Adapting Cybersecurity for Transportation and Logistics - Interview with Dimitris Koutras

Dimitris Koutras from the University of Piraeus in Greece (UPRC) shares insights on the NERO project's approach to cybersecurity in the transportation and logistics industry.

Expertise and Role in NERO

Koutras brings a wealth of experience to the project, specialising in IoT protocols, communication protocols, and cybersecurity. He elaborates:
"My research concerns mostly IoT protocols, communication protocols and cybersecurity. I have a lot of experience in maritime trainings, especially in cybersecurity, maritime, health sector, and in logistics."

In the NERO project, Koutras is responsible for Use Case 2, which focuses on "supply chain and special awareness in the transportation and logistic industry".
 

NERO: Adapting to SME Needs

Koutras emphasises the unique nature of the NERO project:
"NERO is about the adaptation, how we can adapt to something. This project is designed to adapt to the needs of SMEs specifically, by providing a suite of tools for their unique requirements. That's the main purpose of NERO."

Importance of Use Cases

Koutras highlights the crucial role of use cases in demonstrating NERO's effectiveness:
"The use cases play the most crucial role, as they must demonstrate that this project NERO can be effectively implemented in real-world scenarios, especially situations in health, logistics, and maritime [which] are special cases."

Common Ground Across Use Cases

Despite the unique aspects of each use case, Koutras points out commonalities in cybersecurity challenges:
"There is something common across every use case. This common element is the type of attackers, and many of the security measures are common because we rely on computer system networks. The attacker will be the same, the measures will be the same."

Addressing Challenges

While acknowledging potential challenges, Koutras remains optimistic about overcoming them:
"We'll see some challenges but most of them, I think if we do a good scheduling everything will go straight ahead and in the right way."

Through its adaptive approach and focus on real-world implementation, the NERO project aims to enhance cybersecurity measures for SMEs in the transportation and logistics sector, addressing both common and industry-specific challenges.

Watch the Full Video Interview

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