R&I group

Cybersecurity & Blockchain

The Cybersecurity & Blockchain research group focuses on developing innovative approaches to secure next-generation ICT systems against evolving threats while safeguarding privacy and enabling trust. This research group addresses critical challenges arising from modern information and communication technologies’ increasing complexity, distribution, and openness. This research group integrates cutting-edge techniques in distributed ledger technologies (DLT), AI, and cryptography to tackle cybersecurity challenges, ensuring that digital systems remain secure, private, and trustworthy in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Research lines

Cybersecurity: the Cybersecurity Research Line focuses on advancing holistic security management and cyber-threat detection & mitigation through automation, AI, and big data analysis for distributed and heterogeneous environments. Key efforts involve designing protective measures for AI models (Safe AI) and integrating quantum-safe cryptographic techniques into future systems, especially 6G networks, to ensure resilience against emerging threats.

Innovation lines

Blockchain: the Blockchain Innovation Line at i2CAT focuses on Decentralized Cybersecurity Approaches, leveraging blockchain as a trust enabler to empower citizens with data sovereignty and secure digital interactions. It also advances data privacy-first, verifiable and traceable solutions and sensitive information protection (like GDPR compliance) using decentralized identity management and cryptographic schemes for next-generation networks.

Technologies

Cyber Security as a Service
Risk Assessment and Management
Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PET) for Data
Zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) & Verifiable Computation
Identity Management Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI)
Robustness of AI Systems
Decentralised solutions and service automation for 5G/6G network management
Data Sharing and monetisation while preserving privacy & control

Group leader

Shuaib Siddiqui

Areas

Smart Networks & Services 5G/6G Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity & Blockchain

Projects

Cybersecurity & Blockchain

Publications

Energy-aware Joint Orchestration of 5G and Robots: Experimental Testbed and Field Validation

M. Groshev, L. Zanzi, C. Delgado, X. Li, A. d. l. Oliva and X. Costa-Pérez, “Energy-Aware Joint Orchestration of 5G and Robots: Experimental Testbed and Field Validation,” in IEEE Transactions on Network and Service Management, vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 3046-3059, Aug. 2025, doi: 10.1109/TNSM.2025.3555126. keywords: {Robots;Robot kinematics;5G mobile communication;Robot sensing systems;Sensors;Resource management;Real-time systems;Energy consumption;Testing;Peer-to-peer computing;5G;orchestration;robotics;optimization;offloading;energy efficient},

Quantum Computing in the RAN with Qu4Fec: Closing Gaps Towards Quantum-based FEC processors

Nikolaos Apostolakis, Marta Sierra-Obea, Marco Gramaglia, Jose A. Ayala-Romero, Andres Garcia-Saavedra, Marco Fiore, Albert Banchs, and Xavier Costa-Perez. 2025. Quantum Computing in the RAN with Qu4Fec: Closing Gaps Towards Quantum-based FEC processors. Proc. ACM Meas. Anal. Comput. Syst. 9, 2, Article 36 (June 2025), 25 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3727128

Curved Apertures for Customized Wave Trajectories: Beyond Flat Aperture Limitations

J. M. Canals, F. Devoti, V. Sciancalepore, M. D. Renzo and X. Costa-Pérez, “Curved Apertures for Customized Wave Trajectories: Beyond Flat Aperture Limitations,” in IEEE Wireless Communications Letters (2025).

Cybersecurity & Blockchain