Ryan Ko

Professor Ryan Ko is a leading academic in Cyber Security at the University of Queensland (UQ), serving as Chair and Director of the UQ Cyber Research Centre, Director of Research at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and a member of UQ's Academic Board. He holds a BEng (Computer Engineering) and PhD from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

His research focuses on data provenance, industrial control systems (ICS) security, privacy-preserving technologies, and AI-driven cybersecurity solutions. Ko has pioneered initiatives such as the UQ Cyber Centre, interdisciplinary cybersecurity education programs (MCyber, PGDipCyber), and the Oceania Cybersecurity Challenge. He has attracted over AUD 20 million in competitive grants as lead investigator, including the NZ$12.2M STRATUS project.

Ko’s work spans industry and policy, including advisory roles with INTERPOL, governments, and NGOs. He has authored over 100 publications, contributed to ISO standards (e.g., ISO/IEC 21878), and co-founded cybersecurity startups. Awards include Fellowships from the Australian Computer Society and Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the CSA Ron Knode Service Award.

• Education:
  • Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Engineering) (Hons.), Nanyang Technological University (2005)
  • PhD in Computer Science, Nanyang Technological University (2011)
• Awards:
  • Fellow, Australian Computer Society (2016)
  • Fellow, Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences (2020)
  • Young Professional Award, Singapore Government (2018)
• Grants & Leadership:
  • AUD 20M+ lead investigator grants; NZ$12.2M STRATUS project (2014–2018)
  • Established UQ Cyber Centre (2019) and NZ’s first cybersecurity graduate program (2012)

His research emphasizes returning data control to users, with applications in agriculture, energy, and critical infrastructure. Ko’s contributions include patents, open-source tools (e.g., Kali Linux), and frameworks like TrustCloud for cloud accountability.