Mario Marques Freire

Mário Marques Freire is a Full Professor at the University of Beira Interior, where he serves as President of the Faculty of Engineering and Professor in the Department of Computer Science. He is also a Senior Researcher at Instituto de Telecomunicações, leading the Secure and Intelligent Networked Software Systems Lab. His academic qualifications include a Dr. habil. in Computer Science (2007) and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering (2000) from the University of Beira Interior, complemented by an M.Sc. in Systems and Automation and B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Coimbra.

Freire's research spans Computer Systems and Networks, with specific expertise in Cloud Systems, Computer Networking, Security & Privacy, and AI applications. His work focuses on infrastructure virtualization, encrypted traffic classification, DDoS attack detection, and malware analysis. Recent publications demonstrate strong emphasis on cloud security, AI-enhanced defect prediction, and IoT security frameworks.

He has received several scientific awards including multiple Conference Best Paper Awards and an ACM Certificate of Appreciation for his long-term contributions. Freire has supervised over 35 graduate students (10 PhD graduates) and led numerous research projects such as 'Towards the assurance of SECURity by dESIGN of the Internet of Things' (FCT/COMPETE/FEDER) and 'Cloud Computing Competence Center'.

At the University of Beira Interior, Freire has held significant administrative roles including Vice-Rector (2020-2021), Director of Computer Science Services (2009-2013), and multiple terms as President of the Faculty of Engineering. He leads the Network Applications and Services research group at Instituto de Telecomunicações, focusing on secure networked systems.