Grant Ho is an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Chicago. His research focuses on computer security, particularly at the intersection of data and security. Prior roles include a CSE Postdoctoral Fellowship at UC San Diego, a Visiting Researcher position at Corelight Labs, and a PhD in Computer Science from UC Berkeley (advised by Vern Paxson and David Wagner). He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Stanford University. **Research Interests**: Enterprise security, AI/ML applications in security, large-scale threat analysis, and data-driven cybersecurity practices. His work spans detecting attacks (e.g., phishing, ransomware), improving security measures, and evaluating the efficacy of security policies. **Awards**: 2023 IEEE Euro S&P Best Paper Award, 2019 and 2017 USENIX Security Distinguished Papers, 2017 Internet Defense Prize, NSF and Facebook Fellowships, and the 2015 IEEE S&P Distinguished Practical Paper Award. **Advising & Teaching**: Current advisees include Aniket Anand (PhD), Christiana Marchese (PhD), and Robert Liu (B.S.). Taught courses include Introduction to Computer Security (CMSC 23200) and seminars on AI/ML and NLP in cybersecurity. Collaborates with industry partners like Barracuda Networks and Dropbox. **Labs & Teams**: Leads a research group focused on enterprise security challenges, emphasizing practical impact and interdisciplinary approaches.
Ki-Woong Park is a tenure-track full Professor in the Department of Computer and Information Security at Sejong University. He leads the System Security and Computer Engineering Research (SysCore) Lab, which focuses on system security research with numerous ongoing projects funded by major Korean research institutions including IITP, NRF, and KRIT. Sejong University, Department of Computer and Information Security System Security and Computer Engineering Research (SysCore) Lab Leader Member of IEEE, IEEE Computer Society, and ACM Education: Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, KAIST (Advisor: Prof. Kyu-Ho Park) M.S. in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, KAIST (Advisor: Prof. Kyu-Ho Park) B.S. in Computer Science, Yonsei University (Summa Cum Laude) Exchange Student at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Professor Park's research focuses on designing, building, and analyzing secure systems, particularly for cloud computing, networked systems, and embedded systems. His work often involves reevaluating existing security mechanisms and actual system implementations with subsequent evaluation in real computing environments. He has made significant contributions to areas including cloud security, IoT security, ransomware detection, moving target defense, and metaverse security. His research approach emphasizes both theoretical foundations and practical implementation, with numerous publications in top-tier security and systems venues. His recent publications (2023-2024) demonstrate a strong focus on emerging security challenges in modern computing environments, particularly in metaverse platforms, UAV systems, and edge computing. These works span both theoretical security frameworks and practical implementations, with an emphasis on visualization techniques, hardware-based security mechanisms, and AI-enhanced security analysis. His research shows a clear progression from traditional cloud and network security toward next-generation security challenges in immersive virtual environments and cyber-physical systems. Scientific Awards: Microsoft Research Fellowship (2009-2010) Best Poster Gold Award at WISA 2020 Best Paper Award at MobiSec'18 Professor Park actively mentors numerous graduate and undergraduate students through the SysCore Lab, with current members including Ph.D. students, MS students, and undergraduate researchers. His research is supported by multiple significant grants, including the NRF Outstanding Researcher-Mid-career Researcher project, IITP Information Security Core Source Technology Development, and Defense Technology Advancement Research Institute projects. These grants total tens of billions of Korean won and address critical national security challenges in cyber defense, cloud security, and metaverse technologies. The SysCore Lab, under Professor Park's leadership, maintains a strong industry and government collaboration network, with part-time researchers from organizations including Hyundai Duty Free, Astron Security, Korea University, and various military cyber commands. This unique structure enables the lab to address both theoretical security challenges and practical implementation issues in real-world systems.
