Kai Rannenberg

Professor Kai Rannenberg is the Chair of Mobile Business & Multilateral Security at Goethe University Frankfurt since 2002 and holds a Visiting Professorship at the National Institute for Informatics in Tokyo since 2012. He previously worked with the System Security Group at Microsoft Research Cambridge on Personal Security Devices & Privacy Technologies. His extensive academic career spans over three decades with significant contributions to security and privacy research.

His research interests focus on mobile and embedded systems, multilateral security in mobile business, location-based services, transport systems, and industrial applications. He has made significant contributions to privacy and identity management, particularly in attribute-based authorization, communication infrastructures and devices, and security/privacy standardization. His work emphasizes balanced security approaches that protect all stakeholders' interests.

Professor Rannenberg's publications reveal a strong focus on practical privacy solutions for mobile and IoT environments, with recent work examining privacy-enhancing technologies adoption, mobile augmented reality security, and enterprise smartphone app risk assessment. His research consistently bridges theoretical security concepts with practical implementation challenges across various domains including e-commerce, social media, and critical infrastructure protection.

• IFIP Honorary Treasurer (2021-2024) and President-elect (2024-present)
• IFIP Vice President (2015-2021) and Councillor (2009-2015)
• Chair of IFIP TC-11 'Security and Privacy Protection in Information Processing Systems' (2007-2013)
• Academic expert in ENISA Management Board (2004-2013) and Advisory Group (2013-2022)
• Chair of CEPIS Legal & Security Issues Special Interest Network (since 2003)
• Editor-in-chief of IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology (since 2014)

Professor Rannenberg has coordinated several leading EU research projects including the Network of Excellence 'Future of Identity in the Information Society' and the Integrated Project 'Attribute based Credentials for Trust' (ABC4Trust). He currently coordinates CyberSec4Europe, a pilot for the European Cybersecurity Competence Network. His leadership extends to ISO/IEC standardization work, where he served as Convenor of SC 27/WG 5 'Identity management and privacy technologies' and previously coordinated the 'Kolleg Security in Communication Technology' sponsored by Gottlieb Daimler & Karl Benz Foundation.

His research group at Goethe University Frankfurt maintains active collaborations with industry and government agencies, particularly in the areas of mobile security, privacy-enhancing technologies, and standardization efforts. The group has recently received funding from the Goethe-Corona-Fonds for research on the German Corona Warning App adoption factors.