Dominik Wermke

Dominik Wermke is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at North Carolina State University. He is affiliated with the Secure Computing Institute (SCI), the Wolfpack Security and Privacy Research (WSPR) Lab, and the Secure Software Supply Chain Center (S3C2).

Dr. Wermke's research focuses on computer security with an emphasis on human-centered security and usable security. His work investigates how security mechanisms interact with the needs, practices, and limitations of both software professionals and end users. His primary research areas include:

• Human-Centered Security and Privacy: Examining how developers and security professionals understand and respond to security concerns in complex environments
• Software Supply Chain Security: Studying how software is packaged, built, and distributed with focus on reproducibility, dependency management, and vulnerability metadata
• Open Source Security and Trust: Analyzing practices in distributed development environments, including contribution workflows and vulnerability handling

His research employs mixed-methods approaches including interviews, large-scale software ecosystem analyses, user experiments, and surveys to identify behavioral patterns and systemic risks in security practices.

Dr. Wermke's publications demonstrate consistent focus on understanding security challenges at the intersection of technical systems and human factors, particularly in software development processes and supply chain contexts.

He actively mentors students at NC State, encouraging prospective PhD candidates to explore research opportunities through internships and coursework. Students interested in working with him should contact him after applying to the graduate program.

As a member of multiple research centers, Dr. Wermke collaborates across the Secure Computing Institute, Wolfpack Security and Privacy Research Lab, and Secure Software Supply Chain Center to advance security research with practical applications for software professionals.