Johanna Ullrich

Johanna Ullrich is a Professor at the University of Vienna's Faculty of Computer Science and a Key Researcher at SBA Research in Vienna. She leads the Research Group Communication Technologies and serves as Head of the Networks and Critical Infrastructures Security Group at SBA Research. Her academic journey includes positions as Principal Investigator & Manager of Third Party Funded Projects at the University of Vienna and Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Security and Quality Improvement in the Production System Lifecycle.

Her educational background includes a PhD sub auspiciis praesidentis in Computer Science from TU Wien (2013-2016), an MSc in Automation Engineering from TU Wien (2010-2013), and a BSc in Electrical Engineering from TU Wien (2007-2010). She also holds a Venia Docendi for Computer Engineering from the University of Vienna.

Ullrich's research focuses on the intersection of computer science and classical engineering, with particular emphasis on network security, IPv6 measurement experiments, and critical infrastructure protection. Her groundbreaking work demonstrated vulnerabilities in the IPv6 Privacy Extension that led to modifications in major client operating systems, protecting millions of users. She is renowned for her research on cyber-physical attacks against power grids, showing how coordinated load attacks can destabilize electrical infrastructure. Her work spans both theoretical security frameworks and practical implementations with significant real-world impact.

Her publication record reveals a consistent trajectory from fundamental network security research toward increasingly complex interdisciplinary investigations at the boundary of computer science and physical infrastructure. Recent work emphasizes AI/ML applications for network security, power grid resilience, and socio-technical approaches to cybersecurity. Her research demonstrates a progression from protocol-level security (IPv6) to system-level security (cloud, IoT) and now to infrastructure-level security (power grids, critical national infrastructure).

• 2nd in the Faculty of Computer Science's Best-of-the-Best Ranking 2024 Category Third Party Funding
• Nomination for the Hedy Lamarr Prize 2019 and 2020
• Scholarship of Excellence 2018
• Research Prize of the Dr. Maria Schaumayer Foundation 2018
• Promotio Sub Auspiciis Praesidentis 2017
• Diploma Thesis Award of the City of Vienna 2013

Ullrich actively contributes to the academic community through extensive grant acquisition and service. She has secured numerous research projects including SPyCoDe (Semantic and Cryptographic Foundations of Security and Privacy by Compositional Design), DynAISEC (Adaptive AI/ML for Dynamic Cybersecurity Systems), and Q-Crit (Quantum-Safe Critical Infrastructure for Austria). Her leadership extends to committee roles including Program Committee Member of IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy (S&P) 2024 and Technical Program Chair of Network Traffic Measurement and Analysis Conference (TMA) 2023.

At SBA Research, she leads the Networks and Critical Infrastructures Security Group, which investigates security challenges at the intersection of digital networks and physical infrastructure. The group conducts both theoretical research on security frameworks and practical measurements of real-world systems. Their work combines network measurement techniques with power systems engineering to develop comprehensive security approaches for critical infrastructure.