The discussion about the background and the challenging problems of the RE-TRUST project showed how the project "breaks with convention" by introducing the novel paradigm of continuous remote entrusting during run-time. The project is indeed challenging and has the potential to facilitate the emergence of an improved converged computing and networking environment with higher level of trust and integrity.

Leadership in technology is usually achieved by the introduction of new paradigms that break with existing conventions. Obviously, breaking with convention has high risks of two types:

1. Technological risks - in attempting to realize new technology there is always the risk of encountering either unsolvable problems, or more often, ineffective (i.e., too complicated) solutions.
2. Compatibility risks - even if there are effective solutions, they may diverge too much from the existing paradigms. In the environment of computing and networking the need for maintaining what is known as "backward compatibility" has relatively high risk.

Nevertheless, overcoming such risks typically lead to high rewards both scientifically and commercially. The RE-TRUST research project, on the remote entrusting paradigm, falls into high risk with (very) high reward category, and consequently, matches the overall objective of FET open.

Furthermore, dynamic software authentication in real-time during execution is a known problem without satisfactory solutions. Specifically, how to ensure that trusted code is running on an untrusted machine at all times and that the original code functionality was not modified, is an open research challenge. This issue of entrusting software components is crucial since software, computers and networks are invading all aspects of modern life.

The long-term objective of the proposed approach is to entrust selected functionalities that are executed on untrusted machines and thereby ensure crucial security properties. The following are examples of central functionalities that will benefit from RE-TRUST solutions: (1) protecting network resources and servers from users employing untrusted/unauthorized software and protocols - specifically in the critical applications, such as, e-commerce and e-government, and (2) ensuring data privacy in Grid computing as well as digital right management (DRM) adherence by assuring proper processing of untrusted (possibly misbehaving) machines that receive private data and copyright protected content.

RE-TRUST intends to use tamper resistant code in order to contrast tampering with the protocol/application for a well-defined time interval by periodically replacing selected parts of the code running on an untrusted machine with newly tamper resistant code. The risk and challenge is to build a tamper resistant code (e.g., by using obfuscation, smart card, etc.) that is strong enough that automatic reverse engineering is infeasible, within a well-defined time interval, until the next code replacement. Indeed, code replacement during execution is another challenging task with high reward, namely, confining the time interval available for reverse engineering.

In summary, the issues addressed in this project are central to "information technology" at the "information-age" - here are some relevant issues that will be worked in RE-TRUST: (i) software integrity and trust, (ii) data integrity and trust, (iii) security protocols, (iv) convergence of networking and computing, (v) e-Commerce, (vi) security and protection of network/server/computing resources, (vii) data privacy, (viii) digital right management, (ix) secure and trusted Grid computing and (x) secure and trusted web applications: voice and video over IP, chat, commerce, information, and more.