hardware evaluation expertise to the world’s first open-source silicon Root of Trust (RoT), Fraunhofer will play a critical role in independently validating the project's resilience against advanced physical and logical attacks.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security (AISEC) has joined the OpenHW Foundation. The goal of this collaboration is to advance open, trustworthy, and highly secure hardware platforms, thereby strengthening a key component of digital sovereignty in Europe.

Quantum computers are expected in the near future to break cryptographic schemes. As a result, critical data is already at risk today if it is intercepted and later decrypted using quantum computers. At the 5th PQC Update hosted by the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC, experts in post-quantum cryptography (PQC) presented the current status of international PQC migration and gave recommendations for action: companies and public authorities must now, at the latest, inventory their cryptography, set priorities and protect particularly sensitive data first, combine classical and PQC schemes, and establish crypto agility. The need for action is considerable, as PQC is also relevant to the EU’s NIS 2 directive, which will have to be implemented in Germany from the end of 2025 to enhance cybersecurity. The EU roadmap calls for PQC migration of critical infrastructures by 2030 and full implementation by 2035.

Imagine a self-organizing factory: safety zones are cleared automatically and cyberattacks remain ineffective. This may sound like science fiction, but the KIbSIS research project is making it come true. As part of an international cooperation with South Korea, partners from the areas of research and business are seeking to develop fully automated AI-based safety acknowledgment for machine tools by 2028. The approach is based on standardized, trustworthy and quantum-secure AI technology.

The Forensics of Intelligent Systems research project is dedicated to the development of inter-disciplinary approaches to ensuring forensic readiness in the event of manipulation of continuously learning AI systems. The research project is funded by Cyberagentur and realized jointly by Atos, a globally leading enterprise in the field of AI-supported digital transformation, the Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems IAIS, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC, the Institut für Internet-Sicherheit (Institute for Internet Security, Westphalian University of Applied Sciences) and the University of Cologne. The project aims to sustainably strengthen cyber security and the rule of law in the digital age.

The QuBA-libre risk assessment method developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC in collaboration with SICK AG quickly and easily evaluates product cybersecurity. It is now available as an open source tool on GitHub. The questionnaire-based assessment enables the efficient determination of product risk status with standardized protection requirements without overloading resources. Automated risk assessment, suggestions for corrective measures, documentation and assignment to the requirements of the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) reduce the complexity of risk assessment and handling. QuBA-libre enables the integration of protective mechanisms, both in the concept and design phase for new products and in risk assessment and upgrades of existing products. Fraunhofer AISEC thus supports product manufacturers in ensuring cybersecurity as a quality feature of their products and in implementing the cybersecurity requirements of the CRA.

Audio deepfakes pose an increasing threat to businesses and society. Fraunhofer AISEC researchers have shown: humans struggle to identify AI-generated voices, but specialised AI models excel. Findings from an experiment with around 500 participants can refine detection systems and training initiatives.

After completing his four-year term of office, Jan Wörner will hand over the office of Scientific President of acatech - National Academy of Science and Engineering to Claudia Eckert on July 1, 2025 The professor at the Technical University of Munich and Director of Fraunhofer AISEC was unanimously elected by acatech's Executive Committee. Claudia Eckert joins Co-President Thomas Weber: Together they embody the cooperation between science and industry on innovation issues. Siegfried Russwurm, member of the acatech Executive Board and former BDI President, was elected acatech Vice-President.

Easy-to-use and secure electronic identities (eID) and credentials are essential building blocks for access to digital services in areas of life such as mobility, finance, health, public administration and education. From 2027, EUDI wallets will create the basis for a trustworthy, Europe-wide interoperable ecosystem for digital identities and credentials - user-friendly on smartphones. SPRIND - Bundesagentur für Sprungin-novationen is responsible for implementation in Germany on behalf of the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI). Fraunhofer AISEC is a cyber-security partner. By focusing on the user experience, the project cre-ates important foundations for broad acceptance among the popula-tion and thus for fully digital and efficient processes in society, busi-ness and administration.

