KIRAS Security Research

Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) such as blockchains is currently a booming topic. Particularly within the field of FinTech (Financial Technology) or InsureTech (Insurance Technology), multiple successful applications and implementations are found. Nevertheless, a wide range of further possibilities of use exist to improve operations by the usage of DLT.

Through digitalization and more efficient processes, production volumes in the food supply chain have seen a continuous increase over recent years. The goal of this bilateral project ‘NutriSafe’ is to closely investigate potentials, risks and impacts of implementing DLT on the resilience of food supply chains and food security in general. Increased occurrences of natural hazard events, accidents, human errors as well as criminal activities, terrorism and security issues within information technology put food operations and related critical infrastructure at risk, resulting in a direct impact on food security for the general public. Due to the high importance of the food industry, close consideration of the impact of innovative technologies in this sector is of particular importance.

In this context, improving traceability of good flows within complex food supply chains is of importance as already shown in pilot projects by major industry players such as Walmart and Maersk. With DLT, various processing steps and corresponding actors within the supply chain can be easily identified, which is of great importance in case of emergencies. Additionally, this technology allows supply chains to secure operations if IT security of critical production or ERP systems is not guaranteed. To achieve such benefits, innovative approaches to evaluate and develop DLT for applications in the food industry are required.

During this project, various use cases studying the impact of implementing DLT within the food industry are investigated (e.g., IT attack on automatic milking systems, contamination of food products, transport disruptions), which have direct consequences on food supply and security in Austria. Developed methods and solution procedures are tested and evaluated in close cooperation with relevant decision makers and industrial partners. As a result, a serious game for training activities is developed and innovative methods and major insights generated to improve food safety and security of supply in emergency settings.