Department of Cyber Security Engineering faculty / en Your watch knows what you did last summer /news/2026-06/your-watch-knows-what-you-did-last-summer <span>Your watch knows what you did last summer </span> <span><span>Nathan Kahl</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-06-15T13:36:08-04:00" title="Monday, June 15, 2026 - 13:36">Mon, 06/15/2026 - 13:36</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p class="Paragraph SCXW159277564 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun intro-text" lang="EN-US">A smartwatch sitting quietly on someone’s wrist may seem unremarkable. But in a criminal investigation, that device could become a witness.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW159277564 BCX4 intro-text">&nbsp;</span></p> <div style="float:right;padding:5px;"> <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="600" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XeU3Hthi7Rk" title="How Smartwatches Help Solve Crimes" width="337"></iframe></div> <p class="Paragraph SCXW159277564 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">91 </span><a href="https://catalog.gmu.edu/colleges-schools/engineering-computing/engineering/cyber-security-engineering/cyber-security-engineering-bs/" title="CYSE"><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Cyber Security Engineering</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> Associate Professor </span><a href="https://mason.gmu.edu/~ukarabiy/" title="Umit"><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Umit Karabiyik</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> helps law enforcement agencies across the country understand how data from everyday connected devices can provide critical evidence in criminal cases. Through a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)–funded project, </span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Karabiyik</span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> and researchers trained thousands of criminal justice professionals and provided technical assistance on cases involving everything from smartwatches and fitness trackers to smart home devices and medical technologies.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW159277564 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW159277564 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“We try to understand this Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem and extract data from these technologies for evidentiary purposes in courts, criminal investigations, and criminal litigation,” said </span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Karabiyik</span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW159277564 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW159277564 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The project, funded by the </span><a href="https://bja.ojp.gov" title="BJA"><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Bureau of Justice Assistance</span></a><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, was first awarded in 2021 while Karabiyik was at Purdue University. Originally planned as a short-term effort, the grant was extended multiple times, allowing the team to continue responding to a growing challenge: helping investigators keep pace with the expansion of connected technologies in everyday life.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW159277564 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW159277564 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">IoT devices include smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart appliances, home security systems, smart glasses, medical monitoring devices, and countless other products that collect and exchange data.</span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"></span> <span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“Law enforcement agencies need to understand what these technologies are, what </span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">the security</span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> issues are, what the privacy issues are, and most importantly, how to investigate them,” </span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Karabiyik</span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> said.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW159277564 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">That work often goes beyond research papers and conference presentations. Since the project began, </span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Karabiyik’s</span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> team has trained more than 7,000 criminal justice professionals through conferences, webinars, and specialized workshops. They have also become a resource for investigators facing technical questions in active cases.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW159277564 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“We get phone calls from law enforcement agencies that say, ‘I’ve got this case, and I got stuck. What do I do?’” Karabiyik said.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW159277564 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW159277564 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">One line of research focused on how devices within Apple’s ecosystem communicate with one another. Karabiyik’s team discovered that Apple devices can collect identifying information about nearby Apple products even without direct interaction from users. The findings created new possibilities for investigators attempting to establish whether individuals or devices had been in proximity to one another.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW159277564 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW159277564 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">After presenting the research, Karabiyik received inquiries from investigators </span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">working</span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> homicide and cold cases who wanted to know whether data from nearby Apple devices could help narrow the list of potential suspects. “These kinds of calls keep coming,” he said.&nbsp;</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2026-06/iot_phone_pings.png?itok=HqHvlliX" width="560" height="336" alt="A map of an iPhone &quot;pings.&quot;"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Geolocation data points generated by an iPhone alongside data from nearby WiFi access points. Despite iPhone location services being disabled, information from surrounding devices is still collected. Image provided.</figcaption> </figure> <p class="Paragraph SCXW159277564 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">As part of the project, Karabiyik and colleagues serve as </span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">a criminal</span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> IoT helpdesk, of sorts.&nbsp;</span><span class="EOP SCXW159277564 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW159277564 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">In one case, Karabiyik served as an expert witness in a murder trial where investigators examined data from a smartwatch worn by the defendant, who maintained she had been asleep during the time prosecutors alleged the crime occurred.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW159277564 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW159277564 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">“We looked at the technology and proved that she was indeed sleeping,” </span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Karabiyik</span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> said. “There were no steps taken, and her stress level was perfectly fine until she found the victim dead.” The defendant was ultimately found not guilty.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW159277564 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW159277564 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">While much of the project focuses on digital forensics, </span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Karabiyik’s</span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> research also examines the privacy and security risks associated with connected devices. His team has built databases of vulnerabilities and studied how data collected by consumer technologies is stored, shared, and potentially exposed.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW159277564 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW159277564 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">He noted that his research influences his own personal use. “I’m very picky about what technologies I use,” he said. He avoids devices with microphones and cameras whenever possible, does not use voice assistants such as Alexa or Google Home, and is cautious about products that collect large amounts of personal data.