Prof. Ivan Martinovic is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford's Department of Computer Science, holding a Fellowship at the institution. He specializes in cyber-physical systems security, wireless network security, and behavioral biometrics. His research focuses on authentication mechanisms, intrusion detection, and trade-offs between security and performance in systems like satellite communications, EV charging infrastructure, and aviation networks. Education: PhD (TU Kaiserslautern); MSc (TU Darmstadt, Germany). Prior roles include postdoctoral research at UC Berkeley (2011) and UC Irvine (2009–2010), supported by a Carl-Zeiss Foundation Fellowship (2009–2011). He has also been an associate lecturer at TU Kaiserslautern. Research Interests: Cyber-physical systems security, wireless networks, behavioral biometrics (e.g., continuous authentication via physiological signals), robust communication protocols, and analysis of security vs. performance trade-offs in distributed systems. Technologies include software-defined radios, NFC/RFIDs, and EEG/eye-tracking devices. Scientific Awards: Carl-Zeiss Foundation Fellowship (2009–2011). Advising & Grants: No explicit student listings; however, his work involves interdisciplinary collaborations and has been funded by government and industrial grants. His research spans labs and teams focused on satellite cybersecurity, smart infrastructure security, and biometric systems. Labs/Teams: Engages with groups exploring satellite communication security, EV charging infrastructure vulnerabilities, and behavioral authentication systems, though specific lab names are not disclosed in the text.
Prashanth Krishnamurthy is a Research Scientist in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at New York University Tandon School of Engineering. His research focuses on robotics, control systems, and cybersecurity, particularly in cyber-physical systems such as power grids and embedded devices. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from NYU. Key research areas include hardware security (e.g., detecting Trojans in chips), anomaly detection in critical infrastructure, and resilient control strategies for robotic systems. He has led or contributed to projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Naval Research (ONR), and others, including the Tracking Real-time Anomalies in Power Systems (TRAPS) initiative and hardware Trojan detection using short-term aging phenomena. Education: Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, NYU His work bridges theoretical advancements and practical implementations, such as developing FPGA-based testbeds for hardware security validation and creating AI-driven cybersecurity tools like the CRAKEN LLM agent. Collaborators include institutions like SRI International, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and the NYU Center for Cybersecurity. Grants include a $1.94M DOE grant for TRAPS and a $359K DURIP grant for hardware Trojan detection. His technical contributions span control systems, anomaly detection algorithms, and cybersecurity frameworks for embedded systems. He is actively involved in advancing secure cyber-physical systems through innovations in real-time monitoring, robust control mechanisms, and AI-augmented security solutions.
Damon McCoy is a Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at NYU Tandon School of Engineering and Co-Director of the NYU Center for Cybersecurity (CCS). He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Colorado, Boulder (2009) and a B.S. in the same field (1999). His research focuses on empirically measuring the security and privacy of technology systems, with a current emphasis on online payment systems, cybercrime economics, automotive security, privacy-enhancing technologies, and censorship resistance. He co-directs Cybersecurity for Democracy , a multi-university initiative addressing online threats to democratic processes. His research has examined topics such as the monetization of YouTube conspiracy content, toxic online discourse targeting election officials, and vulnerabilities in automotive systems. He has collaborated with institutions like the International Computer Science Institute and led studies on social media platforms' content moderation practices, including Facebook's handling of political ads and YouTube's ecosystem of deceptive advertising. McCoy's work often bridges cybersecurity with societal impacts, analyzing how technology intersects with democracy, misinformation, and economic exploitation. His contributions include developing frameworks for securing automotive software updates (Uptane) and methodologies to combat cybercrime supply chains. He has received funding from the National Science Foundation and other agencies to pursue projects addressing emerging cyber threats. Key affiliations include the NYU Center for Cybersecurity and the Center for Automotive Embedded Systems Security (CAESS), where he contributed to early automotive security analysis. He advises on cybersecurity policy and has published extensively in top-tier journals and conferences, focusing on real-world applications of security research.
