Interview with BI research group Trustworthy Data Processing
In this interview, the Trustworthy Data Processing research group at the Barkhausen Institut shares insights into its current work and research focus areas, with additional perspectives from individual group members.
“Achieving privacy in modern IT systems is a tough challenge, since the right balance between privacy and utility needs to be found. On the other hand, I believe that privacy is a necessity for the sustainability of democratic societies and for addressing the challenges of power imbalances. Working on such challenging questions with high societal impact is what drives me. ”
- Stefan Köpsell (Research Group Leader)
What is the research topic of your group?
The Trustworthy Data Processing group at BI develops solutions for secure and privacy-respecting IoT data processing. Our holistic approach spans technical, economic, legal, and organizational aspects, advancing system composability, secure key exchange, and privacy-utility balance. We apply advanced technological methods, including Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, to enhance security and privacy while protecting systems against emerging threats from these technologies.
In which projects are you working currently?
TDP is actively involved in several 6G projects including 6G-CampuSens and RESMEDTEC to develop secure and privacy-preserving solutions for next-generation communication networks. We also contribute to the SEMECO project, focusing on enhancing security and privacy in medical microsystems.
“My research is driven by the need to secure sensitive data in emerging technologies such as IoT, 6G, and connected medical infrastructures, ensuring trustworthy data collection, processing, and result disclosure through secure and privacy-preserving solutions.”
- Prajnamaya Dass (Senior Researcher)
What is the connection between your research and everyday life? What problems and challenges are you trying to solve?
Our work directly impacts daily life by strengthening the security and privacy of technologies people use every day - from mobile phones and smart devices to connected medical systems. By securing future 6G communication, sensing applications, and medical infrastructures, we help protect personal data and foster trust in the digital services that power modern society.
“Mobile communication is a key technology in modern society; almost everyone uses it every day at work as well as in their leisure time. Therefore, many critical functionalities rely on it and there are constantly growing demands for security and privacy. This motivates me to do research on how to enhance security and privacy in mobile networks, ensuring that this important technology is reliable and safe for everyone to use. ”
- Richard Riedel (Associate Researcher)