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW159277564 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW159277564 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">At the same time, he sees enormous value in connected technologies when they are used responsibly. “Unless you are a bad person, these technologies can be super helpful,” he said. “If something happens to me, I know these devices are going to tell law enforcement a lot of things.”</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW159277564 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW159277564 BCX4"><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">As connected devices continue to multiply, </span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Karabiyik</span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> expects demand for digital forensic expertise to grow as well. The current project concludes later this year, but he is already pursuing new </span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">DOJ </span><span class="TextRun SCXW159277564 BCX4 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">funding opportunities aimed at helping forensic examiners, law enforcement agencies, and criminal justice professionals navigate an increasingly connected world.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW159277564 BCX4">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW159277564 BCX4">&nbsp;</p> <h5><span class="EOP Selected SCXW159277564 BCX4">Check out "When Your Smartwatch Becomes a Witness," an episode of CEC's podcast </span><em><span class="EOP Selected SCXW159277564 BCX4">In the Abstract.</span></em></h5> <p><iframe style="border-style:none;height:315px;min-width:min(100%, 430px);" title="In The Abstract: George Mason Engineering &amp; Computing" allowtransparency="true" height="315" width="100%" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=8swaa-1576f07-pbblog-playlist&amp;share=1&amp;download=1&amp;rtl=0&amp;fonts=Arial&amp;skin=f6f6f6&amp;font-color=auto&amp;logo_link=episode_page&amp;order=episodic&amp;limit=10&amp;filter=all&amp;ss=a713390a017602015775e868a2cf26b0&amp;btn-skin=8bbb4e&amp;size=315" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:mason_accordion" data-inline-block-uuid="f3ab7bbe-b1a6-457f-8b3f-acf33e4b608d" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blockmason-accordion"> <div class="field field--name-field-accordion-rows field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field field--name-field-accordion-rows field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__item"> <section class="accordion"> <header class="accordion__label"><span class="ui-accordion-header-icon ui-icon ui-icon-triangle-1-e"></span> <p>Podcast episode transcript</p> <div class="accordion__states"> <span class="accordion__state accordion__state--more"><i class="fas fa-plus-circle"></i></span> <span class="accordion__state accordion__state--less"><i class="fas fa-minus-circle"></i></span> </div> </header> <div class="accordion__content"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>Teresa Donnellan </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">A smart watch sitting quietly on someone's wrist may seem unremarkable, but in a criminal investigation, that device could become a witness.&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Welcome to </span><em><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">In the Abstract</span></em><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, a research podcast from 91's College of Engineering and Computing. I'm Teresa Donnellan.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>Umit </strong></span><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US"><strong>Karabiyik</strong></span><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong> </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">There are so many new technologies that are coming in </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">IoT</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> became part of everyday life for every single one of us.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun"><strong>Teresa Donnellan </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun">91 Cyber Security Engineering Associate Professor Umit Karabiyik helps law enforcement agencies across the country understand how data from everyday connected devices can provide critical evidence in criminal cases.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>Umit Karabiyik </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">So try to understand this Internet of Things ecosystem and extract data from these technologies for the use of evidentiary purposes in courts— criminal, you know, litigations, criminal investigations. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">So</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> they want to make sure, the law enforcement agencies and, in general, criminal justice </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">professionals, they</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> understand the technology, IoT technologies, and anything related to justice domain, with respect to IoT devices. Do they understand what </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">the technology</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> is? What are the security issues? What are the privacy issues? And more importantly, which is the majority part of it when they are found in criminal investigations, how to investigate these technologies, how to understand the data [that] reside on these devices generated by these devices and stored somewhere else sometimes.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>Teresa Donnellan </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Through a U.S. Department of Justice funded project, </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Karabiyik</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> and researchers trained thousands of criminal justice professionals and provided technical assistance on cases involving everything from smartwatches and fitness trackers to smart home devices and medical technologies.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US"><strong>Umit Karabiyik</strong></span><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong> </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">I work on Internet of Things technologies. Particularly, we focus on fitness trackers, smartwatches</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">, smart appliances</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> at </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">homes</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">, like meta glasses. You know, they record everything, watches, and Oura rings, you know, even we investigated some glucometers; we had one of our researchers, coincidentally, he was diabetic, he was using also glucometer. We investigated his data points and technology as well. Then what we do based on the research and products, we create </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">trainings</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">. And throughout the five years since twenty </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">twenty</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> one, we trained over seven thousand criminal justice professionals at more than thirty in-person trainings, and we did several online webinars so that we can answer questions.&nbsp;&nbsp; That's the technical training component of this, and then there is technical assistance.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>Teresa Donnellan </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The project, funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, was first awarded in 2021. Originally planned as a </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">short term</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> effort, the grant was extended multiple times, allowing the team to continue responding to a growing challenge:</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun">Helping investigators keep pace with the expansion of connected technologies in everyday life.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0"> </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">They have also become a resource for investigators facing technical questions in active cases.