ABOUT CISPA
The Helmholtz Center for Information Security is a German national Big Science Institution within the Helmholtz Association. Its research agenda encompasses all aspects of Information Security. With its ongoing growth, CISPA will soon have the critical mass of researchers (800+) to provide a comprehensive, holistic treatment of the pressing grand Cybersecurity and Privacy research challenges that our society faces in the age of digitalization.
CISPA seeks to play a prominent international role in research, transfer, and innovation by combining cutting-edge, often disruptive foundational research with innovative application-oriented research, corresponding technology transfer, and societal outreach. Thematically, it strives to cover the full spectrum from theory to empirical research. It is deeply grounded in computer science and works interdisciplinarily with researchers in adjacent fields such as medicine, law, and the social sciences.
CISPA is committed to the highest international academic standards. We offer a world-class research environment that grants extensive resources to a wide range of researchers and constitutes an attractive destination for the best talents and scientists from all countries. Moreover, we strongly support undergraduate and graduate education of Cybersecurity students, and we seek to become an elite training ground for the next generation of Cybersecurity experts and scientific leaders in this field.
When our center was founded in 2011, "CISPA" stood for „Center for IT-Security, Privacy and Accountability”. In the meantime, CISPA has become established as a proper name. CISPA is based in Saarbrücken, in close proximity to both France and Luxemburg, which is the ideal location for regional as well as cross-border cooperations with other research institutes.
CISPA started out with one mission: to reinvent the digitalized world of the future from the ground up and make it safer through innovative cutting-edge research.
We provide a comprehensive, holistic treatment of the pressing grand challenges in Cybersecurity and Privacy research that our society faces in the age of digitalization.
We assume a prominent international role in the field of Cybersecurity and Privacy research, pertaining to both cutting-edge foundational and application-oriented research.
We are committed to the highest international academic standards.
We offer a world-class research environment that grants extensive resources to a wide range of researchers and constitutes an attractive destination for the best talents and scientists from all countries.
We seek to become an elite training ground for the next generation of scientific leaders and innovators in Cybersecurity and Privacy.
We achieve a considerable impact on the general public by means of technology transfer, support of start-up companies, and societal outreach.
Professor Michael Backes is the founding director of CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security. He is the chairman and the speaker of CISPA’s executive board.
Dr. Kevin Streit has been the chief operating officer of the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security since November 1, 2021. The computer scientist has witnessed and also helped shape the development of the center from the very beginning.
CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security is constantly growing. The numbers are constantly changing. Here we present some of the most concise figures about the Helmholtz Center for Information Security. (August 31, 2023)
years age average
nationalities from all over the world
women
research assistants
employees – and growing!
full member of the Helmholtz Association
Saarbrücken airport (SCN) offers daily non-stop flights to a number of European cities. A taxi ride from the airport to Saarland University takes about 20 minutes (roughly 25 euros Taxi Phone +49 681 33033 or +49 681 55000). Alternatively, a local bus (R10) will take you from the airport (bus stop: “Saarbrücken Flughafen”) to Saarland University in 45 minutes (2,60 euros). The bus runs approximately twice an hour between 5 am and 8:45 pm on weekdays.
For details, see the R10 timetable: http://www.saarfahrplan.de
Frankfurt airport (FRA), the second biggest hub in Europe, is convenient for travellers from most destinations. It is a car drive of 1 1/2 hours to Saarbruecken and 2 to 2 1/2 hours by train. For instructions on getting from Frankfurt airport to Saarbruecken by train, see "By Train" below. Airports in Paris or Luxembourg are other convenient options, connected to Saarbruecken by train or bus.
Saarbruecken's main railway station (“Hauptbahnhof”) is well connected to other German cities. You can take the bus lines 111, 112, and 124 to Saarland University. A bus ride from Saarbruecken main railway station to Saarland University takes between 15 and 25 minutes (2,60 euros). If you exit at bus stop “Stuhlsatzenhaus”, you are right at CISPA’s doorstep.
For details, access the timetables: http://www.saarfahrplan.de
GPS coordinates of the University campus: N 49.259386 E 7.051715
CISPA is located at the eastern entrance (“Universität Ost”) of the university. You can conveniently park your car right in front of our institute or in the multi-storey parking lot, “Universität Ost”, at a few hundred meters distance.
Stuhlsatzenhaus 5
66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
Kaiserstraße 170-174
66386 St. Ingbert, Germany
Kaiserstraße 21
66386 St. Ingbert