Michael Specter

Michael Specter is an Assistant Professor at Georgia Institute of Technology, holding dual appointments in the School of Computer Science and the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy. He previously served as a Senior Research Scientist at Google, focusing on Android security and privacy. Specter earned a PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT, advised by Gerald Sussman and Danny Weitzner, with a thesis committee including Matthew D. Green, Joan Feigenbaum, and Ron Rivest. His research bridges systems security, applied cryptography, and public policy, addressing topics like election security, surveillance, and cryptographic accountability.

Education:

• PhD in EECS, MIT (2021)
• Research Staff, MIT Lincoln Laboratory

Research Focus:

His work emphasizes practical security solutions for real-world systems, particularly those with societal impact. Key areas include vulnerabilities in voting systems (e.g., Voatz, Democracy Live), cryptographic protocols for email privacy (KeyForge), and policy implications of emerging technologies like blockchain voting. He advocates for transparent, auditable systems with a focus on public interest.

Publications & Impact: Recent work includes groundbreaking analyses of online voting platforms, cryptographic accountability mechanisms, and privacy-preserving contact tracing protocols (PACT). His research has influenced policy debates, with findings featured in major media outlets like the New York Times and The Economist.

Awards & Recognition:

• 2023 EVN Research Award (for election security work)
• EFF Pioneer Award (2015 paper on encryption policy)
• Commendation from Senator Ron Wyden at DEFCON (2020)

Teaching & Mentorship: Teaches courses on information security and the intersection of security/privacy with democracy. Actively recruiting PhD students in systems security and applied cryptography with policy interests. Provides mentorship through Georgia Tech’s Computer Science PhD program and postdoc opportunities via a dedicated application form.

Professional Contributions: Serves on program committees for top venues like Usenix Security, IEEE S&P, and NDSS. Co-authored amicus briefs to reform the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) and contributed to Google’s Syzkaller Linux kernel fuzzer.