Rainer Böhme

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Rainer Böhme is a Professor for Security and Privacy in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. He also held visiting positions, including at MIT (2023) and the University of Münster (2010–2015). His research focuses on digital forensics, privacy-enhancing technologies, cryptocurrency analysis, and the economic aspects of cybersecurity. Böhme has contributed to foundational work on Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), steganography, and cybercrime. He is a BIS Research Fellow and has advised institutions like the Austrian National Bank. His work bridges technical security, economic incentives, and policy implications. Notable projects include the BITCRIME initiative and studies on Bitcoin's regulatory challenges. He leads the Security and Privacy Lab, fostering interdisciplinary research in information security and privacy.

Education: Ph.D. (Dr.-Ing.) in Computer Science from Technische Universität Dresden (2008), M.A. in Communications, Economics, and Computer Science from the same university (2003). Notable grants include BIS-supported research on CBDC design. His teaching includes courses on security management and blockchain systems.

Research interests span steganography, digital currencies, and the societal impact of cybercrime. Recent work explores neural compression's forensic implications and privacy in digital payments. Awards include recognition for contributions to CBDC policy and steganalysis techniques.