Aydin Aysu is an Associate Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, North Carolina State University. His research focuses on hardware-based security , applied cryptography , and computer architecture , with an emphasis on secure systems to counter advanced cyber threats. Ph.D. in Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech (2016) M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Sabanci University, Turkey (2010) B.S. in Microelectronics Engineering, Sabanci University, Turkey (2008) Aysu’s work addresses hardware vulnerabilities through secure design automation, side-channel attack mitigation, and next-generation cryptographic systems. His research extends to AI/ML security , FPGA security , and quantum-resistant cryptography . Notable scientific awards include: NSF CAREER Award (2020) University Faculty Scholars (2024) Bennett Faculty Fellow Award (2020) Best Paper Awards at DATE Conference (2020), ACM GLSVLSI (2019), and others Aysu leads the Hardware Cybersecurity Research Lab (HECTOR) , focusing on pre-silicon security analysis, secure accelerator sharing, and societal impacts of cybersecurity. He actively mentors Ph.D. students and collaborates on funded research projects like the SATC: CORE: SMALL grant.
Ljiljana Trajkovic is a Professor in the Department of Engineering Science at Simon Fraser University's Faculty of Applied Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles (1986), M.Sc. from Syracuse University (1979), and Dipl.Ing. from the University of Pristina (1974). Her research focuses on communication networks, nonlinear circuits, and machine learning applications for network security. She actively contributes to IEEE initiatives, including roles as conference committee chair and editorial board member. Education highlights include a strong foundation in electrical engineering and advanced studies in circuit theory and systems science. Her work bridges theoretical analysis with practical applications, such as anomaly detection in communication networks using machine learning. She teaches courses like ENSC 220 D100 Electric Circuits I, integrating research insights into education. Research interests emphasize network security, traffic analysis, and distributed systems. Recent articles explore BGP anomaly classification, ransomware detection, and virtual network embedding. She collaborates on tools like VNE-Sim and Anonym for network analysis. Awards and recognitions are highlighted through her leadership roles in IEEE and academic contributions. Advising and grants involve mentoring graduate students in cybersecurity and networking projects. She leads research teams exploring complex networks and their applications in autonomous systems. Her lab focuses on interdisciplinary projects merging electronics engineering with AI-driven network solutions.
Andrea Continella is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science of the University of Twente, where he contributes to the International Secure Systems Lab (iSecLab). His research focuses on systems security, particularly embedded firmware security, Android app security, malware detection, and program analysis techniques for vulnerability discovery. Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering, Politecnico di Milano (cum laude) Postdoctoral Researcher, Computer Science Department, UC Santa Barbara Visiting Researcher, School of Computer Science, University of Sydney Key research contributions include: Developing automated analysis techniques for embedded firmware (KARONTE, ShieldFS) Creating privacy leak detection mechanisms for mobile applications Designing ransomware defense systems using self-healing filesystems Advancing IoT security through misconfiguration detection (S3 buckets) and protocol analysis Pioneering semi-supervised methods for network traffic fingerprinting (FlowPrint) Scientific awards: Dutch Cyber Security Best Research Paper Award 2024 Runner-up USENIX Security Distinguished Reviewer Award 2024 Professional activities: Keynote speaker on firmware security (2024) Member of IPN Cyber Security Special Interest Group Oral presentations on automated vulnerability research (2023)
Professor Tony Jan leads the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Optimisation (AIRO) at Torrens University Australia's Design and Creative Technology school. He holds a PhD in Computing Science from the University of Technology Sydney (2004) and a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Western Australia (1999). His research focuses on federated machine learning for IoT security, ensembled machine learning for real-time applications, cognitive machines for human-centric computing, and smart sensor networks for healthcare and security. He has secured ARC grants and industry partnerships with NVIDIA, IBM, and Microsoft. Awards include the 2024 SEI Global Academic Excellence Award and the 2023 Torrens University Excellence Award. Research collaborations span global partners, with contributions to UN Sustainable Development Goals in education and industry. His work bridges academia and industry, expanding AI program enrollments by 2,000+ students and enhancing student satisfaction by 15%. He advises PhD students on topics like IIoT cybersecurity and smart cities, and has produced over 97 publications since 1999. Education: PhD (UTS, 2004), BEng (UWA, 1999) Research Themes: AI for Industry 5.0, Cybersecurity, Smart Cities, Healthcare Technology Key Partnerships: NVIDIA, CIMIC, Palo Alto Networks Recent Projects: Federated learning for health IoT, drone vision intelligence, ransomware detection His work emphasizes ethical AI adoption in design and healthcare, with publications exploring AI ethics, generative AI applications, and sustainable technology integration.
