Abertay cyberQuarter and Police Scotland have announced a new partnership to drive forward strategic cyber-crime prevention projects and tackle emerging digital threats.
With the collaboration, Police Scotland’s Cybercrime Investigations and Digital Forensics units will work alongside researchers and students from Abertay University on a range of research, outreach and public awareness projects, including deepfake detection training and analysis of criminal interview techniques.
The partnership aims to promote knowledge sharing between police officers, students and staff, with Abertay receiving sponsorship for two PhD scholarships from the Scottish Institute for Policing Research, with the hope of nurturing the emerging cyber cluster in the Tay Cities Region.
One scholarship project will investigate how individuals can distinguish AI-generated deepfakes from genuine media to create training materials to improve their detection, while a second scholarship will see Abertay students examine the effectiveness of various interviewing techniques through the lens of psychological and sociological research.
The use of new techniques to enhance digital forensics work will also be explored, as will ways to build on existing research into romance fraud, which has fast become an area of concern, with more than £106 million being lost to these frauds in the UK last year.
Under the partnership, Police Scotland will have access to the Abertay cyberQuarter CPD training lab and secure malware analysis lab, allowing the force to share its expertise and resources to help prevent cybercrime and protect against these rising online threats.
“While we work closely with UK and international law enforcement agencies, we know that partnership working across other sectors, including academia, can further advance our approach to the investigation and detection of cyber-crime,” said Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston.
“Our work with Abertay cyberQuarter will be driven by a newly established Cyber and Fraud Unit, comprising of specialist detectives and staff, that will develop new capabilities and training to tackle emerging digital threats to Scotland.”
Police Scotland joins a network of public and private sector organisations based within the cyberQuarter, including NHS Scotland’s Cyber Centre of Excellence, Systal Technology Solutions, and ScotlandIS.
Opened in 2022, the Abertay cyberQuarter has benefited from £5.7 million in funding from the UK Government and £6 million from the Scottish Government as part of the Tay Cities Deal, allowing for research projects, as well as a range of conferences, industry workshops, and learning sessions, all aimed at boosting collaboration and retaining talent in Scotland.
Last year, it was announced that the cyberQuarter would co-lead a new network aiming to strengthen cybersecurity within emerging technologies, backed by £6 million in EPSRC funding to support early-stage research projects across sectors from manufacturing to law enforcement.
“Abertay cyberQuarter continues to grow in terms of our research profile but also in our role as Scotland’s base for collaboration, discussion and thought-leadership within the cyber and tech community,” said Professor Lynne Coventry, director of the Abertay cyberQuarter.
“Police Scotland will bring significant added value to the conversation as we collectively seek to make the country a more secure place and instil strong cybersecurity practices throughout our communities.”
Source: DIGIT