Թϱ Faculty and Student’s Research Wins Prestigious Best Paper Award
A research paper co-authored by Թϱ University assistant professor Dr. Usman Rauf and graduate student Zhiyuan Wei has received the prestigious "Best Paper Award" from the Journal of Cybersecurity and Mobility.
“It was truly an honor to receive the Best Paper Award from one of the emerging cybersecurity journals,” said Dr. Rauf. “As someone from a teaching-intensive institution, this recognition is particularly meaningful, as such accolades are a rare and valued achievement in my academic journey.”
For Wei, who earned his graduate degree in Cybersecurity from Թϱ in 2023, the experience of working on the paper and being recognized for it was invaluable.
“I am proud to see our research recognized by the publisher, validating the hard work and collaboration that went into it,” said Wei. “It was truly an honor to be part of such a study. Contributing to this paper allowed me to deepen my technical expertise and motivated me to continue exploring innovative solutions in the field.”
Wei is thankful for the guidance and mentorship he received from Dr. Rauf. “His encouragement and expertise supported me during the whole paper writing process and deepened my passion for cybersecurity research on insider threat detection,” he added.
The recognition from the Journal of Cybersecurity and Mobility underscores the paper's significant contribution to the field, further cementing Թϱ University’s role in advancing cybersecurity research.
Titled “A Taxonomic Classification of Insider Threats: Existing Techniques, Future Directions & Recommendations," the paper provides a comprehensive Systematization of Knowledge (SoK)-based survey of insider threat detection methods. The research categorizes existing literature in the field and introduces a rigorous evaluation framework to assess the effectiveness of current detection techniques.
Additionally, the paper presents a proof-of-concept analysis, highlighting critical gaps in existing detection strategies. By identifying key shortcomings, the authors propose actionable solutions to enhance insider threat detection, offering valuable insights for future research and cybersecurity practices.
“Our contribution is one of a kind and provides standards for security communities and organizations to design and enhance defense capabilities against insider threats,” said Wei.