Spotlight On: Dr Pete Burnap

What is your role and what does it involve?
I am the Director of the Airbus Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Analytics at Cardiff University. We specialise in the use of AI – specifically machine learning – to detect emerging cyber threats and are developing real-time risk modelling approaches to support decision making in the light of emerging cyber attacks.

How long have you been with PETRAS and what was your previous role?
I work for Cardiff who have been there from the start of PETRAS.

Tell us about a project you are working on now which is top of your to-do list?
Our PETRAS project, IoTDepends is all about understanding the cyber attack threats that can impact on IoT devices, and enhancing our dynamic risk modelling methods to support the modelling of safety critical systems into which IoT devices are being deployed. For instance, what happens to a manufacturing plant if it is attacked via an IoT interface?

What about the IoT attracted you to working in this area?
The mix of emerging opportunity and threat. IoT devices give us access to more data than ever, meaning we can measure and monitor all sorts of environments. But they come with a new cyber risk. Data and cyber risk is what we do so IoT is a perfect match for us!

What is your favourite album, film and novel?
Favourite album is the self titled ‘Stone Roses’. Film, hmmm…probably Interstallar. Novel? I’m not a book person… I’m more audiovisual. I read all day!

Who would be your dream dinner guests?
Ian Brown, Alan Turing and Marie Curie.

What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t spend money you don’t have and listen to people before responding.

What would it surprise people to know about you?
I own around 50 pairs of Adidas trainers. All in original boxes in the top of my wardrobe. I have a different colour for every occasion!