News

During major incidents, responders need to move faster than the crisis itself—without losing control of who can access what data, when, and why. The Use Case 3 (UC3) in the NOUS project tackles exactly this challenge: enhancing CRIMSON, a cloud‑based crisis‑management platform, by porting it to the NOUS environment and harnessing its Data Life‑Cycle Management (DLCM) and Cyber Secure Architecture capabilities. The goal is simple to state and hard to achieve: fine‑grained monitoring and administration of data accessibility and traceability—fast, robust, secure, and transparent—across multiple organizations.

Why crisis responders need better data life‑cycle management

Modern crisis response connects firefighters, civil protection units, law enforcement, command centers, sensors, drones, satellites, mobile teams, and third‑party systems. In that complexity, every piece of information—its creation, modification, or deletion—must be governed by strong access‑rights and “right‑to‑know” controls, and it must remain traceable from end to end to support after‑action reviews and, where necessary, judicial processes. UC3’s objective is to evaluate the NOUS DLCM backbone that keeps pace with the growing number of organizations adopting CRIMSON and the expanding ecosystem of legacy and third‑party systems it interoperates with.

What UC3 will deliver

Under Task T7.2, the consortium is setting up the use cases, testing the developed technologies, implementing the proposed architecture; ongoing work focuses on aligning the NOUS technologies with each use case’s objectives, planning data collection for envisioned tests, and adapting solutions where needed. Beyond technical testing, a use case like UC3 is designed to demonstrate how the integration of advanced data life-cycle management and cybersecurity frameworks can help in solving real-world challenges in crisis response.

How NOUS helps with its DLCM capabilities

UC3 will leverage several NOUS components to achieve DLCM at scale:

• AIR framework (T2.4): A documented approach that underpins DLCM and formalizes each stage of the data lifecycle and incorporates best practices. While primarily methodological (not a technology to test directly), AIR guides how policies and processes should be structured for robust governance. A first version of the NOUS Data Life Cycle Framework has been reported, outlining the first three phases out of the six (1- creation / collection / acquisition, 2- processing / transformation, 3- storage, 4- usage / analysis / sharing, 5- archival / retention, 6- deletion / disposal). The whole framework will be detailed by the end of the project.
• Data Space (DS) connectors: These enable standardized sharing and access across the ecosystem—crucial when multiple organizations must collaborate without sacrificing sovereignty or security. Technical descriptions are in progress, the identification of the relevant data to be shared will be defined, and the team will assess how these capabilities map to UC3’s goals.
• Blockchain (BC): UC partners are also exploring how BC—currently designed to be exploited through the DS connector—can contribute to UC3’s objectives, with validation to be carried out in collaboration with AIR/POLITO. The team will examine the relevance, capabilities, and limitations of a direct use of BC through the CRIMSON platform.

 

How NOUS helps with its cybersecurity framework

A crisis platform must assume that networks are contested, and identities need continuous verification to ensure operational security and resilience in dynamic environments. In this context, UC3 is conducting a comprehensive evaluation of how AETHON’s Zero-Trust framework can be effectively applied to the CRIMSON architecture. This includes a detailed examination of system-to-system communication flows, with the goal of identifying where Zero-Trust principles—such as continuous authentication, granular authorization, and strict access controls—can most effectively mitigate risks. The evaluation will also consider the potential trade-offs, such as performance impacts or integration complexities, to ensure that the benefits of enhanced security do not come at the expense of operational efficiency.

AETHON’s proposed minimal open-source technology stack forms the foundation for Zero-Trust. Key components include Keycloak, an identity and access management solution that is already deployed in CRIMSON for robust token management and user/access control. Leveraging Keycloak not only streamlines the adoption of Zero-Trust principles but also facilitates integration with other open-source policy enforcement tools.

Policy enforcement is a critical pillar of Zero-Trust. The team is actively exploring the use of Open Policy Agent (OPA), which enables fine-grained, declarative policy definition and enforcement across distributed systems. OPA’s flexibility allows for dynamic adaptation of access policies based on evolving risk profiles, user behavior, or contextual factors. Additionally, Nebula is under consideration as a complementary solution for secure network overlay and micro-segmentation, further reducing the attack surface and enhancing internal security controls. The study will identify the optimal combination of tools for the CRIMSON platform.

Together, these elements advance the architecture toward least-privilege access, continuous verification, and auditable decision paths—core tenets of Zero-Trust security. By ensuring that access is always justified, identities are continuously verified, and all actions are logged and reviewable, the platform can better withstand sophisticated threats and support accountability. Moreover, integrating Zero-Trust with the broader Data Life Cycle Management (DLCM) and data governance frameworks described earlier ensures that security is embedded throughout the information flow, from data creation and sharing to modification and eventual deletion. This holistic approach positions UC3 to deliver a crisis management platform that is both agile and resilient in the face of evolving cyber risks and operational challenges.

Edge intelligence: promising, but not the main stage (yet)

In addition to the ongoing work on Data Life Cycle Management (DLCM) and zero trust security studies, UC3’s partners are also actively exploring the potential of NOUS’s edge inference capabilities. This investigation aims to assess the advantages of processing and analyzing data closer to the source—such as sensors, mobile devices, or field stations—rather than relying solely on centralized cloud resources. Leveraging inference at the edge could enable reduced network latency and minimize bandwidth requirements by transmitting only relevant or pre-processed data to the cloud.

However, several open questions remain regarding the seamless integration of these edge components with the broader NOUS cloud architecture. The consortium is evaluating how such distributed intelligence can be implemented within UC3 without introducing unnecessary complexity or operational overhead.

UC Architecture, at a glance

CRIMSON serves as a central orchestrator, aggregating and managing information flows from a wide array of sources—including servers, field stations, mobile devices, and diverse sensors or effectors. This orchestration extends to seamless integrations with critical third-party systems, such as Command and Control (C2) applications, Video Management Systems (VMS), intrusion detection solutions, and various access control mechanisms. By acting as an interoperable hub, CRIMSON enables unified situational awareness and facilitates rapid, informed decision-making during crisis scenarios.

As an initial strategy, gateways developed with the CRIMSON SDK establish secure connections to NOUS components, ensuring reliable data exchange and interoperability across the ecosystem. The Data Space (DS) connectors—alongside ongoing exploration of DS paired with Blockchain (DS+BC)—form the core data-governance backbone. These connectors are essential for enforcing data sovereignty, security, and compliance as information traverses organizational boundaries. Through standardization and policy-driven access controls, DS connectors support the collaborative sharing of data required for effective crisis response while safeguarding sensitive information.

The potential direct use of blockchain (BC) within the CRIMSON architecture is primarily envisioned at the server layer. This approach is intended to streamline integration by leveraging BC’s inherent strengths—such as tamper-evident audit trails, decentralized trust, and transparent transaction records. By anchoring critical data exchanges and decisions on the blockchain, CRIMSON can enhance traceability, accountability, and resilience against unauthorized modifications or cyber threats.

The road ahead

A comprehensive workshop involving all UC participants will be convened as a next step. The primary goals of this workshop are to finalize the foundational planning, clearly define and confirm expectations and individual roles, and synchronize the efforts required for upcoming testing phases. This collaborative session will provide a forum for open dialogue, ensuring that all stakeholders are aligned regarding operational objectives, key deliverables, and success criteria.