Christos Xenakis

Christos Xenakis is a Professor at the Department of Digital Systems of the University of Piraeus, Greece, where he has served as faculty since 2007. He currently directs the Postgraduate Degree Programme on "Digital Systems Security" and is a member of the Systems Security Laboratory. His academic career includes significant contributions to EU-funded research projects and leadership roles in cybersecurity competitions.

Xenakis received his B.Sc and M.Sc degrees in computer science and telecommunication from the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications at the University of Athens, Greece, completing his Ph.D. from the same institution in 2004. Prior to his academic appointment, he worked with a Greek telecoms system development firm from 1998-2001 and was a member of the Communication Networks Laboratory of the University of Athens from 1996-2007.

His research interests span systems, networks, and applications security, with recent publications focusing on blockchain-based cyber insurance architectures and defense strategies against adversarial machine learning. His work demonstrates a strong trend toward securing critical infrastructure and developing innovative security solutions for emerging technologies. The research themes connect cybersecurity with financial systems, identity management, and AI security, reflecting the evolving challenges in the field.

Xenakis serves as a steering committee member of the European Cyber Security Challenge (ECSC) and leads the Hellenic Cyber Security Team, which identifies and develops cybersecurity talent among Greek youth aged 15-25. He has secured substantial funding through numerous EU programs including Horizon2020 and Horizon Europe, managing projects such as SECONDO, INCOGNITO, ENTRUST, ERATOSTHENES, and CHRISS.

As an educator, he teaches undergraduate courses including Information Theory, Network Security, Cryptography, and Mobile and Wireless Communications Security. For the postgraduate program, he teaches Network Security, Security Assessment and Vulnerability Exploitation, Mobile Internet Security, and Digital Forensics and Web Security. His commitment to cybersecurity education extends to developing national cybersecurity talent through competitive platforms.

Xenakis contributes to the academic community as a member of the editorial boards for three Thomson Reuters indexed journals: Computers & Security Journal, Computer Communications Journal, and IET Information Security. His work bridges academic research with practical security implementations, addressing real-world cybersecurity challenges facing critical infrastructure sectors including energy, healthcare, transportation, and financial systems.