Stephen McCombie

Stephen McCombie is a Professor of Maritime IT Security at NHL Stenden University of Applied Science. With a 14-year career as a Detective in the NSW Police, he co-founded their first computer crime investigation team. He holds certifications including CISSP, CFE, and ISSMP. His research focuses on maritime cyber threats, digital forensics, and cyber conflict, with particular emphasis on Eastern European cyber crime groups and ransomware dynamics. He has held leadership roles at IBM, National Australia Bank, and RSA Security while maintaining academic engagement at institutions like Macquarie University and National University of Singapore.

Education: PhD thesis explored Eastern European cyber crime impacts on Australian banks. Notable contributions include ship honeynet projects for maritime threat intelligence and blockchain analysis for illicit Bitcoin transactions. His work bridges law enforcement, cybersecurity, and academia, addressing modern challenges like election interference and geopolitical cyber conflicts.

Research interests span cyber threat intelligence, maritime security systems, and ransomware mitigation strategies. He actively publishes on topics such as dark net operations, cyber deception tactics, and cryptocurrency forensics. Grants and collaborations focus on improving maritime cybersecurity frameworks and international threat information sharing mechanisms.