{"id":89,"date":"2025-08-11T20:01:39","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T19:01:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/?page_id=89"},"modified":"2026-03-30T17:03:43","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T16:03:43","slug":"guard","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/guard\/","title":{"rendered":"GUARD"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 id=\"joining-epsrc\" class=\"subheader\">Innovate UK Business Connect \u2013 CyberASAP Year 9 Demo Day<\/h3>\n<h5 class=\"subheader\"><span style=\"color: #993300;font-family: 'book antiqua',palatino,serif\"><strong>Presenting GUARD at the <a class=\"hwywbySyJKmeDaONqVWecLPYubtiDCALOHSSdRs \" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/cyberasap\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\" data-test-app-aware-link=\"\">Cyber Security Academic Startup Programme<\/a> Year 9 Demo Day at Level 30 in Canary Warf London.<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-370 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/03\/Chi-Opara-CyberASAP-Y9-GUARD-Demo-a-1024x887.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"580\" height=\"502\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/03\/Chi-Opara-CyberASAP-Y9-GUARD-Demo-a-1024x887.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/03\/Chi-Opara-CyberASAP-Y9-GUARD-Demo-a-300x260.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/03\/Chi-Opara-CyberASAP-Y9-GUARD-Demo-a-768x665.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/03\/Chi-Opara-CyberASAP-Y9-GUARD-Demo-a.png 1133w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The <strong data-start=\"11691\" data-end=\"11720\">CyberASAP Year 9 Demo Day<\/strong> was a fantastic opportunity to present <strong data-start=\"11760\" data-end=\"11769\">GUARD<\/strong> alongside a strong cohort of university-led cyber innovations from across the UK. Events like this are important because they bring together academic teams, investors, commercial collaborators, and ecosystem leaders in one space, creating the conditions for research to move toward real-world impact. I was proud to represent Teesside and to contribute to conversations about innovation, resilience, and the future of cyber. It was also encouraging to see how much interest there is in practical solutions emerging from universities and how vital these platforms are for early-stage growth.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-369 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/03\/Chi-Opara-CyberASAP-Y9-GUARD-Demo-1024x906.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"580\" height=\"513\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/03\/Chi-Opara-CyberASAP-Y9-GUARD-Demo-1024x906.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/03\/Chi-Opara-CyberASAP-Y9-GUARD-Demo-300x266.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/03\/Chi-Opara-CyberASAP-Y9-GUARD-Demo-768x680.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/03\/Chi-Opara-CyberASAP-Y9-GUARD-Demo.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-371 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/03\/Chi-Opara-CyberASAP-Y9-GUARD-Demo-a-1-1024x887.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"580\" height=\"502\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/03\/Chi-Opara-CyberASAP-Y9-GUARD-Demo-a-1-1024x887.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/03\/Chi-Opara-CyberASAP-Y9-GUARD-Demo-a-1-300x260.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/03\/Chi-Opara-CyberASAP-Y9-GUARD-Demo-a-1-768x665.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/03\/Chi-Opara-CyberASAP-Y9-GUARD-Demo-a-1.png 1133w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" \/><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_372\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-372\" style=\"width: 1152px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-372 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/03\/Chi-Opara-CyberASAP-Y9-GUARD-Demo-c.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1152\" height=\"1005\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/03\/Chi-Opara-CyberASAP-Y9-GUARD-Demo-c.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/03\/Chi-Opara-CyberASAP-Y9-GUARD-Demo-c-300x262.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/03\/Chi-Opara-CyberASAP-Y9-GUARD-Demo-c-1024x893.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/03\/Chi-Opara-CyberASAP-Y9-GUARD-Demo-c-768x670.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1152px) 100vw, 1152px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-372\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">RemasterDirector_1a5c03258<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/03\/CYBER_ASAP_DEMO_DAY_PROGRAMME_ARTWORKED_DIGITAL.pdf\">CYBER_ASAP_DEMO_DAY_PROGRAMME_ARTWORKED_DIGITAL<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Find out more about GUARD \ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ad-guard.co.uk\/\">www.ad-guard.