Information security is a concern not only for companies in the financial and insurance, but also poses a major challenge for many other sectors, such as research, information communication and technology (ICT), and health. Big hacking incidents appear in the news from time to time, but the theft of sensitive information on a smaller scale can happen more often. Information security represents a key factor in the credibility of companies and the confidence they generate, and having everyday procedures in place is the first step to protecting data. However, due to lack of awareness these security procedures are often of low priority for SMEs, while at the same time there are few services available to SMEs to help them increase their security.

Inspiration:

With the low level of information security among SMEs in Luxembourg, it is important to create awareness among smaller companies of the importance of IT security and to promote the quality of local service providers who are available to help them put measures in place. The project ISIS (Integrated Services in Information Security) is a continuation of previous Tudor research projects ISMS-PME (Information Security Management System for SMEs) and CASSIS Sécurité 2. These projects focused on developing skills and services (tools, methods, training) to help companies improve their information security, regardless of their maturity in this area. ISIS is a decisive step towards the further maturation, transfer and dissemination of these services.

Tudor Innovation:

ISIS, a project within the Service Science and Innovation (SSI) department and part of Tudor’s PUBLIC SERVICES innovation programme, is coordinated in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade. The main aim of ISIS is to transfer services and knowledge to SMILE, a web platform specially created by the government to promote information security, in order to support companies and security experts in Luxembourg. The objectives are to offer tools and services on the platform for assessing, defining and improving best security practices , and to provide support such as training in using the services, technology watch, and certification of information security experts. The SMILE platform will target IT experts working with SMEs to improve their security procedures.

Impact:

Through the SMILE platform, ISIS will help centralise information, tools and services on information security in Luxembourg while creating better awareness of the importance of IT security among SMEs. The project will contribute to the objectives of the Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade on the development of trust in the digital economy, making reference to international standards in the field.  With increased awareness, more companies will seek to improve their level of IT security, leading to increased competitiveness and better protection of sensitive data in Luxembourg.