A focus on cyber security and privacy-preserving technologies.
Macquarie University is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Dali Kaafar as Scientific Director of the Optus Macquarie University Cyber Security Hub.
Prof Kaafar will move from CSIRO Data61 on 3 October 2017.
“It is a pleasure to appoint Prof Kaafar who is regarded worldwide as one of the leaders in cyber security, in particular regarding data privacy issues,” says Dr Christophe Doche, Executive Director of the Cyber Security Hub.
“Privacy is a fascinating and important research area as it cuts across fields of information technology, business, law, criminology, psychology, and ethics,” he says. “This research topic is thus very well aligned with the philosophy of the Cyber Security Hub, which is to tackle cyber security issues with an interdisciplinary mindset. Privacy-preserving technologies are key to enable collaboration amongst organisations and to foster private and confidential data-sharing for wider and more powerful cyber security approaches.”
“This appointment is also an exciting opportunity to strengthen and develop the links between Macquarie University and Data61.”
John Paitaridis, Optus Business Managing Director says: “Collaboration between industry and academia is imperative in tackling the growing threat of cybercrime – and the Optus Macquarie University Cyber Hub is an unparalleled example. The addition of one of Australia’s pre-eminent cyber security experts, Professor Kaafar brings the industry experience and expertise that is necessary to help Australian enterprises and government agencies navigate the complex cyber landscape.“
The Optus Macquarie University Cyber Security Hub was established in 2016. It draws on the expertise of more than 30 researchers in the fields of computing, business, criminology, law and psychology.
The Cyber Security Hub promotes several research themes including: secure systems and software; risk management and modelling; privacy; cyber analytics; law, cybercrime and forensics; and human behaviour.
Actual research projects focus on the design of the next generation of eVoting systems, cyber risk modelling, differential privacy guarantees or identifying the profile of potential victims of cybercrime.
Prof Kaafar succeeds Prof Michael Johnson who returns to his substantive position of Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at Macquarie University.
Prof Kaafar was previously Senior Principal Researcher and the leader of the Networks Group at CSIRO Data61 spearheading research in privacy-enhancing technologies and privacy-preserving data sharing, as well as next generation authentication systems, networks security and networks measurement and modelling.