TÜBİTAK Informatics and Information Security Research Center (BİLGEM), has the mission of providing independency in Cyber Security and supporting National Cyber Security. For this purpose Network Security Group has been founded in 1997 on network and information security. A comprehensive test lab has been established and in this lab; open source operating systems, closed source operating systems such as Windows, email servers, database servers, network devices, network intrusion detection systems and many more have been examined.
In 2001, with the support of Turkish Armed Forces, Common Criteria Test Center (OKTEM) Project has been initiated. Common Criteria evaluation became feasible in our own labs. Common Criteria Test Center has become capable of performing communications security (COMSEC) tests for crypto devices.
Since 2006, Network Security Group has focused on smart card security and gained experience on topics such as side channel analysis and reverse engineering.
In 2010 TÜBİTAK BİLGEM and Turkish Standards Institution (TSE) has collaborated for international recognition of issued certificates. Turkey has become 14th “Certificate Creator” country in the field of “Common Criteria”.
Network Security Group conducted many projects to meet the needs of Turkish Armed Forces on information systems security. Secure network architecture design, secured system installation, security tests and risk analysis are some of them. By leveraging this know-how, Network Security Group has rapidly become an authority on information security.
Network Security Group has completed many projects with public institutions and critical private companies for the purpose of information sharing, transferring know-how and increasing awareness on information security. Public institutions and private companies have achieved valuable experience from these projects. Projects were about security tests in the beginning and have continued with Information Security Management System (ISMS) Installation/Integration/Consulting.
Projects, conducted with private companies mostly focused on areas of banking sector, telecommunications and automotive industry. These projects aimed to increase know-how and learn latest technologies more than profit. Analysis reports were readied about general state of private sector and these reports were shared with regularity authorities.
Information Society Office in State Planning Organization has started Information Society Strategy Project in 2005. TÜBİTAK BİLGEM Network Security Group has worked in establishment of Information Systems Security Program as part of Information Society Strategy Project. By this project it is aimed to increase security of information systems and to increase corporate information security awareness. As a part of the project, trainings have been delivered to personnel of critical public institutions, universities and etc. As a continuation of this project, Public Information Security Project has been performed and information security trainings were delivered to most of the public institutions’ subjected personnel.
TÜBİTAK BİLGEM Network Security Group had worked as TR-Cert since 2008. TR-Cert was responsible for establishment of computer emergency response teams within public institutions. For this purpose TÜBİTAK conducted the required coordination, trained personnel, organized National Cyber Exercises.
SGE has been working on security of critical infrastructures recently. SGE has worked with Ministry of Development to analyze the current state of critical infrastructures such as communication, energy, finance and water supply. As a result reports have been given on threats and possible attack vectors to critical infrastructures. SGE has also performed penetration tests to some of critical infrastructure management systems (SCADA). These studies are planned to be furthered with subjected institutions.
SGE did not work only at the national level, but it was also active in international areas. Some projects on information security management system and business continuity have been conducted in cooperation with foreign partners. SGE has collaborated with NATO on some projects, has delivered information security trainings to allies.
TÜBİTAK BİLGEM Network Security Group has become leading player of Country on information security, changed its name to Information Systems Security Group and lastly become Cyber Security Institute (SGE), operating under BİLGEM in 2012. SGE is working with Turkish Armed Forces, public institutions, private companies, national and international organizations and keeps improving itself.
