ENCASE will leverage the latest advances in usable security and privacy to design and implement a browser-based architecture for the protection of minors from malicious actors in online social networks. The ENCASE user-centric architecture will consist of three distinct services, which can be combined to form an effective protective net against cyberbullying and sexually abusive acts: a) a browser add-on with its corresponding scalable back-end software stack that collects the users’ online actions to unveil incidents of aggressive or distressed behavior; b) a browser add-on with its associated scalable software stack that analyses social web data to detect fraudulent and fake activity and alert the user; and c) a browser add-on that detects when a user is about to share sensitive content (e.g., photos or address information) with an inappropriate audience and warns the user or his parents of the imminent privacy threat. The third add-on has usable controls that enable users to protect their content by suggesting suitable access lists, by watermarking, and by securing the content via cryptography or steganography. The three browser add-ons and the back-end social web data analytics software stack will be assessed with user studies and piloting activities and will be released to the public. The foundation of the research and innovation activities will be a diligently planned inter-sectorial and interdisciplinary secondment program for Experienced and Early Stage Researchers that fosters knowledge exchange. The academic partners will contribute know-how on user experience assessment, large scale data processing, machine learning and data-mining algorithm design, and content confidentiality techniques. The industrial partners will primarily offer expertise in production-grade software development, access to real-world online social network data, and access to numerous end-users through widely deployed products.

The project will upgrade the Computation-based Science and Technology Research Center of The Cyprus Institute (CyI) into a Centre of Excellence in Simulation and Data Science (SIMDAS) in Cyprus by teaming it with the Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ). Local partners are three public institutions as holders and providers of key data, the Departments of Antiquities, and Meteorology, and the Nicosia General Hospital, and two SMEs, Hyperion Systems Engineering, and SignalGeneriX connecting the center directly to commercial applications. During Phase-1 a comprehensive business plan for the six-year development of the center will be prepared with a detailed research, innovation and educational roadmap, governance structure, outreach and sustainability plan. Outreach and dissemination activities will engage the research communities, governmental institutions, and industry. The long-term vision of the SIMDAS project to be realized in Phase-2 revolves around five themes: i) Simulation and data science fundamentals, tools and services: Develop methodologies, tools and services, including mathematical modeling, scalable data analytics and simulations algorithms, statistics, data management, mining, security and visualization, under a Transversal Lab. ii) Simulation and data-driven research: Enable scientific breakthroughs in the key areas of Digital Cultural Heritage, Health and Life Sciences, Solar Energy, Earth System Science and Physical Sciences. iii) Government and Industry: Pursue applications of tangible innovation potential in partnership with public and private institutions utilizing the industry expertise and structures of FZJ. iv) Education: Expand graduate educational and training programs in SIMDAS. v) Infrastructure: Design and build the knowledge environment and infrastructure for a sustainable operation and provisioning of computing and data-intensive services to the broader user communities, and promote the science hub role of CyI in the Eastern Mediterranean.