In CIPHER, i2CAT leads Work Package 2 (WP2) and Task 3.2. The team is tasked with developing information systems that assess the threat surface and related risks through activity monitoring, probing, and the preparation of the Security Response Manager to ensure European infrastructures are battle-tested against modern cybersecurity threats.
Meet the faces behind the project
- Maxime Compastié is a Senior Researcher in system security at i2CAT Foundation. In CIPHER, he is the Principal Investigator and directly leads Task T3.2 in charge of the preparation of the Security Response Manager to select and coordinate the selection, deployment and orchestration of relevant security controls upon CIPHER’s countermeasure. In practice, this ensures that a countermeasure to a perceived cybersecurity threat is responded with the most adequate tooling. Maxime has a Ph.D. degree from University of Lorraine and his current research interests include system engineering, virtualisation, cloud computing, service management and computer security.
“With a widening threat landscape and more and more connected digital infrastructures, cybersecurity is increasingly becoming an experimental practice for defenders. In CIPHER, we are preparing the laboratory to run these experiments to bolster the preparedness of European infrastructures.”
- Nil Ortiz is a Senior Researcher at i2CAT and the Work Package 2 (WP2) Leader. As WP2 leader, he is responsible for managing and coordinating the collaborative work of seven consortium partners on information systems that assess the threat surface and related risk through activity monitoring and probing. The objective of the WP2 is to provide a real-time analysis of the risk faced by monitored entities on a threat basis, allowing stakeholders to take proactive measures to mitigate risk. He also contributes technically to the integration and contextualisation of cyber threat intelligence in the risk assessment and the behaviour analysis of entities within CIPHER
“Risk isn’t eliminated. It’s managed faster than everyone else.“
- Albert Calvo is a Senior Researcher at i2CAT in the Distributed Artificial Intelligence (DAI) area and lecturer in Computer Science at the Universitat de Barcelona (UB). In CIPHER, Albert leads task T2.4 by proposing data-driven techniques for risk-based approaches, providing proactive methods to prevent threats. Albert holds a PhD in Computer Science from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), and his current research interests focus on making generative AI models trustworthy.
“Artifical Inteligence detect threats, humans decide what matters.“
- Santiago Escuder Folch is a professional project engineer specialised in artificial intelligence within the Distributed Artificial Intelligence team at I2CAT. He holds a degree in Telecommunications Engineering from UPC and a master’s degree in Advanced Telecommunication Technologies, focused on Deep Learning. His research includes anomaly detection and time series classification, as well as trustworthy AI applied to various fields such as cybersecurity and utilities. As a contributor in CIHPER’s WP2 he will deliver knowledge preventive user classification based on their behaviour using machine learning models.
“The strongest firewall is still human awareness.”
- Saber Mhiri is a senior researcher at i2CAT Foundation, where he contributes to the research activity of the cybersecurity department and is actively involved in collaborative research projects. His research interests include IoT and CCAM cybersecurity as well as network security. In CIPHER, He participates to the preparation of the Security Response Manager in Task T3.2 by sharing his expertise in OT and critical systems.
- Jordi Domenech is a PhD Candidate in Network Engineering at Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) and First Stage Researcher at i2CAT Cybersecurity & Blockchain Research Group. As a contributor in CIHPER’s WP3 T3.2, his work focuses on the design and implementation of a northbound interface layer to interconnect with the already available traditional cybersecurity tools deployed in the users’ organisation space. This includes the preparation, development, and integration of a security service orchestrator to coordinate the different security detection and mitigation enablers in CIPHER’s simulated environment.
“Cybersecurity is not only about machines; it is also about humans.”
- Toni Galan contributes to CIPHER as a Junior R&D Engineer. His role focuses on supporting the technical activities and developments within tasks T2.1 and T2.4.
- Josep Puig Parrí is the Post-award Grant Officer and Project Management Officer at i2CAT. He is responsible for the financial and administrative coordination, ensuring transparent project management and smooth collaboration across the consortium.
“Strong collaboration and transparent project management are key to delivering impactful research and innovation outcomes.”
About i2CAT
The i2CAT Research Centre is a non-profit research and innovation center based in Catalonia, Spain, that promotes mission-oriented R&D in advanced digital technologies. With a strong focus on cybersecurity, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and network engineering, i2CAT bridges the gap between academic research and real-world industrial value to shape a secure and resilient digital future.
Follow i2CAT: