Professor Fatih KurugolluIndustrial Fellowships scheme

Professor Fatih Kurugollu is a Professor of Cyber Security in the Department of Electronics, Computing and Mathematics at the University of Derby. From 2016 to 2017, he held a Royal Academy of Engineering Industrial Fellowship to collaborate with Titan IC Ltd to develop new approaches for multimedia security.

RESEARCHThe security of digital information systems relies on advances in cybersecurity that keep pace with increasing bandwidths, larger volumes of digital data and corresponding increases in cyber threats. As a world-leading supplier of hardware engines for content and network processing, Titan IC Ltd develops technology for content analysis and cyber-threat detection. An Industrial Fellowship enabled Professor Kurugollu to collaborate with Titan IC and apply his expertise in multimedia security to develop new insights and methods for content analysis.

“Our research brings high-level media content analysis to the network level,” Professor Kurugollu explains. “This will enable us to deploy multimedia security analytics on in-transit data and combine meta-data information with high-level content signatures, providing a complete mechanism for multimedia security.”

IMPACTFollowing a previous collaboration, Professor Kurugollu was familiar with Titan IC’s expert knowledge and approach to key technologies in multimedia security such as deep packet inspection and content URL/filtering. This allowed him to directly implement his own research into real-world applications through the Fellowship.

“During the Fellowship, we showed that MPEG-7 video signature tools for identifying content can be adopted in Titan IC’s technology,” notes Professor Kurugollu. “These rules can help to identify video streams in-transit, adding a new capability to existing company products and helping the development of future products for multimedia security.”

The experience brought new perspectives to Professor Kurugollu’s research and strengthened research links between the University of Derby and

a broader network. There are plans to pursue different areas of research linked to the Fellowship as part of a wider collaboration with Queen’s University, Belfast.

Professor Kurugollu has created opportunities to share his industry experience in the classroom. “The knowledge I’ve gained has been reflected in my undergraduate module on multimedia security,” he explains. “I have also developed undergraduate, Masters-level and PhD projects from research topics developed during the Fellowship.”

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTGaining experience in an industrial environment has influenced Professor Kurugollu’s approach to research. “Knowledge of industrial perspectives will help me to reshape future research so that I can conduct detailed, fruitful research aimed at having greater academic, industrial and economic impact.”

ROYAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING INDUSTRIAL FELLOWSHIP SCHEMEThe Industrial Fellowship scheme provides an invaluable opportunity for early- to mid-career academics to undertake a collaborative research project in an industrial environment. The scheme aims to strengthen the strategic relationship between the university and the industry host by providing an opportunity to establish or enhance collaborative research between the two parties and enhance the quality of teaching.

Royal Academy of Engineering Prince Philip House, 3 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5DG

@RAEngNews E research@raeng.org.uk W raeng.org.uk/ifs First printed 2018

“ My Industrial Fellowship has helped me to develop a new vision for my research and research-related teaching in a way that highlights how to contribute to society more effectively.”