Barry E. Mullins

Barry E. Mullins is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech (1997), an M.S. in Computer Engineering from AFIT (1987), and a B.S. in Computer Engineering (Cum Laude) from the University of Evansville (1983). His research focuses on cybersecurity, network security, and digital forensics, with notable contributions to wireless communication security and critical infrastructure protection. He has advised numerous graduate students and authored/co-authored over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals and conferences.

Dr. Mullins has received prestigious awards, including the 2021 Dean’s Distinguished Teaching Professor and multiple best paper/poster awards. His work emphasizes practical cyber defense solutions, such as secure wireless protocols, intrusion detection systems, and advanced encryption techniques. He is actively involved in curriculum development for cyber warfare and information assurance programs, integrating real-world scenarios and military applications.

His research teams have developed tools like TRAPP for tracking peer-to-peer file sharing and FPGA-based systems for malicious traffic detection. Collaborations with industry and government entities (e.g., NSA, US Cyber Command) underscore his commitment to bridging academic and operational cybersecurity needs. Dr. Mullins also leads initiatives in software-defined networking (SDN) security and blockchain applications for IoT and transportation systems.

Key contributions include pioneering studies on ZigBee network vulnerabilities, secure multicast architectures for satellites, and the use of metamorphic software protections. His teaching excellence has been recognized with the Cage H. Crocker Award and AETC Educator of the Year honors. Current projects explore AI-driven network security, smart home IoT defense mechanisms, and decentralized ledger technologies for critical infrastructure.