Δελτία Τύπου

Athens, 3rd December 2019

PRESS RELEASE

PDGuard: New innovative software architecture for the secure processing and protection of personal data, created by AUEB’s researchers

The protection of personal data has a new ally, the PDGuard software architecture, developed by researchers of the Business Analytics Lab, at the Department of Management Science and Technology (DMST) of Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB). 

Dr. Dimitris Mitropoulos, Thodoris Sotiropoulos, Nikos Koutsavassilis and Professor Diomidis Spinellis presented the novel architecture, applied in two different case studies, in a recent research paper (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10207-019-00468-5) which was published by the International Journal of Information Security, a well-respected journal in information security.

As Dr. Dimitris Mitropoulos states “The PDGuard architecture changes the way we control and protect our personal data, offering the user means to reliably monitor the way that applications use their personal data. Moreover, it can be easily incorporated into business processes that handle personal data so that the data are not available without informed consent”.  

Online personal data are rarely, if ever, effectively controlled by the users they concern. Worse, as demonstrated by the numerous leaks reported each week, the organizations that store and process them fail to adequately safeguard the required confidentiality. PDGuard is a novel software architecture that addresses both problems. In the context of PDGuard, personal data are always stored encrypted as opaque objects. Processing them can only be performed through the PDGuard Application Programming Interface (API), under data and action-specific authorizations supplied online by third-party agents. Through these agents end-users can easily and reliably authorize and audit how organizations use their personal data, a concept aligned with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). A static verifier can be employed to identify accidental API misuses.

“PDGuard demonstrates the excellent “dialogue” between the university research and the society, and the University's contribution as a knowledge hub with immediate and effective implementation to the market," as Professor Diomidis Spinellis noticed. "In DMST Department, the production of knowledge and the extroversion, linking up applied research, production and the market, for the benefit of citizens, are significant parameters for the development of the Department and its human capital, with cooperations within and outside Greece”.

Following a security-by-design approach, PDGuard changes the problem of personal data management from the, apparently, intractable problem of supervising processes, operations, personnel, and a large software stack to that of auditing the applications that use the framework for compliance. The framework’s applicability is exemplified by a reference implementation and two use cases including an existing PDGuard-based e-shop, and a PDGuard-integration into The Guardian newspaper’s website identity application

Notably, Dr. Mitropoulos was invited to present PDGuard at the ΜyData General Meeting, as a keynote speaker. The meeting was organized by MyData, which is one of the largest community regarding personal data and their management, worldwide.

For more information on PDGuard software, you are kindly requested to contact Mr. Dimitris Mitropoulos (dimitro@aueb.gr).

Business Analytics Lab

The laboratory was created to serve teaching and research needs in the field of "Business Analytics" and in particular in the following areas, with emphasis on the needs of all types of agencies:

• Methods, technologies and applications of collection, processing, representation, modeling and data analysis.
• Software applications and data analysis related to the subject of the laboratory.
• Data analysis systems and data analysis applications in the development and operation of any systems.
• Methods, technologies and applications of large scale optimization problem virtualization and solving.

Athens, 25 May 2018

Press release

Subject: Conference in Athens University of Economics and Business

Art and Education 2018

“Diversity in school: different aspects and perspectives”

The Teacher Education Program of Athens University of Economics and Business (TEP AUEB), in collaboration with the Department of Teacher Education and School Research of Oslo University in Norway and the Athens School of Fine Arts, held on May 17^th, 2018 the Annual Scientific Conference and Annual Exhibition of the TEP AUEB students' visual art projects on “Diversity in school: different aspects and perspectives”. The Conference was prefaced by the Deputy Dean of Academic Affairs of AUEB, Professor Dimitris Bourantonis, by the representative of the Rector of the Athens School of Fine Arts and by the Assistant Professor Janne T. Scheie of Oslo University.

The Professors Janne T. Scheie and Britt Oda Fosse from Oslo University talked about the differentiations found in multicultural schools in Norway. The actress and drama teacher, Efi Mouriki, approached the issue through a different perspective deriving from theatre and theatrical texts, (Checkov, Shakespeare). Thodoris Panas, well-known dancer in Europe, approached the diversity in school through dance and psychomotor activity, connecting the audience with the music and the dance through an innovative workshop. Evi Pashou, psychiatrist, talked about teaching diversity in school through artworks, in order to detect the students’ attitudes towards the phenomenon. George Konstantinopoulos, theater director, member of the Greek Directors Guild, gave a cinematographic perspective on diversity in school through videos in combination with narration. The concepts of "Identity" and " Diversity" through Contemporary Art were presented by Marina Tsekou, Education Curator of the National Museum of Contemporary Art, providing examples of its educational programs. Diversity in school through the French pedagogical movement “Freinet” was approached by Dr. Babis Baltas, who is a teacher in primary education and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the pedagogical team "Skasiarheio". The Conference ended with the presentation of the innovative educational activities of the Teacher Education Program of AUEB, by the scientific responsible, Dr. Vasiliki Brinia. 

 Office of Public Relations - AUEB

On Thursday 19 April 2018 the "Startups Career Day", organized by the Innovation and Entrepreneuship Unit (ΜοΚΕ) of the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB), took place with great success in the premises of the Athens Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, ACEin.

The "Startups Career Day" is organized by AUEB's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit for the last 5 years, bringing together more than 800 students and graduates of AUEB with more than 80 startups.

This year's event was supported by CollegeLink that specializes in youth employment.

In this year's event 15 startups and approximately 200 AUEB students and graduates participated. Parallel to the meetings, the participants had the opportunity to receive guidance on how to build their resume by specialized consultants of the companies Imw and Βιογραφικό Reloaded.

Professor Emmanouil Giakoumakis, Rector of the Athens University of Economics and Business, Professor Vlassis Stathakopoulos, Scientific Responsible of AUEB's Employment and Career Unit, and Associate Professor Irini Voudouri, Responsible of AUEB's Innovation and Entrepreneurship, honored the event with their presence, and welcomed and discussed with students, graduates, and startups.

More info

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit, Athens University of Economics and Business

Address: 46, Kefallinias str., 11251, Athens

Telephone:  210 8203803
E-mail: mke@aueb.gr

www.mke.aueb.gr

 
 

“The Digital Gate II”

 
                                                               
The competition is supported by SAS, CISCO, Kotsovolos, IBM, Microsoft, 12PM, Census, UNISYSTEMS / iqbility, and is hosted by HFCs, ELTRUN AUEB, SEKE, SEPE, HEPIS.