Dr. Ahmad Ghafarian is a Professor of Computer Science in the Mike Cottrell College of Business at the University of North Georgia (UNG), where he has served for over 20 years since 1996. He is a dedicated educator who emphasizes positive teacher-student relationships and has taught a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses in computer science and cybersecurity. His educational background includes: Ph.D. in Computer Science, University of Glasgow, UK, 1982 M.S. in Computer Science, University of Glasgow, UK, 1974 B.S. in Mathematics, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, 1970 Postdoctoral Studies in Information Security, University of Maryland University College, 2007 Graduate Certificate in Information Security, Purdue University, 2003 Dr. Ghafarian's research focuses on digital forensics and cybersecurity, with expertise in computer forensics, malware detection, cloud security, social media privacy, and SQL injection attacks. His work involves empirical studies of security tools and protocols, advancing forensic methodologies and security practices through rigorous experimentation and analysis. His publication record demonstrates a clear evolution from foundational computer science education topics in the 1990s to specialized cybersecurity research since the mid-2000s. Current work emphasizes memory forensics for social media platforms, ransomware detection mechanisms, connected vehicle security, and VoIP system vulnerabilities, reflecting his adaptation to emerging technological threats. No scientific awards were explicitly mentioned in the source material. Dr. Ghafarian has developed comprehensive curricula across 15+ graduate and undergraduate courses including cybersecurity capstones, network security, and computer forensics. His teaching innovations include semester-long projects, ethical case studies, and practical lab components using tools like Kali Linux. While specific grant funding isn't documented, his extensive publication record and curriculum development demonstrate sustained research engagement and academic leadership.
Nicola Dragoni is a Professor in Cybersecurity Engineering at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark (DTU). As Deputy Director and Head of Section, he leads research initiatives focused on securing emerging technologies. Key Research Areas : Internet of Things (IoT) security, machine learning for intrusion detection, cyber-deception techniques, fog computing, malware analysis, blockchain applications, and wireless sensor network security. Supervision : Actively supervising multiple PhD students in projects related to cyber-deception, moving target defense, and bio-inspired security mechanisms. Recent Publications : Contributions to IoT honeypots, drone identification via RF signals, passkey adoption challenges, and cyber range taxonomies.
Dr. Michael Ham is an Associate Professor and Coordinator for Cyber Operations Initiatives at Dakota State University's Beacom College of Computer & Cyber Sciences. He leads the NSA-designated Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations (CAE-CO) and oversees DSU's Cyber Operations bachelor's program and Ethical Hacking Certificate. His roles include teaching advanced cybersecurity courses, advising doctoral students, and coordinating cyber events like DakotaCon and GenCyber camps. Education: All degrees from Dakota State University — D.Sc. in Cybersecurity (202X), M.S. (20XX), and B.S. (20XX). Research focuses on cybersecurity education, penetration testing, malware analysis, and developing experiential learning tools. Key projects include open-source platforms for hardware reverse engineering and wireless security training using software-defined radios. He emphasizes cyber hygiene practices and offensive security principles in both teaching and industry consulting. Grants highlight his leadership in addressing cybersecurity workforce shortages, including NSF CyberCorps SFS programs (PI), GenCyber camps (Co-PI), and DoD scholarships. Recent publications address ransomware prevention, X.509 certificate validation, and pandemic-era ICT systems. Dr. Ham also serves as an independent security consultant, advising on infrastructure security, vulnerability remediation, and policy development for organizations. His work bridges academia and industry through practical, hands-on cybersecurity education and tool development.
