Rebekah Overdorf

Rebekah Overdorf is a Research Professor and Chair for Security and Trustworthiness of Online Information at Ruhr University Bochum, where she leads research at the intersection of computer security, privacy, and information integrity. She is also affiliated with the Research Center for Trustworthy Data Science and Security.

Her research focuses on identifying and mitigating threats to information integrity in online platforms, with particular expertise in detecting disinformation campaigns, analyzing propaganda distribution channels, and developing methods to protect user privacy. Overdorf's work combines data science and machine learning approaches with security expertise to address contemporary challenges in online information ecosystems.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on security and privacy challenges in social media environments, with particular attention to Telegram and Twitter platforms. Her research spans technical analysis of bot networks and propaganda distribution mechanisms, development of detection methodologies for disinformation campaigns, and creation of protective technologies that empower users against algorithmic manipulation. Over the past decade, her work has evolved from foundational research in stylometry and authorship attribution to more applied security challenges in contemporary social media ecosystems.

Professor Overdorf has received recognition through publications in top security and social media conferences including USENIX Security, ICWSM, EuroS&P, and FAT*. Her collaborative research approach is evident in her extensive co-authorship network spanning multiple institutions across Europe and North America.

Her advising and research activities focus on training the next generation of security researchers while developing practical solutions to pressing information integrity challenges. Through her leadership of the Chair for Security and Trustworthiness of Online Information, she oversees research projects that address real-world security threats while maintaining academic rigor.

The Chair for Security and Trustworthiness of Online Information serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research, bringing together computer scientists, social scientists, and policy experts to develop comprehensive approaches to online security challenges. Current projects focus on detecting coordinated inauthentic behavior, analyzing state-sponsored disinformation campaigns, and developing privacy-aware technologies that maintain functionality while protecting user data.