Projects per year
Personal profile
Achievements
Professor Sezer is the Director of Research and the Head of the Networked System Security at the Centre for Secure Information Technology (CSIT). He is a world-renowned authority in high-performance network processing and Internet security technologies. His research is leading major advances in the field of high-performance content and security processing, spanning cybersecurity related topics in malware, embedded systems, IoT, ICS and network security, in collaboration with leading corporations in the US and UK. Professor Sezer is also co-founder and CTO of Titan IC Systems Ltd, and is a member of various research and executive committees.
Research Statement
Research targets various aspects of information and network security technologies. The main focus has been the acceleration of network security related functions by exploring novel hardware based parallel processing architectures, System on Chip (SoC), NPU/NFP (Netronome) and programmable technologies, including MPSoC and FPGA. Most of my research projects are funded by a number of research funding bodies including EPSRC, ESRC, FP7, Innovate UK, InvestNI, and Industry. The broader topic of active research projects include:
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High-performance parallel network traffic and content analysis circuits and processing architectures
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Mobile security, Android malware analysis and detection methods based on static analysis and machine learning algorithms
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Industrial Control and Critical Infrastructure protection (protection of networked ICS / SCADA Security, SCADA specific IDS/IPS)
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Software Defined Networking and Virtual Network Function (SDN/VNF) security
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Cloud security surrounding the security of cloud client applications, virtual security appliances and the security of cloud infrastructures
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Host based and Cloud based malware analysis and real-time threat detection and mitigation technologies (Ransomware, Bots, APT)
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Network based detection of Advanced Persistent Threats (APT)
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Real-time detection, mitigation/prevention technologies for various forms of cyberattacks, including Application Layer DDoS attacks, intrusion-based attacks, SQL injection, etc..
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IoT device security and IoT security policy monitoring and enforcement technologies.
Research output in high-performance network security processing led to the development of the world's fastest content (RegEx) processor for inspecting Internet traffic at 100Gbit/s. Research output, competencies and know-how in IP packet and flow classification led to multimillion dollar research contracts with industry and the transfer of technology. International research collaboration with ETRI and Hanyang University in Korea led to numerous key research outputs in malware detection and produced new cybersecurity technology tailored for highly virtualised Cloud Computing Services. Underpinning innovations in IP traffic feature extraction and classification combined with highly optimised machine learning algorithms are core research skills and capabilities defining the research output and research projects.
Research Interests
- Information and Network Security
- Cloud and Virtualisation security
- Industrial Control and SCADA Security
- Host and Mobile Malware Analysis
- Network Function Virtualisation (NFV) and Software Defined Networking (SDN) Security
- Android Malware Analysis Security
- Network processing architecture
- Memory architectures for network processing
- System on Chip Architecture
- Entrepreneurship, Innovation – Start Up and Technology Transfer
Teaching
- MSc Digital System Design, 320ELE852 - (Full Module 2 Semesters)
- MSc Systems and Computer Security, CSC7001- (Full Module 2 Semesters)
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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R6656ECS: X-by-Construction Design framework for Engineering Autonomous & Distributed Real-time Embedded Software Systems’ — ‘XANDAR
Sezer, S. (PI), Garousi, V. (CoI) & McLaughlin, K. (CoI)
02/12/2020 → …
Project: Research
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R3924ECI: CSIT Phase 2
O'Neill, M. (PI), Martinez-del-Rincon, J. (CoI), McCanny, J. V. (CoI), McLaughlin, K. (CoI), Miller, P. (CoI), O'Kane, P. (CoI), O'Sullivan, E. (CoI), Rafferty, C. (CoI), Scott-Hayward, S. (CoI), Sezer, S. (CoI) & Zhou, H. (CoI)
03/05/2017 → …
Project: Research
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R1518ECI: CSIT 2 - EPSRC / TSB
O'Neill, M. (PI), Bustard, J. (CoI), Cao, X. (CoI), Farshim, P. (CoI), Kurugollu, F. (CoI), Liu, W. (CoI), McCanny, J. V. (CoI), McLaughlin, K. (CoI), Miller, P. (CoI), O'Kane, P. (CoI), O'Sullivan, E. (CoI) & Sezer, S. (CoI)
23/03/2015 → …
Project: Research
