An International Conference on Secure-by-Design Approaches for Critical Infrastructure

Critical infrastructures underpin the functioning of modern societies. They enable the continuous provision of essential services, support economic activity, safeguard public safety, and contribute to national and societal resilience. As these systems become increasingly digitised—through automation, connectivity, data-driven optimisation, and remote operations—their cyber risk profile evolves in ways that are inseparable from physical processes, safety outcomes, and operational reliability.

Building on the foundations established in DCS-Water 24 and DCS-Water 25, which centred on cyber security challenges in water utilities, this year’s conference expands its scope to encompass a broader range of large-scale, safety-critical critical infrastructures operating across diverse and interconnected environments. These systems are increasingly interdependent—technically, operationally, and organisationally—such that design choices, vulnerabilities, or disruptions in one domain may have cascading effects across others. This interconnectedness highlights the need for holistic, system-level approaches to cyber security that move beyond sector-specific silos.

The conference focuses on design-level and system-level approaches to cyber security, with particular attention to how security considerations are embedded into system architectures, engineering decisions, operational models, and governance arrangements. Rather than treating cyber security as a standalone technical function or a compliance requirement, the conference foregrounds the integration of security into the lifecycle of critical infrastructure systems—from conception and design, through deployment and operation, to maintenance, and upgrades.

The conference is intentionally positioned as a practice-informed and cross-sector forum, bringing together researchers, infrastructure owners and operators, engineers, cyber security professionals, system designers, regulators, and technology providers. Contributions are expected to surface real-world challenges, design trade-offs, and operational lessons, while also drawing on research insights that can inform future practice and policy.

Submissions via EasyChair

Submissions can cut across any of the topics listed below. Those that fall outside the topic listed below may also be considered when they fall within the domain of securing critical infrastructures.

• Secure-by-Design and Secure-by-Default Architectures
  Principles, patterns, and architectural approaches for embedding cyber security into complex cyber-physical systems, including legacy and brownfield environments.
• Cyber-Physical Risk, Safety, and Resilience
  Interdependencies between cyber threats, physical processes, safety outcomes, and societal or environmental impacts.
• Operational Technology (OT) and Automation Security
  Protection, monitoring, and resilience strategies for industrial control and automation systems across varied operational contexts.
• System Lifecycle and Engineering Perspectives
  Cyber security considerations across design, integration, commissioning, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning.
• Digitalisation and Emerging Technologies
  Security implications of digital twins, remote operations, autonomous or semi-autonomous systems, and data-driven optimisation.
• Testing, Validation, and Assurance
  Use of testbeds, simulations, cyber ranges, and digital environments to validate designs, assess risks, and support training.

Important dates (23:59, GMT +8)

• 13 Feb (Fri) – Call for Paper (CFP)
• 13 Apr (Mon) 27 Apr (Mon) – Close of CFP [Extended]
• 15 Jun (Mon) – Paper acceptance notification

All accepted long submissions (12-30 pages) will be published in
“Communications in a Computer and Information Science (CCIS)”
proceedings volume by Springer Nature.

Conference updates

• [13 Apr] Submission deadline has been extended
• [11 Feb] Conference details have been updated
• [27 Jan] Conference page has been created