Dr. Vasileios Vasilakis is a Senior Lecturer in Cyber Security at the University of York's Department of Computer Science. He holds a PhD in Electrical & Computer Engineering from the University of Patras, Greece. His research focuses on IoT Security, Mobile Network Security, and SDN Security, with contributions to projects like the EC H2020 SESAME and RIFE initiatives. He has supervised numerous PhD students and contributed to academic service roles such as Guest Editor in IEICE Transactions and Program Committee member for IEEE ICC and GLOBECOM. His work spans secure systems design, network protocols, and cybersecurity defenses, with recent publications addressing SDN-based intrusion detection, IoT attack mitigation, and ransomware analysis. Affiliations: York Interdisciplinary Centre for Cyber Security (YiCS), University of York Education: PhD in Electrical & Computer Engineering (University of Patras, 2011) Research Interests His research emphasizes practical cybersecurity solutions for modern networks, including: IoT Security: Developing authentication and intrusion detection mechanisms for RPL-based networks SDN/NFV Security: Designing defenses against ransomware and distributed attacks Wireless Network Security: Analyzing vulnerabilities in 5G and UAV communication systems Academic Contributions He has organized special sessions at IEEE conferences, co-authored over 120 publications, and reviewed PhD theses at multiple institutions. Current projects include secure edge computing in 5G networks and lightweight authentication schemes for IoT protocols like MQTT.
Dong Kyoo Shin is a Professor at Sejong University's Department of Computer Science and Engineering, where he has been employed since 1998. He holds a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University (1997), an M.S. from Illinois Institute of Technology (1992), and a B.S. from Seoul National University (1986). His professional background includes roles as a Researcher at the Korea Institute of Defense Analyses (1986-1991) and Senior Researcher at Hyundai Electronics (1997-1998). Shin leads research in cybersecurity, machine learning, and ubiquitous systems , with specialized interests in intrusion detection, data mining, cyber warfare frameworks, and adversarial ML defense. His recent publications focus on AI-driven security solutions, ransomware analysis, and resilience quantification in critical infrastructure. He directs the Cyber Warfare Research Institute (established 2017) and the Multimedia & Internet Lab , focusing on defense technologies and smart systems. His team has executed projects for the Ministry of National Defense, ADD, and ETRI, including cyber threat response systems and military security frameworks. Service includes advisory roles for the Ministry of National Defense, Defense Acquisition Program Administration, and editorial duties for defense journals. He holds patents in malware detection, data encryption, and sensor-based interfaces.
Max Planck Institute for Security and PrivacyGermany
Yu Jiang is an Associate Professor at the School of Software, Tsinghua University, China. His research focuses on software security with emphasis on fuzz testing, embedded systems, and database security. He leads the Software System Security Assurance Group which has discovered over 1,000 bugs in major system software with 300+ CVEs registered. Dr. Jiang's research interests include Software Engineering , Embedded Systems Security , and Cross-Layer Fuzzing . His work addresses vulnerabilities in operating systems, databases, communication protocols, and IoT firmware through innovative fuzzing frameworks. Key contributions include semantic-aware fuzzing for heterogeneous software stacks and learning-based vulnerability detection for embedded systems. His recent publications demonstrate strong trends in database security (Hulk, PUPPY, THANOS), ransomware defense (Fawkes, Preventing Disruption), and web security (JANUS). Research spans both theoretical advances in fuzzing techniques and practical industrial applications, with significant impact evidenced by numerous distinguished paper awards. Career Award, NSFC: 2026 Distinguished Paper Award, ISSTA: 2025 First Prize for Technical Invention, CCF: 2024 Distinguished Paper Award, USENIX Security: 2024 SIGSOFT Distinguished Paper Award, FSE: 2022 Dr. Jiang has advised over 50 graduate students including 20 PhD candidates. His research is supported by major grants including NSFC projects ($600,000 for Software Trustworthiness Construction and $350,000 for Distributed Database Reliability), Huawei ($80,000 for LLM-Powered Fuzzing), and Tencent ($120,000 for LLM-Powered Unit Testing). The Software System Security Assurance Group maintains strong industry partnerships with Huawei, Alibaba, Tencent, and Webank. The group operates cutting-edge infrastructure for fuzz testing across multiple domains including database systems, operating kernels, blockchain platforms, and industrial control systems. Current projects integrate LLM technologies with traditional fuzzing techniques to enhance vulnerability detection in complex software stacks.
