The Center for Security Studies evolves in the following sectors:
Security and Border Control Sector
The Sector of Security and Border Control is responsible for conducting research and development activities related to security and management of land and sea borders.
The Sector collaborates with various security and border surveillance organizations and agencies such as the Hellenic Police and the Hellenic Coast Guard, the Ministry of National Defence, as well as with the European Commission and its services, to promote policies and strategies for guarding, surveillance, and control of the country’s borders.
Through national and international cooperation with research and educational centers, institutions, public and private bodies, the Sector contributes to the continuous scientific training of its staff, generates innovative ideas and continuously develops to meet the challenges of the modern era.
The Sector also prepares special security and border surveillance studies, tests and evaluates technological systems in operational environments and develops prototype systems and constructions. It collects data and contributes know-how in its areas of competence through collaborations with strategic bodies of the Greek Public Administration, and shares its expertise by writing and publishing scientific studies, texts, manuals and guides.
Furthermore, the Sector actively seeks new opportunities for cooperation at all levels with relevant sectors of mutual interest.
Emergency Management and Civil Protection Sector
The activities and objectives of the Sector are:
- participation in research, development, testing, implementation and evaluation of methodologies, standards and technologies in topics related to crisis management and natural hazards such as wildfires, floods, earthquakes etc.
- ·development of synergies through cooperation networks, not only among research projects partners, but also with relevant national and international, public and private organizations, networks, entities and first response agencies.
- participation in the planning and evaluation of policies relevant to prevention and response against crises and natural disasters at a national and European level.
- development of strategic studies on risk and crisis management issues for national agencies.
- organization of risk information and awareness programmes.
- documentation of crisis managers’, first responders’ and civil society representatives’ operational needs, with the aim of developing proposals for policies and technological solutions.
- organization and evaluation of operational exercises for national entities and critical infrastructures.
The staff of the Sector consists of approximately 30 external scientific associates with high academic qualifications and long professional background in multiple, relevant to the Sector, disciplines, such as: Foresters, Environmentalists, Geographers, Geologists, Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, Civil Engineers, Architect Engineers, Survey Engineers, IT specialists, Geoinformatics, Seismologists, Firefighters, Police Officers, Lawyers and Economists.
Over the last 10 years, the Sector has participated in approximately 35 EU and nationally funded research projects and has developed a portfolio of specialized knowledge, experience, tools, methodologies, standards and networking in the aforementioned topics and expertise. The active projects, in which the Sector participated during 2022-2023, were eleven (11) in total, while the sector successfully participates every year in new calls for proposals.
Critical Infrastructure Protection Sector
The Critical Infrastructure Protection Sector is responsible for:
1. Implementing research and technological development actions to protect critical infrastructure and respond to crises and emergencies caused by natural or man-made causes.
2. The development of incident reporting applications, decision support systems for assessing risks and threats to the security of critical infrastructure, mapping their geographical distribution, developing risk indicators, etc. and the preparation of relevant studies
3. The organisation of tests and exercises (field and tabletop) to evaluate technologies and design protocols and procedures for the certification of innovative systems related to the protection and security of critical infrastructure against man-made risks and threats.
4. The promotion and modernization, through appropriate memoranda of understanding with relevant public institutions and agencies, in the context of KEMEA’s role as an interface between scientific, technological and operational actors, of the planning and improvement of the operational capabilities of the country’s emergency and crisis management system.
5. The implementation of research and technological development actions on the resilience of natural and technological systems in response to crises and emergencies caused by natural or man-made causes.
6. In the context of the role of KEMEA as the National Contact Point for the protection of Critical Infrastructures of European Interest:
- Participate in R&D projects in the field of critical infrastructure protection in cooperation with research and academic institutions and end-users,
- undertakes the preparation of model safety studies and safe operation and business continuity and resilience enhancement plans for infrastructure operators and managers, whether in the private or public sector,
- participate and represent KEMEA in terms of national representation in international and national initiatives and collaborations in the field of critical infrastructure security and protection
- cooperating with European and regional networks of professionals in the field with a view to developing synergies and partnerships with bodies dealing with issues of common interest with the scope of the department’s activities.
Cybersecurity sector
KE.ME.A.’s Cybersecurity sector’s main objectives are to perform research and technological development in the field of digital security, security of communication and information networks in line with the EU Cyber Resilience and Cybersecurity Acts, and the EU Cybersecurity Strategy for the Digital Decade [Ref: JOIN/20200/18 final].
Therefore, research concerns the Internet of Things (IoT) devices and communication protocols, collection and analysis of large volumes of data (Big Data), the cyber security of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) systems in vital sectors related to secure societies. As such, research related to privacy pro-tection technologies, cryptography, and mitigation of the effects of cyber-attacks is equally important.
Except for the research performance in the above mentioned areas, KE.ME.A.’s Cybersecurity sector is interested in activities related to training and certification of cybersecurity professionals in collaboration with National and International cybersecurity certification frameworks. The support for certification and training activities extends to
the development of guides and manuals to support cyber security training and related activities as these are specified in the National Cybersecurity Strategy 2020-2025.
To succeed in its mission, KE.ME.A.’s Cybersecurity sector cooperates with the Hellenic National CERT, the Di-rectorate of Cyber Defense (ΔΙΚΥΒ) of the General Staff of National Defense, the Directorate of Electronic Prose-cution Crime of the Hellenic Police, the National Network for cybersecurity incidents handling of the Ministry of Interior, ENISA, and all the European and International Organizations in order to exchange best practices and facilitate knowledge transfer among cybersecurity stake-holders.
The core expertise of KE.ME.A.’s Cybersecurity sector are the identification and definition of end user needs, their transformation to functional and nonfunctional requirements, planning of piloting and evaluation activities, and evaluation/assessment sessions with end users. Aside the interaction with end users, KE.ME.A. has a dedicated legal department comprised by lawyers and researchers who have profound expertise in dealing
with Legal issues and Ethical requirements related to EU Funded projects. The team is specialized in the respective fields, i.e. Human Rights, Intellectual Property (IP) Law, Protection of personal data (including General Data Protection Regulation, Law Enforcement Directive), and has profound knowledge of the latest legislative EU acts
in relation to the technological developments (e.g. on cybersecurity, AI, blockchain,
UAV etc.).
KE.ME.A. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Hellenic Police.
This allows KE.ME.A. to recruit Police Officers from various divisions of the HellenicPolice to support Cybersecurity projects, development activities, evaluation of Tools, and other tasks.
Policy against Crime Sector
Tasks of this sector are:
- Studying the phenomenon of crime from its qualitative-quantitative changes to its geographical distribution in the Greek Territory as well as planning methods and tactics in exercising Crime Policy
- The submission of proposals in terms of adjusting measures to prevent and suppress crime to the constitutional principles, civil and political rights, legitimacy and respect for human dignity
- Developing cooperations for issues concerning its action with Organizations and Services, Research Centers and Educational Foundations, Social, Scientific and Prolific Institutions of Public or Private Sector, as well as Non Governmental Organizations (NGO’s), at national and international level
- Supporting cross border cooperation procedures
- Organizing and conducting conferences
- Publishing research and scientific evidence in addition to other relevant projects Technology and Systems
International Co-operation and Communication
Tasks of this sector are:
- Co-operation with International and European authorities in the Security sector
- Co-operation with local and international Scientific and University institutions actively operating within the security sector
- Developing cooperations in international level regarding Major Events security issues
- Co-operation with National and International Fora
