Melanie Knieps

Dr. Melanie Knieps is a cybersecurity researcher at the Digital Society Initiative (DSI) of the University of Zurich. She specializes in the social science perspective of cybersecurity, focusing on motivation, trust, and knowledge-sharing barriers in organizational contexts. Her work bridges ethical, legal, and socio-technical dimensions of cybersecurity.

• Master's in Forensic Psychology (Maastricht University, 2009)
• PhD in Forensic Psychology (University of Gothenburg, 2014)
• UNITAR Fellowship at the United Nations (New York, 2015)

Her research explores leadership's role in cybersecurity culture, socio-technical frameworks, and interdisciplinary approaches to security resilience. Current projects include the NRP-77 "Promoting Trust in Cybersecurity through Ethics and Law" and the "Z Pool Tool" for research participant management.

Her recent publications address human-centered cybersecurity, darknet knowledge-sharing, privacy engagement on TikTok, and legal-ethical frameworks for Swiss cybersecurity. She emphasizes contextual factors in security practices.

• UNITAR Fellowship at the United Nations (New York)

Dr. Knieps collaborates with experts in criminal justice (e.g., John Jay College) and contributes to technical platforms like the "Z Pool Tool." Her work integrates forensic psychology with cybersecurity to enhance organizational resilience and ethical practices.