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"joining-epsrc\" class=\"subheader\"><span style=\"color: #993300;font-family: 'book antiqua',palatino,serif\"><strong>Silver Winner 2025<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<h5 class=\"subheader\"><span style=\"color: #993300;font-family: 'book antiqua',palatino,serif\"><strong>CyberASAP Sales Pitch of the Year<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-314 size-medium alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2025\/11\/Opara-CyberASAP-Sales-Pitch-2-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2025\/11\/Opara-CyberASAP-Sales-Pitch-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2025\/11\/Opara-CyberASAP-Sales-Pitch-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2025\/11\/Opara-CyberASAP-Sales-Pitch-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2025\/11\/Opara-CyberASAP-Sales-Pitch-2.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>For as long as I can remember, I have always had this preconception about sales. Some people can\u2019t sell. And selling is only done by salespeople.<\/p>\n<p>After the world-class training, coaching and feedback we received from CRAID AI, specifically from Jake Holloway, Callum Ruddock and Richard Page, my view has changed massively.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udfc6Guess what, I made the podium, coming second in the sales pitch. Congratulations to all the teams and incredible projects as we continue this journey together.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-313 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2025\/11\/Opara-CyberASAP-Sales-Pitch-1-300x250.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2025\/11\/Opara-CyberASAP-Sales-Pitch-1-300x250.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2025\/11\/Opara-CyberASAP-Sales-Pitch-1-1024x852.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2025\/11\/Opara-CyberASAP-Sales-Pitch-1-768x639.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2025\/11\/Opara-CyberASAP-Sales-Pitch-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>This training is part of the CyberASAP funding for our ad forensics tool, GUARD.<\/p>\n<p>GUARD is a cloud-based tool that detects the use of generative AI in advertisements and flags non-disclosures.<\/p>\n<p>Find out more about GUARD \ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ad-guard.co.uk\/\">www.ad-guard.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"joining-epsrc\" class=\"subheader\"><span style=\"color: #993300;font-family: 'book antiqua',palatino,serif\"><strong>Press Release for GUARD<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-322 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/02\/guard-press-release.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"981\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/02\/guard-press-release.png 1200w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/02\/guard-press-release-300x245.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/02\/guard-press-release-1024x837.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2026\/02\/guard-press-release-768x628.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW18201895 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18201895 BCX0\">Press release issued for our funded project\u00a0<\/span><\/span><a class=\"Hyperlink SCXW18201895 BCX0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tees.ac.uk\/sections\/business\/who_details.cfm?casestudyId=403\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW18201895 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18201895 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">GUARD (Generated Unauthentic Ad Recognition and Detection).<\/span><\/span><\/a><span class=\"TextRun SCXW18201895 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW18201895 BCX0\">\u00a0GUARD is an AI forensics tool that automatically scans advertising content, including text, audio, video, and images, to flag undisclosed AI-generated content and Fraudulent deepfakes.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW18201895 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:257}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>First for Teesside, First for Me: Securing Innovate UK CyberASAP Funding<\/h4>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-96 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2025\/08\/GUARD-Blog-post_Page_2-659x1024.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"580\" height=\"901\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2025\/08\/GUARD-Blog-post_Page_2-659x1024.png 659w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2025\/08\/GUARD-Blog-post_Page_2-193x300.png 193w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2025\/08\/GUARD-Blog-post_Page_2-768x1194.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/files\/2025\/08\/GUARD-Blog-post_Page_2.png 772w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" \/><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"375\" data-end=\"717\">I am delighted to announce that <strong data-start=\"406\" data-end=\"465\">GUARD: Generated Unauthentic Ad Recognition &amp; Detection<\/strong> has secured funding from the <strong data-start=\"495\" data-end=\"569\">UKRI Innovate UK Cyber Security Academic Startup Programme (CyberASAP)<\/strong>. This is an important step forward for our mission to make digital advertising more secure, authentic, and compliant in the age of generative AI.