Grant: Canada Research Chairs

A robust cybersecurity sector is critical for Canada's prosperity and economic stability. Governments recognize the benefits of a connected digital economy and the rising threats from malicious actors seeking to access personal and financial information. This research program on the Science of AI-Driven Cybersecurity will develop solutions for the evolving threat and data-intensive cyber-infrastructures by combining cybersecurity and artificial intelligence and the value and meaning of security data. The overarching objectives of the proposed CRC program are: 1) contribute to Canadian society by being a transformational leader in cybersecurity, providing thought leadership and connectivity for the Canadian cybersecurity ecosystem; 2) offer high-quality cybersecurity training that academically impacts all disciplines and communities; 3) conduct high-impact research and innovation through collaboration with academic peers & students and partnership opportunities with the private and public sectors; and 4) establish national and international partnerships. The shift to a digital economy calls for a new, AI-powered, human-centric approach to cybersecurity. The principal research objectives are: 1. Investigate how data analytics and machine learning models impact the development of an advanced cybersecurity threat intelligence platform for threat derivation, characterization, modelling, evolution, prediction, detection, and mitigation, as well as the identification of the threat actors and understanding of the nature and complexity of new and emerging cyber threats. 2. Develop a cyber attribution framework for feature extraction and data correlation, identifying actors behind hostile cyber activities using tools including analysis of network forensics, host forensics, malware analysis, online hostile/fake information analysis, and code similarity analysis. 3. Investigate how AI-powered technologies can be used to identify and analyze potential cyber threats on Internet-connected systems, emergent networks, and operational technology. All objectives share a common goal and build toward the planned research program on AI-Powered intelligent cybersecurity services and management. What makes the proposed program unique and innovative is its focus on socio-technical aspects, the human element, industry partnerships, entrepreneurship, and a holistic approach combining AI technologies, processes and structures with cybersecurity.