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>Umit </strong></span><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US"><strong>Karabiyik</strong></span><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong> </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">We get phone calls from law enforcement agencies. They call </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">us like,</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> "Hey, I got this case." It could be a cold case, or it could be an ongoing case. "And I got stuck on this. What do I do?" </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">So</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> it's under the </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">project,</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> we actually provide technical assistance. We collaborate with the </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">White Collar</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> Crime Center. And you know, with this, you know, uh, </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">partnership,</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> they have connection to the tens of thousands of criminal justice professionals. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">So</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> they reach out to them, and then they reach out to us as technical subject matter experts. And then I provide </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">them,</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> "Hey, you got to do this. You need to do that." or "You know, we don't have technology for this." Something like that.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>Teresa Donnellan </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">One line of research focused on how devices within Apple's ecosystem communicate with one another. Karabiyik's team discovered that Apple devices can collect identifying information about nearby Apple products, even without direct interaction from users. The findings created new possibilities for investigators attempting to establish whether individuals or devices had been in proximity to one another.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>Umit </strong></span><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US"><strong>Karabiyik</strong></span><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong> </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">We found that, especially [with] Apple ecosystem devices, they constantly share data with each other, even without the interaction of the users. They keep changing data with each other. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">So</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> we give </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">the</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> example of this: like if there is any smart watch in a room, it knows all the other Apple devices in the room. What it means: It knows it basically collects the unique identifier about those devices. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">So</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> then we give this scenario. We say, if there's an abduction of a child, and there's a suspect for this abduction, and you go to the suspect, say, well, have you seen this kid? Say, no, I've never seen this person. I've never, you know, in contact with this person. But the kid might have </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Apple</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> Watch. And if we investigate that person's phone, we could find that that watch has been interacting with the phone.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun"><strong>Teresa Donnellan </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun">After presenting the research, Karibiyik received inquiries from investigators working homicide and cold cases who wanted to know whether data from nearby Apple devices could help narrow the list of potential suspects.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>Umit Karabiyik </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Then when we brought </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">this</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> research findings four years </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">ago,&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">I got a phone call from </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Ohio</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> FBI field </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">office,&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">said, "Oh, I got a cold case. This is exactly what happened. There is a dead body. And we, because of the CCTV cameras they had, that suspect was wearing an Apple Watch. And the </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">the</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> victim was the </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">victim</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> was actually having </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">a</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> iPhone." </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">So</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> the question was, would that iPhone have the killer's Apple Watch information? That was a cold case. Unfortunately, it was too old. At that time, this communication wasn't really happening. We couldn't solve that case.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun"><strong>Teresa Donnellan </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun">As part of the project, Karibiyik and colleagues serve as a criminal IoT help desk of sorts.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>Umit </strong></span><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US"><strong>Karabiyik</strong></span><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong> </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Under this project, they reach out to NW3C, the </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">White Collar</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> Crime Center. We give them this hotline phone number, and then </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">the, the</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> NW3C contact reaches out to me depending on the question, because we have subcontracts from NW3C. They are experts in </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">litigations</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> and legal issues. Some of them are just reaching out </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">saying</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> like, "I have a, you know, IoT device. We investigated this. We found this evidence. Well, how are we going to put it into the legal context? How is this going to be </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">admissible?"</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> It's not really my case in that case, because I prove scientifically it's correct. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">So</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> my co-pi from NW3C, he's the chief counsel of </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">White Collar</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> Crime Center. And he helps </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">on</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> that case when it's a technology problem. Like, "Hey, we found this device. How are we going to get data out of </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">it?"</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> I </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">come</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> into play.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun"><strong>Teresa Donnellan </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun">In one case, Karibiyik served as an expert witness in a murder trial, where investigators examined data from a smartwatch worn by the defendant.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>Umit </strong></span><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US"><strong>Karabiyik</strong></span><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong> </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Because of this research, I actually worked on a case in Indiana. It was also a murder case. Um, </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">a suspect</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> was a wife. She was accused of killing her husband. Uh, and she was saying that he fell over the stairs and, um, and she was wearing an Apple Watch. She was wearing a Garmin watch, um, IoT device. And she said she was sleeping all night. And we were, you know, </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">called to</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> the case. Um, we were hired, and we looked at the technology, and we proved that she was indeed sleeping. There were no steps&nbsp;&nbsp; taken, and her stress level was perfectly fine until she found him dead. Um, at 4:34 a.m. in the morning. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">So</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> we presented this to the court.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>Teresa Donnellan </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">The defendant was ultimately </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">found not</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> guilty. While much of the project focuses on digital forensics, </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Karabiyik's</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> research also examines the privacy and security risks associated with connected devices.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>Umit Karabiyik </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">From the forensics part, I believe they serve a lot to us, unless you are a bad person. I'm not a bad person. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">So</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> I believe these IoT technologies are super helpful for </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">for</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> if I'm killed, I know this device is going to tell a lot of things to the, you know, law enforcement about me and my killer. But I'm very picky about what technologies I use, because I also know these technologies have a lot of privacy concerns and security concerns.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun"><strong>Teresa Donnellan </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun">His team has built databases of vulnerabilities and studied how data collected by consumer technologies is stored, shared, and potentially exposed.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong>Umit </strong></span><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US"><strong>Karabiyik</strong></span><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong> </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">So we created a database of vulnerabilities of these technologies [of] what are the security and privacy pitfalls as an individual, um, as a user of these technologies, like I am very picky. I'm very selective of using Chinese technologies because as we do the research, we know these technologies, like, for instance, indoor security cameras, they share data with the third parties and they store data in, you know, clouds, even though they don't have, you know, subscriptions. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">So</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> these technologies are sometimes freaking me out, if I don't know their behaviors. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">So</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> this is why, you know, we try to some of my research is privacy and security of IoT devices so that we identify and we just let the rest of the world know this technology collects this type of data. And in fact, maybe they </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">sell</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> your data. </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">So</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> from that perspective, I'm very selective of using certain technologies personally. And I suggest my friends and, you know, family members also like what to use, what not to use. And </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">usually</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> good technologies are more expensive. Technologies are secure, not always, most of the time, but cheaper products are very </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">questionable ones</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="EOP SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US"><strong>Teresa Donnellan</strong></span><span class="TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"><strong> </strong></span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">He avoids devices with microphones and cameras whenever possible, does not use voice assistants such as Alexa or Google Home, and is cautious about products that collect large amounts of personal data. At the same time, he sees enormous value in connected technologies when they are used responsibly. As connected devices continue to multiply, </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">Karibiyik</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> expects demand for digital forensic expertise to grow as well. The current project concludes later this year, but he is already pursuing new DOJ funding opportunities aimed at helping forensic examiners, law enforcement agencies, and criminal justice professionals navigate an increasingly connected world.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="Paragraph SCXW148494329 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">Thanks for listening to </span><em><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">In the Abstract</span></em><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">. For more information or to find out about graduate study opportunities, visit </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">cec</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> dot </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">gmu</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US"> dot </span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed" lang="EN-US">edu</span><span class="TextRun SCXW148494329 BCX0 NormalTextRun" lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW148494329 BCX0">&nbsp;</span></p> </div> </section> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="2abef429-2278-486c-9151-58fcd927de50"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="/research"> <p class="cta__title">Explore more research at George Mason <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="b7b5ba92-5207-45eb-86fe-289598e25f86" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="a91261a5-4619-4aee-beac-43bfcd06d88e" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><hr> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:news_list" data-inline-block-uuid="b5d23270-3cfd-4e81-8665-48651c090884" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocknews-list"> <h2>Related Stories</h2> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-news view-id-news view-display-id-block_1 js-view-dom-id-9777da20c33485711cd03858b4236d593bd8f16adb5d6552af6c9185c9460b08"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="news-list-wrapper"> <ul class="news-list"> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-08/george-mason-prepares-launch-new-phd-cybersecurity" hreflang="en">George Mason prepares to launch new PhD in Cybersecurity</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">August 17, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-06/your-watch-knows-what-you-did-last-summer" hreflang="en">Your watch knows what you did last summer </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">June 15, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-06/timing-perfect-hardware-hack" hreflang="en">Timing the perfect hardware hack </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">June 9, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-04/1-million-us-department-justice-grant-will-support-virtual-reality-training-domestic" hreflang="en">$1 million U.S. Department of Justice grant will support virtual reality training for domestic violence response </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">April 13, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2025-08/new-doj-training-grant-focuses-prevention-school-violence" hreflang="en">New DOJ training grant focuses on the prevention of school violence</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">August 28, 2025</div></div></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/7461" hreflang="en">Cybersecurity Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/7181" hreflang="en">Department of Cyber Security Engineering faculty</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1451" hreflang="en">Internet of Things</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6736" hreflang="en">Department of Justice</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/271" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div> </div> </div> Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:36:08 +0000 Nathan Kahl 345923 at Matthew Jablonski /profiles/mjablons <span>Matthew Jablonski</span> <span><span>Tama Moni</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-08-07T14:31:00-04:00" title="Thursday, August 7, 2025 - 14:31">Thu, 08/07/2025 - 14:31</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_headshot" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-headshot"> <div class="field field--name-field-headshot field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2025-11/Matt-Jablonski-profile-1x1.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="White man in a dark suit and striped tie sitting indoors near a sunlit window"> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_org_positions" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-org-positions"> <div class="field field--name-field-org-positions field--type-text-long field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Titles and Organizations</div> <div class="field__item"><p>Assistant Professor, Department of Cyber Security Engineering</p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_contact_information" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-contact-information"> <h2>Contact Information</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-contact-information field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Building:</strong> Vernon Smith Hall<br><strong>Campus:</strong> Mason Square<br><strong>Email:</strong> <a href="mailto:mjablons@gmu.edu">mjablons@gmu.edu</a>&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_bio" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-bio"> <h2>Biography</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-bio field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Matthew Jablonski joined the Department of Cyber Security Engineering at 91 in 2025 as an Assistant Professor. Before this position, he served as a research assistant professor within the College of Engineering and Computing for the prior year. His research is currently focused on applying cybersecurity within manufacturing systems, battery systems, vehicle systems, and AI systems as well as applying formal methods towards threat modeling and within model-based systems engineering. Jablonski earned his IT PhD from 91 in 2023 as a part-time student while working full-time in industry focused on systems engineering and penetration testing / red teaming. He has over 20 years of industry experience.</span></p> <h3><span class="s1">Degrees</span></h3> <ul> <li><strong>PhD, Information Security and Assurance,</strong> 91</li> <li><strong>MS, Information Security and Assurance, </strong>91</li> <li><strong>BS, Computer Science,</strong> Virginia Tech</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 07 Aug 2025 18:31:00 +0000 Tama Moni 345481 at Military 5G gets a security boost with anti-jamming research  /news/2024-10/military-5g-gets-security-boost-anti-jamming-research <span>Military 5G gets a security boost with anti-jamming research&nbsp;</span> <span><span>tdonnel</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-10-21T15:01:12-04:00" title="Monday, October 21, 2024 - 15:01">Mon, 10/21/2024 - 15:01</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span class="intro-text">As communication networks evolve, they present both opportunities and security challenges to military technicians. Over the past year, Assistant Professor <a href="/profiles/mhossa5" target="_blank">Moinul Hossain</a> from 91’s <a href="https://cybersecurity.gmu.edu/" target="_blank">Department of Cyber Security Engineering</a> has contributed to a research initiative aimed at ensuring the safety and integrity of 5G networks used by the United States military. Sponsored by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and led by the University of Maryland (UMD), the project focused on safeguarding military communications against potential threats such as jamming attacks.&nbsp;</span></p> <p>Hossain’s colleagues will present their work, a research paper titled “Phantom Guard: An MDP-Based Anti-Jamming Defense Strategy for Military 5G Networks,” at the end of this month at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) <a href="https://milcom2024.ieee-milcom.org/" target="_blank">Military Communications Conference (MILCOM)</a>. As Hossain will be on leave during the conference, George Mason doctoral student Mahmudul Hassan Ashik, who contributed to the project, will join ARL’s Jeffrey Twigg and Fikadu Dagefu and UMD colleagues for the presentation.&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2024-10/moinul_hossain_1080x1080.png?itok=D1moJv_S" width="350" height="350" alt="Moinul Hossain"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Moinul Hossain. Photo provided</figcaption> </figure> <p>"As 5G technology becomes a cornerstone of global communications, safeguarding its security within military applications is crucial,” said Ashik, who is working on a PhD in cyber security engineering. “Our research tackles these complex challenges of protecting sensitive data transmitted over 5G networks in high-risk, adversarial environments."&nbsp;</p> <p>While commercial 5G is already widely used for communication between devices, the military’s adoption of this technology necessitates additional measures to safeguard sensitive data and ensure secure communication, even in contested environments. Hossain’s project, which began in May 2023 and concluded in August 2024, centered on addressing this critical security concern.&nbsp;</p> <p>"5G is a major pillar of national security, alongside emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing,” Hossain explained. “Its high throughput and low latency make it ideal for various applications, including the military. However, military use of 5G requires certain modifications to meet security standards, particularly to defend against adversarial threats like jamming."&nbsp;</p> <p>Jamming occurs when an adversary sends a disruptive signal to interfere with communication channels, making it difficult for a receiver to decode the intended message. While this threat is not normally a concern for commercial 5G users, it is a major risk in military settings, where communication must be maintained even in hostile environments.&nbsp;</p> <p>The research team focused on developing anti-jamming strategies to ensure military communications networks could withstand such attacks. Hossain likened this issue to bad actors compromising a secure office building (say, a headquarters) by infiltrating a less-protected satellite office. In military applications, particularly those involving unmanned vehicles or robots, compromising such resource-constrained devices could result in the loss of critical information at headquarters or even control over sensitive devices.&nbsp;</p> <p>As the military continues to integrate emerging technologies like 5G into its operations, safeguarding these networks from adversarial threats becomes increasingly important. The collaboration between George Mason, UMD, and ARL demonstrates the critical role academic research plays in fortifying national security.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>At MILCOM, the team’s work will be shared with a wider audience of defense and communication experts, contributing to the ongoing efforts to secure military networks in a connected world.&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/mhossa5" hreflang="en">Moinul Hossain</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="1a154871-f5c2-4501-86c6-16ce1467a03f"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="/admissions-aid"> <p class="cta__title">Join the Mason Nation <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </p> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="88487679-fe1c-4fb6-9b1c-59f8eac9f66b" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:news_list" data-inline-block-uuid="b3aeb559-1b0c-466d-9ba4-13eff06f721e" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocknews-list"> <h2>Related News</h2> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-news view-id-news view-display-id-block_1 js-view-dom-id-5f428afef810e259fcfa6602becb60d1a59cfb81ea8bd480e860eab9dbe770c4"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="news-list-wrapper"> <ul class="news-list"> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-08/george-mason-prepares-launch-new-phd-cybersecurity" hreflang="en">George Mason prepares to launch new PhD in Cybersecurity</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">August 17, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2026-05/chaos-theory-finds-its-voice" hreflang="en">Chaos theory finds its voice</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">May 19, 2026</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2025-10/one-woman-team-puts-many-eyes-skies" hreflang="en">A one-woman team puts many eyes in the skies </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">October 1, 2025</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2025-03/cyber-sweep-george-mason-students-take-top-three-spots-national-transportation" hreflang="en">Cyber sweep: George Mason students take top three spots in national transportation cybersecurity competition </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">March 27, 2025</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2025-03/nearly-500-high-schoolers-get-expert-advice-virginia-cyberslam-2025" hreflang="en">Nearly 500 high schoolers get expert advice at Virginia CyberSlam 2025 </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">March 17, 2025</div></div></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6886" hreflang="en">Department of Cyber Security Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/7181" hreflang="en">Department of Cyber Security Engineering faculty</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8241" hreflang="en">5G/6G Wireless Communications</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/5481" hreflang="en">U.S. Army</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/271" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/20206" hreflang="en">Defense and Security</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/17356" hreflang="en">Strategic Direction</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 21 Oct 2024 19:01:12 +0000 tdonnel 114341 at Zhuangdi Zhu /profiles/zzhu24 <span>Zhuangdi Zhu</span> <span><span>Tama Moni</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-03-11T13:23:41-04:00" title="Monday, March 11, 2024 - 13:23">Mon, 03/11/2024 - 13:23</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_headshot" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-headshot"> <div class="field field--name-field-headshot field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2024-03/Zhuangdi-Zhu-profile-1x1.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Mason Assistant Professor Zhuangdi Zhu"> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_org_positions" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-org-positions"> <div class="field field--name-field-org-positions field--type-text-long field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Titles and Organizations</div> <div class="field__item"><p>Assistant Professor, Department of Cyber Security Engineering</p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_contact_information" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-contact-information"> <h2>Contact Information</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-contact-information field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Campus: </strong>Fairfax<br><strong>Building:</strong> Research Hall, room 343<br><strong>Email:</strong> <a href="mailto:zzhu24@gmu.edu" title="Zhuangdi Zhu email">zzhu24@gmu.edu</a></p> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_personal_websites" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-personal-websites"> <h2>Personal Websites</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-personal-websites field--type-link field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field field--name-field-personal-websites field--type-link field--label-hidden field__item"><a href="https://zhuangdizhu.github.io/">Zhuangdi Zhu</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_bio" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-bio"> <h2>Biography</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-bio field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Assistant Professor Zhuangdi Zhu obtained her PhD from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Michigan State University in 2022, advised by <a href="https://jiayuzhou.github.io/">Jiayu Zhou</a>. She was a Senior Data and Applied Scientist at Microsoft in 2022-2023. Her research interest resides in both applied and fundamental Machine Learning. Her long-term research goal is to develop accountable AI systems with robustness, privacy, scalability, security, and ethics in holistic Machine Learning life cycles. She has been developing principled algorithms that facilitate Knowledge Transfer across heterogeneous domains. Her recent research largely involves Federated Learning and Reinforcement Learning. More details can be found on <a href="https://zhuangdizhu.github.io/" title="Dr. Zhu's personal website">her website.</a></p> <h3>Degrees:</h3> <p><strong>PhD, Computer Science, </strong>Michigan State University</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 11 Mar 2024 17:23:41 +0000 Tama Moni 115906 at Vijay Shah joins $2M NTIA-funded project on 5G cybersecurity /news/2024-02/vijay-shah-joins-2m-ntia-funded-project-5g-cybersecurity <span>Vijay Shah joins $2M NTIA-funded project on 5G cybersecurity</span> <span><span>tdonnel</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-02-08T16:06:24-05:00" title="Thursday, February 8, 2024 - 16:06">Thu, 02/08/2024 - 16:06</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span class="intro-text">91 researcher <a href="/profiles/vshah22" target="_blank">Vijay Shah</a> has joined a $2 million project to develop a system to secure 5G Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) architecture.</span></p> <p><span><span>Funded by the <a href="https://www.ntia.gov/press-release/2024/biden-harris-administration-awards-nearly-80m-wireless-innovation" target="_blank">National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)</a>, the project "A Holistic Cybersecurity Testing Framework for 5G Radio Access Networks" is a collaboration with Virginia Tech, Penn State University, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.</span></span></p> <p><span><span>Shah, who leads <a href="https://www.nextgwirelesslab.org/" target="_blank">Mason’s NextG Wireless Lab</a>, will be allocated nearly a quarter of the project’s budget and be working with Nishith Tripathi and Jeff Reed from Virginia Tech,&nbsp;Syed Rafiul Hussain from Penn State University, and Bo Tang from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.</span></span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2024-02/vijay_shah_insta.png?itok=kOKW2NdD" width="350" height="350" alt="Vijay Shah"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Vijay Shah</figcaption> </figure> <p lang="EN-US">Security vulnerabilities in O-RAN present a critical cybersecurity challenge in the era of 5G. The team aims to create “a holistic and automated cybersecurity testing framework for O-RAN,” per the project’s executive summary. &nbsp;</p> <p lang="EN-US">Shah will also receive&nbsp;funding from the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) to investigate fingerprinting technology for 5G/NextG O-RAN supply chain risk management, additional funding that highlights the multifaceted approach taken by the NextG Wireless Lab to address 5G networks cybersecurity challenges.&nbsp;</p> <p lang="EN-US">As part of these initiatives, the NextG Wireless Lab is actively growing its research team, with opportunities for postdoctoral researchers and PhD students interested in O-RAN cybersecurity, testing, and supply chain management.</p> <p lang="EN-US">Those interested in contributing to cutting-edge research in this field should <a href="mailto:vshah22@gmu.edu" target="_blank">email Shah</a>.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6886" hreflang="en">Department of Cyber Security Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/7181" hreflang="en">Department of Cyber Security Engineering faculty</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/4186" hreflang="en">Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI)</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/8241" hreflang="en">5G/6G Wireless Communications</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3056" hreflang="en">Cybersecurity</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3776" hreflang="en">cyber infrastructure</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/271" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/19211" hreflang="en">WCC</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 08 Feb 2024 21:06:24 +0000 tdonnel 110681 at Anomadarshi Barua /profiles/abarua8 <span>Anomadarshi Barua</span> <span><span>Tama Moni</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-08-03T16:18:16-04:00" title="Thursday, August 3, 2023 - 16:18">Thu, 08/03/2023 - 16:18</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_headshot" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-headshot"> <div class="field field--name-field-headshot field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2026-04/Anomadarshi-Barua-profile-500x-new.png" width="500" height="500" alt="South Asian man in a dark blazer and light blue shirt against a neutral background"> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_org_positions" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-org-positions"> <div class="field field--name-field-org-positions field--type-text-long field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Titles and Organizations</div> <div class="field__item"><p>Assistant Professor, Department of Cyber Security Engineering</p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_contact_information" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-contact-information"> <h2>Contact Information</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-contact-information field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Building:</strong> Research Hall, Room 347<br><strong>Email:</strong> <a href="mailto:abarua8@gmu.edu" title="Anomadarshi Barua email">abarua8@gmu.edu</a><br><strong>Phone:</strong> <a href="tel:703-993-6760" title="Phone number">703-993-6760</a></p> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_personal_websites" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-personal-websites"> <h2>Personal Websites</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-personal-websites field--type-link field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field field--name-field-personal-websites field--type-link field--label-hidden field__item"><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/anomadarshibarua/home">Anomadarshi Barua Website</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_bio" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-bio"> <h2>Biography</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-bio field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Anomadarshi Barua is an assistant professor in the Department of Cyber Security Engineering at 91. His&nbsp;research interest broadly lies in the areas of system design and its security, particularly focusing on healthcare assistive systems, industrial control systems, sensors, and robotics. He leads the System Design and Security research group, which focuses on designing and improving the security of multimodal systems using secured software/hardware implementations of multimodal data. He uses audio, visual, pressure, vibration, mmWave, and electromagnetic data from multimodal systems and provides targeted solutions by combining data, sensors, and systems together.&nbsp; He publishes in top-tier security conferences like ACM CCS, USENIX, ACSAC, RAID, and CHES and system conferences, like HOST, ICCPS, and ICCAD. He also has worked in several industries in North America and Europe, such as Intel Corporation (USA), Solidigm (USA), Nordic Semiconductor (Norway), and IDEAS (Norway).</p> <h3>Degrees</h3> <ul> <li><strong>PhD, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science,</strong> University of California, Irvine</li> <li><strong>MS, Embedded Computing Systems,</strong> University of Southampton and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology</li> <li><strong>BS, Electrical and Electronic Engineering,</strong> Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 03 Aug 2023 20:18:16 +0000 Tama Moni 345856 at Tanvir Arafin /profiles/marafin <span>Tanvir Arafin</span> <span><span>Tama Moni</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-02-14T11:36:51-05:00" title="Tuesday, February 14, 2023 - 11:36">Tue, 02/14/2023 - 11:36</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_headshot" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-headshot"> <div class="field field--name-field-headshot field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-09/Tanvir-Arafin-1x1-profile.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Mason Cyber Security Engineering assistant professor Tanvir Arafin"> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_org_positions" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-org-positions"> <div class="field field--name-field-org-positions field--type-text-long field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Titles and Organizations</div> <div class="field__item"><p>Assistant Professor, Department of Cyber Security Engineering</p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_contact_information" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-contact-information"> <h2>Contact Information</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-contact-information field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Email:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="mailto:marafin@gmu.edu" title="Tanvir Arafin email">marafin@gmu.edu</a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_bio" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-bio"> <h2>Biography</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-bio field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p><span><span>Tanvir Arafin's work focuses on hardware security and trust issues in emerging computing platforms. His work has been published at flagship venues in hardware design and security, such as IEEE Transactions on Very Large Scale Integration Systems, IEEE Transaction of Computers, ACM International Conference on Computer-Aided Design, and Asia and South Pacific Design Automation Conference.</span></span></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> Tue, 14 Feb 2023 16:36:51 +0000 Tama Moni 116371 at Moinul Hossain /profiles/mhossa5 <span>Moinul Hossain</span> <span><span>Tama Moni</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-08-11T10:49:05-04:00" title="Thursday, August 11, 2022 - 10:49">Thu, 08/11/2022 - 10:49</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_headshot" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-headshot"> <div class="field field--name-field-headshot field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-09/Moinul-Hossain-1x1-profile.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="CYSE assistant professor Moinul Hossain"> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_org_positions" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-org-positions"> <div class="field field--name-field-org-positions field--type-text-long field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Titles and Organizations</div> <div class="field__item"><p>Assistant Professor, Department of Cyber Security Engineering</p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_contact_information" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-contact-information"> <h2>Contact Information</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-contact-information field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Campus</strong>:&nbsp;Fairfax<br><br> <strong>Building</strong>:&nbsp;Research Hall, Room 326A<br><br> <strong>Mail Stop</strong>:&nbsp;6B1<br><br> <strong>Email</strong>:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mhossa5@gmu.edu" target="_blank" title="Moinul Hossain email">mhossa5@gmu.edu</a><br><br> <strong>Phone</strong>:&nbsp;703-993-6760</p> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_personal_websites" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-personal-websites"> <h2>Personal Websites</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-personal-websites field--type-link field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field field--name-field-personal-websites field--type-link field--label-hidden field__item"><a href="https://sites.google.com/view/moinul-hossain/home?authuser=0">Professional Website</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_bio" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-bio"> <h2>Biography</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-bio field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p><span><span><span><strong>Dr. Hossain</strong> is an&nbsp;Assistant&nbsp;Professor in the </span><a href="https://cybersecurity.gmu.edu/" target="_blank"><span><span><span>Department of Cyber Security Engineering</span></span></span></a><span> at </span><a href="/" target="_blank"><span><span><span>91</span></span></span></a><span>. Before joining George Mason, he was an Assistant Professor in the Department of&nbsp;Computer and Information Sciences&nbsp;at&nbsp;Towson University, Maryland. His current research interests include but are not limited to, security assessment of wireless network protocols, threat modeling&nbsp;and counter-mechanism design, cross-technology spectrum sharing, dynamic spectrum access, and&nbsp;vehicle-to-vehicle communications.</span></span></span></p> <h3>Degrees</h3> <ul> <li><strong>PhD, Electrical Engineering, </strong>University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2020)</li> <li><strong>BSc, Electronics and Communications Engineering</strong>, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (2011)&nbsp;<br><br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 11 Aug 2022 14:49:05 +0000 Tama Moni 95071 at Mingkui Wei /profiles/mwei2 <span>Mingkui Wei</span> <span><span>Martha Bushong</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-04-07T13:40:46-04:00" title="Wednesday, April 7, 2021 - 13:40">Wed, 04/07/2021 - 13:40</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_headshot" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-headshot"> <div class="field field--name-field-headshot field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-09/Mingkui-Wei-1x1-profile.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="GMU associate professor Mingkui Wei profile"> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_org_positions" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-org-positions"> <div class="field field--name-field-org-positions field--type-text-long field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Titles and Organizations</div> <div class="field__item"><p>Associate Professor, Department of Cyber Security Engineering</p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_contact_information" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-contact-information"> <h2>Contact Information</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-contact-information field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Phone:</strong> 703-993-1861<br><br> <strong>Campus:</strong> Fairfax<br><br> <strong>Building:</strong> Research Hall, Room 340<br><br> <strong>Mail Stop:</strong> 6B1<br><br> <strong>Email:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mwei2@gmu.edu" title="Mingkui Wei email">mwei2@gmu.edu</a></p> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_personal_websites" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-personal-websites"> <h2>Personal Websites</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-personal-websites field--type-link field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field field--name-field-personal-websites field--type-link field--label-hidden field__item"><a href="https://mason.gmu.edu/~mwei2/">Professional Webpage</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_bio" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-bio"> <h2>Biography</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-bio field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p class="Normal1"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Mingkui Wei is an associate professor in the Department of Cyber Security Engineering. His current research interests focus on network security, especially on the application layer. He takes approaches including mathematical modeling and analysis, simulation and experiment, and machine learning, to identify and address security threats on the Internet. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="Normal1"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>His research results have been published in top-tier venues including IEEE INFOCOM, Usenix Security, and ACM CCS. He was a faculty in Computer Science at Sam Houston State University before joining Mason in 2021. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <h3><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Degrees</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h3> <ul> <li><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><strong>PhD,</strong> <strong>Computing Engineering,</strong> North Carolina State University, 2016</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li> <li><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><strong>MS,</strong> <strong>Information Systems,</strong> Southeast University (China), 2008</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 07 Apr 2021 17:40:46 +0000 Martha Bushong 51106 at Mohamed Gebril /profiles/mgebril <span>Mohamed Gebril</span> <span><span>Martha Bushong</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-09-08T08:19:49-04:00" title="Tuesday, September 8, 2020 - 08:19">Tue, 09/08/2020 - 08:19</time> </span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_headshot" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-headshot"> <div class="field field--name-field-headshot field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2024-03/Mohamed-Gebril-profile-1x1.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="CYSE Associate Professor Mohamed Gebril"> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_org_positions" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-org-positions"> <div class="field field--name-field-org-positions field--type-text-long field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Titles and Organizations</div> <div class="field__item"><p>Associate Professor, Department of Cyber Security Engineering</p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_contact_information" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-contact-information"> <h2>Contact Information</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-contact-information field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="profile-bio-section"><strong>Phone:</strong> 703-993-6509</div> <div class="profile-bio-section"><strong>Campus:</strong> Fairfax<br> <strong>Building: </strong>Research Hall 341</div> <div class="profile-bio-section"><strong>Mail Stop:</strong> MS 6B1<br> <strong>Email:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mgebril@gmu.edu" title="Mohamed Gebril email">mgebril@gmu.edu</a></div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="ed2a2492-9d30-4770-86c1-c8140a5dd4e4" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:news_list" data-inline-block-uuid="8c8bf02b-9ec6-4bb6-b37b-9e7d70e379b7" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocknews-list"> <h2>In the News</h2> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-news view-id-news view-display-id-block_1 js-view-dom-id-b117e1b58b13fe00b3f3b74648ddd1f721c6f6fd85940f0ad7296f089cbe585e"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="news-list-wrapper"> <ul class="news-list"> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2025-10/one-woman-team-puts-many-eyes-skies" hreflang="en">A one-woman team puts many eyes in the skies </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">October 1, 2025</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2025-08/cybersecurity-student-hopes-use-his-powers-good" hreflang="en">Cybersecurity student hopes to use his powers for good </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">August 29, 2025</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2022-05/mason-students-build-drones-part-commonwealth-cyber-initiative" hreflang="en">Mason students build drones as part of Commonwealth Cyber Initiative </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">June 1, 2022</div></div></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:profile:field_bio" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodeprofilefield-bio"> <h2>Biography</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-bio field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Mohamed Gebril&nbsp;is an associate&nbsp;professor in&nbsp;the Cyber Security Engineering department.&nbsp;He joined Mason after working as a primary patent examiner for the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). In his seven years&nbsp;at USPTO, he was involved in patent examination and prosecution areas in the data storage and networking fields, where he worked in intellectual property matters directed to computer security, enterprise network security and authentication, databases, data processing, and memory storage devices.</p> <p>Gebril completed his PhD in electrical engineering at North Carolina A&amp;T State University in 2011 in the area of big data indexing, machine learning, and AI applications. He received his MS&nbsp;in electrical engineering from North Carolina A&amp;T State University in May 2008 in the area of robotics navigation and optimization and completed his undergraduate studies in electrical engineering at Alexandria University, Egypt.</p> <div class="profile-bio-section"> <h3>Degrees</h3> <ul> <li><strong>PhD, Electrical Engineering, </strong> North Carolina A&amp;T State University</li> </ul> <h3><strong>Research Interests</strong></h3> <ul> <li>Threat Modeling</li> <li>Cyber-Physical Systems</li> <li>UAV security&nbsp;</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Tue, 08 Sep 2020 12:19:49 +0000 Martha Bushong 51116 at