معرفی
Prof. Dr. Yasemin Acar serves as a Professor in the Department of Computer Science within the Faculty of Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Mathematics at Paderborn University. She leads research in the Empirical Software Engineering group, focusing on human-centered security and privacy challenges. Her work bridges theoretical security concepts with practical implementation in real-world software systems.
Dr. Acar's research interests center on understanding the human factors that influence security and privacy in software development. She investigates how developers interact with security mechanisms, how privacy policies are communicated across professional boundaries, and how cryptographic research translates to practical applications. Her work particularly addresses the growing challenges in software supply chain security and the trust relationships within open-source ecosystems. Through empirical methods including interviews, surveys, and mixed-methods studies, she identifies communication gaps between different stakeholders in the security ecosystem.
Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on practical security challenges, particularly examining how geopolitical events impact security practices, how to measure trust in software dependencies, and the difficulties in implementing cryptographic solutions in real products. This research trajectory demonstrates her commitment to addressing security problems at the intersection of human behavior and technical systems.
Dr. Acar actively mentors students through multiple courses including Seminar: Advances in Human Factors in Security and Privacy Research and two Proseminars introducing Human Factors in Security and Privacy Research. Her teaching directly reflects her research expertise, preparing the next generation of security researchers to consider human elements in technical security solutions.
She leads research projects including Enabling a Secure and Trustworthy Software Supply Chain, demonstrating her leadership in addressing critical infrastructure challenges in modern software development. Her empirical approach to security problems provides valuable insights for both academic research and industry practice.
