As cyber threats grow in scale and sophistication, Ireland faces increasing pressure to strengthen not only its digital security systems, but also its ability to recover when those systems fail. From ransomware attacks crippling public services to AI-powered identity fraud and deepfakes, the challenge is building resilience across society.
In the latest episode of ADAPT Radio, host Dr Claire O’Connell speaks with ADAPT at Trinity College Dublin academics Professor Hitesh Tewari and Dr Maria Grazia Porcedda about the launch of the Trinity Centre for Digital Security and Societal Resilience and the urgent need for a cross-disciplinary approach to cybersecurity.
They explore what separates digital security from societal resilience, how zero-knowledge proofs could reshape how we prove our identity online, and why cybersecurity is too important to be left to computer scientists alone. They also share their personal journeys into the field, from blockchain research to EU law, and lay out their ambitions for turning the centre into a nationally funded, cross-Ireland research hub.
Prof. Hitesh Tewari leads the Applied Cryptography Research Lab at Trinity College Dublin, where his research spans Security, Applied Cryptography, Privacy, and Decentralisation. He co-authored Electronic Payment Systems, and has since focused on the broader application of Blockchain technology across areas including public health and personal privacy. A member of the Ripple UBRI professorial network, his lab most recently released zkBallot in 2025, a privacy-preserving electronic voting platform delivering both voter anonymity and public auditability.
Maria Grazia Porcedda is Assistant Professor of IT Law at Trinity College Dublin, specialising in privacy, data protection, cybersecurity, and cybercrime at the intersection of law and technology. She is the author of Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Protection in EU Law (Hart Publishing) and has advised the EU Directorate General for Development and Cooperation on cyber capacity building. Her policy-oriented, interdisciplinary scholarship is supported by several research awards, and she holds a PhD in Law from the European University Institute, where her thesis examined cybersecurity and privacy rights in EU law.
The full episode is available now on Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and our website.
