PAMPAS is an accompanying measure funded within the IST Programme of the European Union's Fifth Framework Programme (FP5) under contract number IST-2001-37763. It is one of 25 roadmap projects within Key Action II with the objective to prepare the ground for research initiatives in the upcoming Sixth Framework Program (FP6). PAMPAS is focusing on the area of privacy and security for beyond-3G mobile systems and applications. The project started on June 1, 2002; the project duration is 12 months.

Following the success of GSM, European collaboration has played a central role in ensuring a single set of standards in 3G systems, to the benefit of users and suppliers of equipment and services worldwide. Special attention to security and privacy measures is now needed to accompany the continuing development and use of mobile/wireless communications technologies and services, lest users adopt fragmented, proprietary solutions. Before the necessary research can be undertaken, it is prudent to understand in more detail what the real research priorities are in this area, and this has led to the PAMPAS privacy and security roadmap project.

PAMPAS aims at ensuring that future mobile services and systems satisfy security, privacy and identity management requirements. To this end, PAMPAS will

• identify the research challenges in the area of mobile privacy and security, and derive a coherent roadmap for applied research within FP6,
• establish and maintain a constituency of relevant interests and stakeholders in the area of mobile privacy and security beyond the PAMPAS project consortium.

The approach taken is to start from likely developments in mobile systems and applications, and to identify their security and privacy requirements. Building upon this analysis, available technologies (e.g. cryptography, privacy-enhancing technologies, PKI, DRM) will be investigated and mapped onto an application / technology matrix. Besides open research aspects, the concluding assessment will also identify needs with respect to standardisation and regulation.

If you are interested in finding out more or getting involved in the PAMPAS project and related activities towards the Sixth Framework Program:

• subscribe to our mailing list and participate in the discussions,
• check out our published documents,
• contact us directly.