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R2179PAI: Leverhulme Interdisciplinary Network on Cybersecurity and Society (LINCS)
McCall, C. (PI), Archard, D. (CoI), Bourne, M. (CoI), Crookes, D. (CoI), Dickson, B. (CoI), Donnan, H. (CoI), Kurugollu, F. (CoI), Lisle, D. (CoI), Liu, W. (CoI), MacCarthaigh, M. (CoI), McCanny, J. V. (CoI), McLaughlin, K. (CoI), Miller, P. (CoI), Morison, J. (CoI), O'Neill, M. (CoI), Sezer, S. (CoI) & Walker, T. (CoI)
18/12/2014 → …
Project: Research
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Microarchitecture design and benchmarking of custom SHA-3 instruction for RISC-V
Bolat, A., Sezer, S., McLaughlin, K. & Hui, H., 23 May 2025, (Accepted) 2025 IEEE Computer Society Annual Symposium on VLSI (ISVLSI): Proceedings. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., (IEEE Computer Society Annual Symposium on VLSI (ISVLSI): Proceedings).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution
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A comparative analysis of security patterns for enhanced security in safety-critical systems
Yengec-Tasdemir, S. B., Siddiqui, F., Sezer, S., Hui, H., McLaughlin, K. & Sonigara, B., 22 Sept 2023, Proceedings of the IEEE 36th International System-on-Chip Conference, SOCC 2023. Becker, J., Marshall, A., Harbaum, T., Ganguly, A., Siddiqui, F. & McLaughlin, K. (eds.). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 6 p. (IEEE International SOC Conference: Proceedings).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)123 Downloads (Pure) -
An investigation of machine learning algorithms for high-bandwidth SQL injection detection utilising BlueField-3 DPU technology
Tasdemir, K., Khan, R., Siddiqui, F., Sezer, S., Kurugollu, F. & Bolat, A., 22 Sept 2023, 2023 36th IEEE International System-on-Chip Conference: proceedings. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 6 p. (IEEE International System-on-Chip Conference (SOCC): proceedings).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution
2 Citations (Scopus) -
A runtime security monitoring architecture for embedded hypervisors
Hui, H., McLaughlin, K., Siddiqui, F., Sezer, S., Yengec Tasdemir, S. & Sonigara, B., 22 Sept 2023, Proceedings of the IEEE 36th International System-on-Chip Conference, SOCC 2023. Becker, J., Marshall, A., Harbaum, T., Ganguly, A., Siddiqui, F. & McLaughlin, K. (eds.). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 6 p. (IEEE International SOC Conference: Proceedings).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)153 Downloads (Pure) -
Cybersecurity engineering: bridging the security gaps in advanced automotive systems and ISO/SAE 21434
Siddiqui, F., Khan, R., Yengec Tasdemir, S., Hui, H., Sonigara, B., Sezer, S. & McLaughlin, K., 14 Aug 2023, 97th IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC2023-Spring). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., ( IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC): Proceedings).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution
Open AccessFile9 Citations (Scopus)262 Downloads (Pure)
Datasets
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Dynamic Opcode Traces of Malware and Benignware
Carlin, D. (Creator), O'Kane, P. (Supervisor) & Sezer, S. (Supervisor), Queen's University Belfast, 07 Nov 2017
Dataset
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Dynamic opcode runtraces of ransomware
Carlin, D. (Creator), O'Kane, P. (Supervisor) & Sezer, S. (Creator), Queen's University Belfast, 11 Jun 2018
DOI: 10.17034/db1ca48a-cb3f-4cb0-b740-4b9aa7bf3692
Dataset
Prizes
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2017 IET Information Security Premium Award
Sezer, S. (Recipient) & Yerima, S. (Recipient), 2017
Prize: Other distinction
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Best Paper Award (Joint)
Carlin, D. (Recipient), O'Kane, P. (Recipient) & Sezer, S. (Recipient), 03 May 2018
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Intertrade Ireland Seedcorn Award
Sezer, S. (Recipient), 2007
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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Public Sector Cyber Security Northern Ireland
Sezer, S. (Advisor)
29 Mar 2018Activity: Talk or presentation types › Public lecture/debate/seminar
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CNI Cybersecurity Challenges: UK Academic Research Landscape
Sezer, S. (Advisor)
20 Mar 2018Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited or keynote talk at national or international conference
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IoT SECURITY - Threats, Security Challenges and IoT Security Research and Technology Trends
Sezer, S. (Advisor)
06 Sept 2017Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited or keynote talk at national or international conference
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Emerging IoT SECURITY Challenges
Sezer, S. (Advisor)
23 Mar 2017Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
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Titan IC - A QUB start-up with the mission to redefine security technologies in Silicon Valley
Sezer, S. (Advisor)
15 Mar 2017Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk