Amr Youssef is a Professor at the Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering, Concordia University. His research focuses on applied cryptography, network security, cyber-physical systems security, blockchain, and privacy. He has contributed extensively to securing smart grids, IoT devices, and web applications through cryptographic protocols and machine learning-driven solutions. His work addresses critical challenges in cybersecurity, including e-voting systems, fault-tolerant differential protection, and privacy-preserving communication protocols. He explores vulnerabilities in modern systems such as SSO permissions, JavaScript exploits, and stalkerware tools, while developing frameworks like MEGR-APT for APT detection and TEE-Receipt for non-repudiation. Youssef’s research integrates interdisciplinary approaches, combining cryptography with AI (e.g., vision transformers for power quality analysis) and leveraging trusted execution environments (TEE) for secure computing. His projects often involve collaboration with industrial standards (e.g., IEC 61850), emphasizing practical implementations in real-world systems.
Alexandra Boldyreva is a Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, holding joint appointments in the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy and the School of Computer Science. She serves as Associate Chair for Graduate Studies in the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy and coordinates the Information Security Master’s program in the College of Computing. Her affiliations include the Institute for Information Security & Privacy (IISP), the Algorithms, Combinatorics and Optimization (ACO) program, and the Algorithms and Randomness Center (ARC). She earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California, San Diego, and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in applied mathematics from St. Petersburg State Technical University, Russia. Her research focuses on cryptography and information security, with notable contributions to encryption methods, authentication protocols, and privacy-preserving systems. Boldyreva’s work emphasizes provable security analysis of protocols like FIDO2 and TLS 1.3, as well as searchable encryption and data privacy techniques. Her recent studies include secure communication channel establishment, leakage quantification in encryption systems, and applications of fuzzy search in encrypted databases. She has received Test of Time Awards for foundational contributions to cryptography. Boldyreva leads initiatives in cybersecurity education and has secured grants for research in secure communication protocols and human-computing approaches to key exchange. Her interdisciplinary collaborations span computer science, mathematics, and privacy engineering.
Ari Juels is the Weill Family Foundation and Joan and Sanford I. Weill Professor at Cornell Tech (Cornell University) and a faculty member in the Department of Computer Science. He co-founded and co-directs the Initiative for CryptoCurrencies and Contracts (IC³) and serves as Chief Scientist at Chainlink Labs. His research focuses on blockchain technology, cryptocurrency, smart contracts, applied cryptography, authentication, and privacy. Juels holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from UC Berkeley and previously held roles as Chief Scientist and Director of the RSA Laboratories at EMC/Dell EMC until 2013. His work spans foundational contributions to decentralized systems, including Chainlink’s oracle networks and Ekiden’s privacy-preserving smart contracts. Juels has authored influential books like *The Oracle* (2024) and *Tetraktys* (2009), blending cryptography with thriller narratives. He advises numerous students and alumni, many of whom have joined prominent blockchain firms like Chainlink Labs, Mysten Labs, and Espresso Systems. Recent publications explore topics such as liquidity in blockchain assets, oracle network security, and economic analysis of smart contracts. His research emphasizes practical applications of cryptographic principles to real-world challenges in digital systems and decentralized finance. Juels’ lab collaborates on projects like HyDRA (automated bug bounty systems) and Lanturn (economic security metrics). He actively participates in academic and industry partnerships, bridging theoretical computer science with applied blockchain innovation.
Rida Khatoun is a Professor in Cybersecurity at the Computer Sciences and Networks (Infres) Department at Télécom Paris. He holds a M.Sc. in Computer Engineering and a Ph.D. from the University of Technology of Troyes (UTT), France, awarded in 2004 and 2008, respectively. His research focuses on cybersecurity in networks, including cloud computing security, IoT security, vehicular networks security, intrusion detection systems, and blockchain technology. He has taught at Telecom Paris since 2014, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) since 2016, and other institutions in China and France since 2005. His work spans theoretical frameworks and practical solutions for network security challenges. Key research areas include DDoS attack detection, vehicular communication security, and cryptographic protocols. He leads the Cybersecurity and Cryptography (C²) research team and is affiliated with the Laboratoire Traitement et Communication de l'Information (LTCI). His contributions include developing secure routing protocols (e.g., ASROP), statistical trust systems in wireless networks, and blockchain-based authentication for IoT. He has authored over 115 publications, including peer-reviewed articles and conference proceedings, with recent work addressing vehicular platooning security, TLS handshake optimization for C-ITS, and machine learning for cyberbullying detection. Rida’s academic activities include teaching courses on network security protocols, wireless network fundamentals, and QoS mechanisms. He collaborates internationally, contributing to smart city cybersecurity architectures and 6G programmable communications. His research emphasizes practical cybersecurity solutions for emerging technologies, ensuring robust protection against evolving threats in vehicular, IoT, and cloud environments.
Prof. Dr. Sebastian Steinhorst is an Associate Professor (W3-level with tenure) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) within the Embedded Systems and Internet of Things group at the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology . His research focuses on advancing the security, predictability, reliability, and interoperability of smart connected and autonomous systems, particularly for applications in Internet of Things (IoT) , Industry 4.0 , and automotive systems . PhD in Computer Science (2011) from Goethe University Frankfurt Postdoctoral roles at TUMCREATE Singapore (2011-2016) and Aarhus University (2016) Joined TUM in 2016 as Rudolf Moessbauer Tenure Track Professor His research areas include decentralized embedded systems, hardware/software co-design, modeling and verification of cyber-physical systems, security protocols for automotive networks, and time-sensitive networking (TSN) for industrial applications. Recent work explores blockchain-based data sovereignty, zero-knowledge proofs for vehicle authentication, and resilient architectures for autonomous systems. Key scientific contributions include the 2019 ACM TODAES Best Paper Award and pioneering work on CyberSecDome , LeapChain , and Simutack frameworks. He serves on editorial boards and conference committees, including co-organizing the Autonomous Systems Design initiative at DATE. His teaching portfolio spans lectures on System Design for IoT , Software Architecture for Distributed Systems , and IoT Security across multiple semesters. He also leads advanced seminars on embedded systems and IoT.
Dr. Xinwen Fu is a Professor in the Miner School of Computer & Information Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where he also serves as Director of the iSAFER Center. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Texas A&M University (2005), M.S. in Electrical Engineering from University of Science and Technology of China (1998), and B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Xi'an Jiaotong University (1995). Research Interests Dr. Fu specializes in Computer Security and Privacy , with particular focus on IoT Security , Mobile Security , Network Security , and Digital Forensics . His research has been published in all four top computer security conferences: IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy (S&P/Oakland), ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS), USENIX Security Symposium, and Network and Distributed System Security Symposium (NDSS), as well as prestigious journals like ACM/IEEE Transactions on Networking and IEEE Transactions on Dependable and Secure Computing. His work has gained significant media attention from CNN, Wired, Huffington Post, Forbes, Yahoo, MIT Technology Review, and PC Magazine, including multiple appearances on CNN Domestic and International. He has also served as TPC member for numerous prestigious conferences including ACM CCS, IEEE INFOCOM, and IEEE ICDCS. Scientific Awards Best paper award at IEEE International Conference on Industrial Internet (ICII) 2019 Best paper award, International Conference on Wireless Algorithms, Systems, and Applications (WASA), 2017 Teaching Excellence Award of Department of Computer Science, UMass Lowell, 2016 Best paper award, International Performance Computing and Communications Conference (IPCCC) 2016 Award of Excellence, GeekPwn 2016 Ethic Smart Life Hack Competition Erich Spengler Student Cyber Paper Award with students, The Colloquium for Information Security Education (CISSE), 2016 Spotlight Paper of the IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing (TMC), February 2014 Best paper award, International Conference on Wireless Algorithms, Systems, and Applications (WASA), 2013 Best paper award, IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC): Communications and Information Security Symposium, 2013 Teaching award, Department of Computer Science, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 2011
Christina L. Garman is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Purdue University, where she joined in Spring 2018. Her research focuses on practical cryptography and cryptographic automation to make secure system development accessible to non-experts through error-resistant design methodologies. Her educational background includes: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering from Bucknell University (2011) Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Bucknell University (2011) Master of Science in Engineering in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University (2013) Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University (2017) Professor Garman's work centers on real-world cryptographic system security, spanning protocol analysis (e.g., RC4 in TLS, Apple iMessage flaws), decentralized anonymous systems (Zerocash/ZCash), and cryptographic automation. She pioneered techniques for removing human error in cryptographic deployments through automated tools and frameworks. Her research bridges theoretical cryptography with practical implementation challenges in privacy-preserving technologies and secure infrastructure. Analysis of her 2021-2025 publications reveals expanding research horizons: hardware security vulnerabilities (Rowhammer, SGX), privacy network enhancements (Tor onion services), software supply chain security (SBOM tools), and advanced cryptographic protocols (zkSNARKs, MPC). This evolution demonstrates consistent focus on real-world security impact while diversifying into hardware-software cross-layer threats and formal verification methods for cryptographic implementations. Her major scientific recognitions include: NSF CAREER Award (2021) for cryptographic automation research ACM CCS Best Paper Award (2016) for iMessage security analysis IEEE Test of Time Award (2024) for foundational Zerocash work Professor Garman co-founded ZCash, a privacy-focused cryptocurrency based on her Zerocash protocol, and her NSF CAREER grant supports cryptographic automation development. Her research has received significant media coverage in The Washington Post, Wired, and The New York Times, highlighting real-world relevance. While specific student advising details aren't public, her active publication record indicates ongoing mentorship of graduate researchers in security and cryptography. Her work maintains strong industry connections through ZCash development and Tor network contributions, with recent projects like keyless CDNs demonstrating practical applications of cryptographic automation. She remains a leading voice in cryptographic research communities through conference participation and collaborative projects addressing evolving security challenges.
Dr.-Ing. Tobias Fiebig is a Senior Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics (Internet Architecture department) since April 2022. He previously served as a permanent Assistant Professor at TU Delft's Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management from 2017-2022. His work combines network measurement with human factors to improve security practices, focusing on email protocols, DNS infrastructure, and academic cloud migration. PhD in Computer Science from TU Berlin (2017) MSc in System and Network Engineering from University of Amsterdam (2013) BSc in Cognitive Science from University of Osnabrück (2012) His research spans Internet security (DNS, IPv6, email), academic freedom in cloud contexts, and human-centered security challenges. Recent work analyzes MTA-STS deployment, DNS sampling biases, and university cloud migration privacy implications. He has presented at top conferences including USENIX Security , IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy , and ACM CCS . Teaching roles include lecturing Data Networks (2023-24) and On the Practice of System and Network Engineering (2024), with prior module management in cyber security analytics and sustainable system operations.
Endadul Hoque is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Syracuse University (SU), leading the SYNE Lab. Previously, he held a similar position at Florida International University (FIU). He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Purdue University in 2015, with postdoctoral research at Northeastern University. His research focuses on cybersecurity, particularly in automated vulnerability detection, network/system security, and IoT defense mechanisms. He draws on program analysis, formal verification, and fuzz testing. Key honors include the NSF CAREER Award (2024) and a Google Research Scholar Award (2022). His work has been published in top venues like ACM CCS, NDSS, and IEEE S&P. He actively seeks students for PhD/MSc positions in security, IoT, and program analysis. His grants include NSF funding for IoT policy enforcement and context-sensitive fuzzing. Education Ph.D., Computer Science, Purdue University, 2015 M.S., Computer Science, Marquette University, 2010 B.S., Computer Science and Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, 2008 Research Interests Dr. Hoque’s work spans secure network systems, IoT security, vulnerability detection, and automated reasoning methods like SMT solving and symbolic execution. Recent innovations include VetIoT (runtime IoT defense validation) and LLM-driven security tools like iConPAL. He emphasizes practical defenses and user-centric security solutions, such as the SeQR enterprise Wi-Fi configurator. Awards NSF CAREER Award (2024) Google Research Scholar Award (2022) NDSS Distinguished Paper (2018) Grants & Service He leads NSF-funded projects on IoT policy enforcement and context-sensitive fuzzing. Served on program committees for S&P, SecDev, and DSN. Teaches courses on systems security and operating systems at SU and FIU. Lab/Team SYNE Lab at Syracuse University focuses on securing networked systems through automated analysis, runtime verification, and resilient protocols.
Stanislaw Jarecki is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS) at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). He joined UCI in 2003 after earning his Ph.D. in Computer Science from MIT in 2001 under Prof. Shafi Goldwasser. His research focuses on applied and distributed cryptography, with significant contributions to threshold cryptography, secure computation, and password-authenticated key exchange (PAKE) protocols such as OPAQUE, which secures 2 billion WhatsApp users. He also worked at Intertrust’s StarLab and Stanford’s applied cryptography group under Prof. Dan Boneh. Education: Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2001. Research Interests: Distributed cryptography, secure multi-party computation, privacy-preserving protocols, threshold security, blockchain applications, and efficient cryptographic primitives. His work emphasizes practical solutions for real-world systems, including protocols resilient to server compromises and scalable encryption methods. Awards: 2023 IACR Fellow for contributions to distributed cryptography and efficient secure computation. Advising and Grants: Jarecki’s research has been supported by grants including NSF SaTC programs. He advises students on cryptographic protocol design and security mechanisms. His work on OPAQUE and CHIC protocols exemplifies his focus on bridging theoretical cryptography with practical implementation. Labs/Teams: Leads a research group focused on applied cryptography and security within ICS at UCI, collaborating on projects like secure computation, privacy-preserving data processing, and cryptographic protocol development.