The EU plans to make digital encryption completely quantum-safe by 2035 at the latest. As quantum computers grow more and more power-ful, qbit by qbit, experts on post-quantum cryptography (PQC) have laid a basis for secure encryption in recent years with new algorithms. But if they are to win the race by 2035, they have their work cut out for them in terms of implementation in systems and communication protocols. That is the takeaway from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC’s 2025 PQC Update, which saw the Ger-man-speaking PQC community from government agencies, companies, universities and other research institutions gather for the fourth time on May 12 and 13, 2025, to talk about the current state of advancement in post-quantum cryptography (PQC).

After three years, the twelve project partners from industry, science, software development and infrastructure have successfully completed the ATLAS-L4 research and development project (automated transport between logistics centres on level 4 motorways): The autonomous truck in road transport became a reality thanks to the work of around 150 engineers! MAN Truck & Bus, Knorr-Bremse, LEONI, Bosch, FERNRIDE, BTC Embedded Systems, Fraunhofer AISEC, Technical University of Munich, Technical University of Braunschweig, TÜV SÜD, Autobahn GmbH and the Würzburg Institute of Transport Sciences (WIVW GmbH) have joined forces for this project.

The mechanical and plant engineering sector has shown significant progress in defending against cyber-risks. According to a current study titled Industrial Security, conducted by the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA) in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC, more and more companies are investing in digital protective measures. In spite of these improvements, cyberattacks continue to cause considerable damage, with harm totaling in the nine figures. Further action is needed, especially for smaller enterprises. Social engineering and phishing represent the biggest threat to companies, followed by human error and sabotage.

Data is the key to AI, but its use requires the highest security standards. This is where the TRUSTED project from the European Commission steps in: Over the next three years, the project will develop a prototype data space for personal data that complies with the requirements of current data protection regulations (GDPR, eIDASv2, EUDI wallet, etc.) as well as the specifications of European data spaces (GAIA-X, IDSA, etc.) and provides a trustworthy service for federated learning* in the medical sector. The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC is a research partner and supports TRUSTED with state-of-the-art cybersecurity and data protection technologies. The project is to receive around four million euros from the Horizon Europe program and comprises a consortium of ten partners, two research organizations, three SMEs, two large companies, two NGOs and one clinical partner.

With increasing digitalization and interconnectedness, cybersecurity is gaining ever more importance. At the same time, the risks posed by cyber attacks are increasing dramatically. Russia's war against Ukraine in particular has significantly exacerbated the threat over the past three years. At the 11th Munich Cyber Security Conference (MCSC) leading cybersecurity experts from the worlds of politics, business and science addressed the key levers for tackling this challenge: We must overcome our complacency and invest massively in our cybersecurity, all stakeholders involved must cooperate far more than before and we must make greater use of artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing as the biggest technological drivers of the future for cybersecurity. At the same time, we must not place too high expectations on these technologies. After all, people are and will remain the decisive factor.

The pilot line for “Advanced Packaging and Heterogeneous Integration for Electronic Components and Systems” (APECS) marks a major leap forward in strengthening Europe’s semi-conductor manufacturing capabilities and chiplet innovation as part of the EU Chips Act. APECS will make a significant contribution to the European Union´s goals of increasing technological resilience, strengthening cross-border collaboration and enhancing its global competitiveness in semiconductor technologies. The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC develops security features for trusted electronics in the heterointegration of chiplets.

Microelectronics is a key technology in the technical transformation, underpinning everything from everyday objects such as smartphones and ID cards to industrial manufacturing processes and medical diagnostic systems. This makes it all the more important to ensure that electronics are reliable and trustworthy. The Velektronik research platform has teamed up with the Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies (VDE) to create a new VDE expert group titled Trusted Electronics. It is to function as a central point of contact, bringing industry, the research sector, and government agencies together to advance the topic of trusted electronics in Germany. The group’s objectives are to cultivate awareness of and support for trusted electronics, consolidate existing research activities, transfer research findings into application, and help to shape industry standards.