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"719\" data-end=\"922\">It\u2019s also a moment of personal pride. This is the first time that a black, female, early-career academic from Teesside University has been awarded CyberASAP funding as the Principal Investigator.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"924\" data-end=\"972\">Addressing a Critical Gap in Ad Compliance<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"974\" data-end=\"1291\">In 2024, UK digital ad spend reached <strong data-start=\"1011\" data-end=\"1020\">\u00a336bn<\/strong>, up <strong data-start=\"1025\" data-end=\"1045\">13% year-on-year<\/strong>. While this fuels creativity, it also increases compliance risks. Our Phase 1B market validation revealed that <strong data-start=\"1157\" data-end=\"1190\">85% of industry professionals<\/strong> are concerned about AI misuse in ads, yet <strong data-start=\"1233\" data-end=\"1288\">80% have no dedicated detection or compliance tools<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1293\" data-end=\"1376\"><strong data-start=\"1293\" data-end=\"1302\">GUARD<\/strong> addresses this gap by analysing images, audio, video, and text to flag:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1377\" data-end=\"1576\">\n<li data-start=\"1377\" data-end=\"1486\">\n<p data-start=\"1379\" data-end=\"1486\"><strong data-start=\"1379\" data-end=\"1410\">Undisclosed synthetic media<\/strong>, such as AI-generated influencers or voiceovers, without proper labelling.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1487\" data-end=\"1576\">\n<p data-start=\"1489\" data-end=\"1576\"><strong data-start=\"1489\" data-end=\"1523\">Unsubstantiated factual claims<\/strong>, where the supporting evidence is weak or missing.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"1578\" data-end=\"1773\">Using multimodal forensics alongside ASA\/CAP guidance, GUARD generates clear, explainable reports to help brands and agencies reduce rework, minimise complaints, and avoid regulatory penalties.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1775\" data-end=\"1797\">Why This Matters<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1799\" data-end=\"2113\">With regulators tightening rules and fines under the EU Digital Services Act reaching up to 6% of global revenue, having reliable, automated checks is becoming essential. GUARD offers a practical safety net for creative and compliance teams, enabling them to use AI responsibly while maintaining public trust.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2115\" data-end=\"2137\">Acknowledgements<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2139\" data-end=\"2448\">This milestone would not have been possible without <strong data-start=\"2191\" data-end=\"2222\">Dr. Mohammad Abdur Razzaque<\/strong> and my colleagues at REO. I am also grateful to the <strong data-start=\"2294\" data-end=\"2347\">Department for Science, Innovation and Technology<\/strong>, <strong data-start=\"2349\" data-end=\"2379\">UK Research and Innovation<\/strong>, and the <strong data-start=\"2389\" data-end=\"2416\">CyberASAP Year 9 cohort<\/strong> for their invaluable support.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2450\" data-end=\"2470\">The Next Steps<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2472\" data-end=\"2726\">With Phase 2, we will move into proof-of-concept development, testing GUARD with real-world users to refine its accuracy, usability, and impact. If you work in advertising, whether as a platform, brand, agency, or regulator, we would love to hear from you &#8211; info@ad-guard.co.uk<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2869\" data-end=\"3187\">You can read more about GUARD and other CyberASAP projects on the <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/iuk-business-connect.org.uk\/news\/turning-research-into-resilience-26-cyber-solutions-move-ahead-in-cyberasap-year-9\/#:~:text=GUARD%3A%20Generated%20Unauthentic%20Ad%20Recognition%20%26%20Detection\" target=\"_new\" rel=\"noopener\" data-start=\"2935\" data-end=\"3184\">UKRI Innovate UK Business Connect website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Innovate UK Business Connect \u2013 CyberASAP Year 9 Demo Day Presenting GUARD at the Cyber Security Academic Startup Programme Year 9 Demo Day at Level 30 in Canary Warf London. The CyberASAP Year 9 Demo Day was a fantastic opportunity to present GUARD alongside a strong cohort of university-led cyber innovations from across the UK. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25362,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"templates\/template-full-width.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/89"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25362"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/89\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":241,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/89\/revisions\/241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tees.ac.uk\/chiopara\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}