Dr. Angelos D. Keromytis is the John H. Weitnauer, Jr. Endowed Chair Professor and Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) Eminent Scholar at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering , Georgia Institute of Technology . He is a globally recognized leader in systems and network security and applied cryptography , with over 250 publications and 67 issued US patents. He is an elected Fellow of both the IEEE and ACM, and previously served as a Program Manager at DARPA and Program Director at NSF. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science, University of Pennsylvania (2001) M.Sc. in Computer Science, University of Pennsylvania (1997) B.Sc. in Computer Science, University of Crete, Greece (1996) Research Interests: Dr. Keromytis's research spans a broad spectrum of cybersecurity topics, including: Systems and Network Security : He has led foundational work in secure systems design, intrusion detection, and network anomaly detection. Applied Cryptography : His work includes cryptographic protocols, secure communications, and privacy-preserving systems. Hardware and Side-Channel Security : He has pioneered techniques for detecting hardware Trojans using electromagnetic side-channels. Cloud and IoT Security : He has developed novel approaches to securing cloud services and IoT devices. Software Security : His work includes defenses against malware, return-oriented programming (ROP), and automated software patching. Scientific Awards: John H. Weitnauer, Jr. Endowed Chair Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) Eminent Scholar IEEE Fellow (2018) ACM Fellow (2017) ACM Distinguished Scientist (2012) DARPA Superior Public Service Medal DARPA Results Matter Award Advising and Grants: Dr. Keromytis has advised over 30 Ph.D. students and numerous postdocs. He has secured over $35M in research funding from agencies like DARPA, NSF, IARPA, ONR, and AFRL. His recent grants include: DARPA SMOKE : $22.7M for "Antikythera" cybersecurity framework NSF SaTC : $1.2M for mobile network anti-tracking architecture DARPA CHASE : $1.7M for network abuse behavioral engine DARPA OPS-5G : $7.3M for large-scale adversary defense ONR : $4.4M for dormant hardware Trojan detection Labs and Teams: He co-founded and co-directs the Center for Cyber Operations Enquiry and Unconventional Sensing (COEUS) at Georgia Tech. Previously, he founded and directed the Network Security Lab (NSL) at Columbia University, which produced foundational research in network security, intrusion detection, and software protection.
Oliver Hohlfeld is a Professor at the University of Kassel, where he leads the Distributed Systems group. He previously held academic positions at Brandenburg University of Technology and RWTH Aachen University, and was a visiting scholar at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His research focuses on network security, Internet measurements, and Quality of Experience (QoE). He completed his Ph.D. in Computer Science at TU Berlin under Anja Feldmann and holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from Darmstadt University of Technology. He also worked at Fraunhofer IGD on telemedical network architectures. His research adopts a data-driven approach, combining large-scale Internet measurements, user studies, and machine learning to understand and improve Internet performance and security. Key areas include DDoS detection, QUIC, HTTP/2, TLS deployment, and BGP analysis. He investigates how protocols like QUIC and HTTP/2 impact user experience and network efficiency, often through empirical studies of real-world deployments. His recent publications highlight a strong trend in network security and protocol analysis, with significant work on DDoS attacks, traffic ingress detection, and web consolidation. He also explores social media dynamics and censorship circumvention through user reviews. 2022 IETF/IRTF Applied Networking Research Prize Best of CCR (2021) for TLS 1.3 deployment study ACM Senior Member (2020) IEEE QoMEX 2019 Best Reviewer Award ACM IMC Community Contribution Award (2018) He has advised numerous Master’s and Bachelor’s students, primarily at RWTH Aachen, and has been a principal investigator in major projects such as AIDOS (AI-based DDoS mitigation), DFG SFB MAKI, COMTEX, and the EU-funded SSICLOPS. He actively serves on the technical program committees of top-tier conferences including SIGCOMM, NSDI, IMC, and CoNEXT, and is a frequent reviewer for leading journals in networking and systems. He leads the Distributed Systems group at the University of Kassel, which conducts research on Internet observability, secure infrastructures, and scalable networking solutions.
Christian Rossow is Faculty at CISPA – Helmholtz Center for Information Security in Dortmund, Germany, where he leads the System Security research group. He holds dual academic appointments as a professor in the Computer Science department at Saarland University and as an honorary professor at TU Dortmund University. His research spans systems, software, and network security, with a focus on cyber attacks, defenses, and privacy. Research Interests: His primary research areas include software and system security (e.g., exploitation techniques, compiler-assisted defenses, AI-assisted (in)security), network security (e.g., DDoS mitigation, attack attribution, traffic analysis), and cybercrime (e.g., malware analysis, data-driven studies). He emphasizes foundational research with practical applications. Publication Trends: His recent work (2023–2025) shows a strong focus on microarchitectural attacks (e.g., cache side-channels, prefetcher analysis), browser and web security (e.g., sandbox escapes, CSS fingerprinting), network protocol vulnerabilities (e.g., TCP spoofing, infinite loops), and applied cryptography (e.g., ISA extensions for key management). His research consistently targets top-tier venues like IEEE S&P, USENIX Security, ACM CCS, and NDSS. Distinguished Paper Award at IEEE EuroS&P 2021 Best Student Paper Award at MIT Spam Conference 2010 Advising and Grants: He actively supervises PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, with alumni placed in industry (NVIDIA, Crowdstrike, Continental) and academia. His research is supported by major grants including EU H2020 SISSDEN, BMBF-funded BOB, DFG-funded anonymous communication, and RAMSES. He regularly serves in leadership roles in the community, including PC Chair for RAID 2022/2023 and USENIX WOOT 2018, and Track Chair for ACM CCS 2026. Labs and Teams: He leads the System Security research group at CISPA, a world-leading institution for security and privacy. The group comprises talented full-time researchers and focuses on cutting-edge research with strong individual supervision and worldwide collaborations.
Fan Zhang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Yale University. He holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University, advised by Ari Juels, and a B.S. from Tsinghua University. His research focuses on computer security, applied cryptography, decentralized systems, blockchains, and trusted execution environments (TEEs). He leads the Decentralized Systems Group at Yale and is affiliated with the IC3, CDCC, and CADMY centers. He teaches courses on blockchain and real-world cryptography. Key research interests include blockchain decentralization, privacy-preserving protocols, and secure distributed systems. Notable contributions include the Town Crier oracle system (acquired by Chainlink), the DECO TLS protocol, and foundational work on transaction order fairness and MEV mitigation. Awards include the Ethereum Foundation Academic Grant (2022) and the IBM PhD Fellowship (2018-2020). His work has been published in top venues like CCS, S&P, CRYPTO, and USENIX Security.
Antonio Lioy is a Full Professor in the Department of Control and Computer Science (DAUIN) at the Polytechnic University of Turin. He serves as the Cyber Security Representative for the university in national and European government collaborations, is a member of the SmartData@PoliTO interdepartmental center, and acts as Scientific Advisor for the DRIVESEC partnership. His research is deeply rooted in cybersecurity, electronic identity, network and web security, and quantum-resistant systems. His research interests focus on cybersecurity , electronic identity , network security , web security , and quantum cryptography . He leads the TORSEC Security Group and conducts research in LAB 7, with a strong emphasis on trusted computing, post-quantum cryptography, IoT security, and secure network infrastructures. His work aligns with ERC sectors in computer systems and cryptology, and supports UN SDGs on innovation and sustainable cities. His recent publications show a strong trend toward post-quantum cryptography , remote attestation , trusted execution environments , and secure network virtualization . These works appear in top venues such as IEEE, ACM, and IFIP conferences, with a focus on securing future digital infrastructures against emerging threats. Themes include integrity management in softwarized networks, standard-based attestation, and quantum-resistant PKI strategies. He has supervised numerous PhD students, including Davide Colaiacomo, Francesco Vaccaro, Flavio Ciravegna, Grazia D'Onghia, Lorenzo Ferro, Francesco Settanni, Enrico Bravi, Silvia Sisinni, Luca Mannella, and Ignazio Pedone, whose research spans cybersecurity, quantum computing, and IoT. He leads multiple high-profile research projects such as Q-FENCE, QUBIP, SERICS, and FISHY, funded by Horizon Europe and national programs, demonstrating significant grant acquisition and leadership. He is actively involved in research labs and teams, primarily the TORSEC - Security Group (DAUIN) and LAB 7 - Research Laboratory (DAUIN) , which focus on applied cybersecurity research. His projects often involve collaboration with industry and government bodies, emphasizing real-world impact in secure digital identity, critical infrastructure protection, and quantum-safe transitions.