With its Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), the EU will in future require manufacturers to guarantee the IT security of products with digital elements. Once the CRA comes into force, which is expected to be in 2024, they will have a maximum of 36 months to demonstrate that their products comply with the new standard. However, due to complex architecture designs and the use of third-party com-ponents, assessing the need for action in concrete terms is a challenge. The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC is conducting research into automated compliance testing of software components with “Confirmate”. The tool will help to automatically assess compliance with the CRA and determine the individual need for action. “Confirmate” compares the security settings with the CRA specifications and helps to quickly identify spe-cific vulnerabilities in the product. The analysis therefore saves valuable time for planning and implementing security measures. Fraunhofer AISEC will be presenting the tool's current range of functions and its application for the first time at this year’s it-sa Expo&Congress (Nuremberg, October 22–24, 2024) at the joint Fraunhofer booth in Hall 6, Booth 6-314.

Harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) is key to the future viability of companies. However, they often have limited knowledge of how to use AI in a secure way. The SENSIBLE-KI (sensitive AI) project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), has brought together science and industry to analyze the security and trust-worthiness of mobile and embedded systems using the example of Android systems. The key findings and results of the project are as follows: Software-based security measures can be used effectively today. Intensive research and work is being carried out on hardware-based measures, but their use is currently restricted. Two biometric demonstrators are used to show the practical use of security technologies.

Prognoses suggest that the first quantum computers capable of breaking current cryptographic processes will be available by the early 2030s. For this reason, the development of secure algorithms for post-quantum cryptography is a major focus in politics, industry and research. After several selection rounds, the first PQC standards from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will be made available in 2024. At the PQC Update 2024 from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC, the German-speaking PQC community met for the third time on May 13 – 14 to discuss the current state of development of post-quantum cryptography.

In the EU project EMERALD, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC is working with partners to develop an automated certification process for providers and auditors of cloud services and applications. The aim is to pave the way for an efficient Certification-as-a-Service (CaaS) that both reliably verifies compliance with the security requirements of cloud services and applications and can also flexibly take new regulatory requirements into account. To this end, EMERALD wants to raise the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the technologies developed in the predecessor project MEDINA from 5 (validation in relevant environment) to 7 (prototype in operational environment).

The new VDMA study “Industrial Security and Product Piracy 2024” shows that protection against cyber attacks is becoming increasingly important for companies in the mechanical and plant engineering sector. At the same time, combating product and brand piracy remains extremely important. The study was compiled by the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC. A good 100 VDMA member companies took part.

Home environments are among the areas in which the digital trans-formation is taking huge strides. Properties kitted out with smart home appliances and tightly networked residential areas are bringing the quality of living spaces into a whole new dimension. At the same time, there are growing security requirements being imposed on both the IoT systems used in these environments and users’ private spheres. In a project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Re-search (BMBF), entitled “Secure heterogeneous IoT systems in proper-ties and residential areas (SHIQ),” a seven-strong cross-industry consortium made up of research institutions and companies is taking a holistic approach to shaping the smart living environments of tomorrow. By increasing IT security in smart properties and residential areas, over the long term it is setting new standards in secure building control systems and protection for residents’ private spheres in the construction and property sector.

Advances in digitalization require new encryption technologies for industrial processes, which are increasingly connected across international borders. One example is the acknowledgement of safety systems of machine tools via the Internet. The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC, Technical University of Munich, Siemens AG, and high-tech company TRUMPF have teamed up in a project called PoQsiKom to develop a way to securely release the protected areas of machine tools remotely. The new concept is based on a versatile chip with crypto-agile quantum security technology that will also stand up to future threats. The partners will be showcasing their demonstrator in Hall 002, Stand B24, at Hannover Messe 2024.

With the innovative research project "AIgenCY - Opportunities and Risks of Generative AI in Cybersecurity," leading experts from academia and industry take on the challenge of exploring the implications of generative artificial intelligence (AI) for cybersecurity.