As user-based research infrastructures, we are committed to enabling world-leading science through cutting-edge technical developments that operate safely, securely, and reliably. Across the PaN community, we manage large-scale facilities and specialized experimental end-stations while continuously balancing cybersecurity, usability, and operational efficiency in a highly dynamic environment. Recent developments in the broader digital landscape, particularly agentic AI, are introducing new and rapidly evolving risks to facility operations. At the same time, these developments offer significant opportunities to enhance the scientific output of our user programs.
These challenges are compounded by increasing automation in experiment control systems and by data-analysis workflows that depend on tightly integrated support services. They often require flexible and frequently changing access arrangements for local operators, visiting and remote users, as well as privileged access for remote experts and on-call support staff. In addition, post-experiment data analysis often depends on long-term remote access to large-scale computing resources at the facility.
This satellite meeting aims to bring together stakeholders from both sides of this shared interface: the scientific and technical staff driving the innovations needed to enable research, and the facility staff responsible for technical infrastructure and cybersecurity. The goal is to exchange experiences across our facilities and identify modern, sustainable, and secure approaches to flexible operation.
Key topics will include:
- role-based and delegated access, service and functional accounts usage, audit logging, session continuity, privilege management, emergency access, controlled remote access,
- increasing user-controlled automation including the growing use of AI,
- the management of legacy systems built on outdated security assumptions
Contact: K. Wrona
