Press Release 085/2022

Data Security: KIT Research Group SECUSO Receives Federal Consumer Protection Award

Creating Freely Available Online Tips and Tools for Privacy and Cyber Security
IT security for everyone: KIT Research Group SECUSO is awarded for their user-friendly data security content. (on the left: Federal Minister for Consumer Protection Steffi Lemke; on the right: Peter Mayer, KIT) (Photo: Deutsche Stiftung Verbraucherschutz)
IT security for everyone: KIT Research Group SECUSO is awarded for their user-friendly data security content. (on the left: Federal Minister for Consumer Protection Steffi Lemke; on the right: Peter Mayer, KIT) (Photo: Deutsche Stiftung Verbraucherschutz)

The research group SECUSO (Security, Usability, and Society) of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has been awarded with the Federal Consumer Protection Award by the German Consumer Protection Foundation (DSV). The researchers developed simple, user-friendly concepts and tools to help users of online services, apps, and software to maintain their privacy and data security. The foundation of the Federation of German Consumer Organisations hands out this award to exceptional consumer protection projects. On Monday, September 26, the award was presented by Federal Minister for Consumer Protection Steffi Lemke in Berlin. It is endowed with a prize money of 2 500 euros.

“IT security has to be comprehensible and feasible for everybody,” Professor Melanie Volkamer, Head of the SECUSO research group, explains their ambitions. “To achieve this, we offer free and clear information material on how to protect against fraudulent messages and protect user accounts with secure passwords.” SECUSO developed numerous methods, support tools, advice, and explanation videos around data security that are available online. For example, they present privacy-friendly versions for popular applications, like a flashlight, to-do list, step counter, or sudoku, that request only the permission needed for functionality without including any tracking mechanisms.

SECUSO belongs to the umbrella brand KASTEL Security Research Labs.

Weitere Informationen: 

https://secuso.aifb.kit.edu/642.php

https://www.verbraucherstiftung.de/

https://www.verbraucherstiftung.de/bundespreis
 

Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,800 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.

mex, 27.09.2022
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