NYU Abu Dhabi Signs Memorandum of Understanding with the UAE Cyber Security Council to Advance Cybersecurity Education and Research
NYUAD and the UAE Cybersecurity Councill sign Memorandum of Understanding
News
NYU Abu Dhabi Scholars Named Google PhD Fellows for 2025
Among the six awardees from the MENA region, two are from NYU Abu Dhabi, underscoring the University’s growing global presence in data science and AI.
At the Forefront
UAE National Hoda Al Khzaimi is the first Emirati female appointed to direct the NYU Abu Dhabi Center for Cyber Security.
First Female Emirati Director appointed to NYU Abu Dhabi Center for Cyber Security
NYUAD has named UAE National Hoda Al Khzaimi the Director of the Center for Cyber Security.
Not Just a Technology Problem
From Facebook to global financial markets to nuclear power plants, modern life demands robust security from electronic information systems.
Feature Story: War on Hackers
In today’s interconnected world, anything and everything digital is at risk of being hacked, from your social media profile to your bank account, even critical communication systems on ships and aircraft can be compromised. And as new technologies develop, cyber-attackers adapt, becoming more sophisticated, persistent, and stealthy.
Latest Updates
2026
- Ozgur Sinanoglu Named IEEE Fellow, Class of 2026
Ozgur Sinanoglu, Director of the Center for Cyber Security, has been named an IEEE Fellow, Class of 2026. This prestigious recognition honors his pioneering contributions to design-for-trust and hardware security, marking a major milestone in his distinguished career. - CCS Researchers Recognized at Qualcomm University Platform Symposium 2026
Muhammad Shafique, Rachmad V. W. Putra, and Ali Noor were recognized at Qualcomm’s University Platform Symposium 2026 with the Exceptional Educational Project Demonstration Award. Their project, “Enabling Efficient Mobile-AI Application with Neural Network Optimization and Flexible Compute Engine Selection,” highlights innovative work in efficient, intelligent, and flexible Mobile-AI solutions, reflecting the Center for Cyber Security’s continued commitment to impactful research and education.
2025
- CCS Co-PI Muhammad Shafique Featured Author by IEEE
Shafique has been selected as a featured author by IEEE for Oct.2025 for his research, which unites AI, cybersecurity, and quantum technology for resilient, energy-efficient, and intelligent systems. - CCS Co-PI Muhammad Shafique awarded the 2025 AI 2000 Most Influential Scholar Award Honorable Mention in Chip Technology
- CCS Postdoctoral Researcher Helps Identify Security Risks in Lab-on-Chip Devices
Navajit Singh Baban, a postdoctoral researcher with the Center for Cyber Security, led a study with NYU CCS and NYU Abu Dhabi researchers identifying new security risks in flow-based microfluidic biochips. The team discovered “BioTrojans,” stealthy tampered microvalves that can compromise lab-on-chip devices used in diagnostics, DNA analysis, drug discovery, and biomedical research. The study also proposes countermeasures, including stronger valve designs and fluorescent dye-based authentication to detect tampering - PhD Student Minghao Shao Awarded Google PhD Fellowship 2025
Minghao Shao, a PhD student affiliated with the Center for Cyber Security, has been awarded the Google PhD Fellowship 2025 in the “Privacy, Safety, and Security” research domain. His research focuses on agentic systems, autonomous workflows, and intelligent automation to support more effective, secure, and trustworthy AI applications. The recognition highlights his outstanding research contributions and reflects the Center’s continued commitment to advancing cybersecurity and AI research. - Center for Cyber Security Participates in World Police Summit
The Center for Cyber Security at NYU Abu Dhabi sponsored and actively participated in the World Police Summit, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from May 13–15. The Center led a full-day workshop on technology, crime, and global security, bringing together experts from law enforcement, industry, and academia. At its booth, the Center also showcased cutting-edge cybersecurity research and initiatives addressing regional and global security challenges, fostering valuable dialogue and future collaboration. - CSAW’25 MENA Celebrates Cybersecurity Talent at NYU Abu Dhabi
The Center for Cyber Security at NYU Abu Dhabi hosted its annual CSAW’25 MENA event, bringing together student competitors, innovators, industry leaders, and academic partners to celebrate cybersecurity talent across the region. The program featured a keynote by H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government, as well as a panel discussion on cybersecurity careers in the UAE, a career fair, and competitions including CTF, Hack My Robot, Applied Research, BioHack 3D, and LLM CTF. The event highlighted emerging talent, regional collaboration, and the future of cybersecurity innovation in MENA.
In the News
NYU Abu Dhabi engineering research and faculty are frequently featured in local and international media.
Fall 2025 Amazon Research Awards recipients announced
CCS Co-PI Muhammad Shafique received the highly competitive Amazon Research Award for his project, selected under the AWS Agentic AI category: AVAAS – Automated Vulnerability Analysis Through Advanced Agentic Systems
Amazon Science | May 27, 2026
Chatbots Feel Intimate. Their Data Trails Aren’t
Interview with Christina Pöpper on LLM Privacy with Wired ME, the Middle East edition of Wired.
Wired ME | February 16, 2026
Beware the BioTrojans
ASME featured research led by Navajit Singh Baban, a postdoctoral associate at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Center for Cybersecurity, on “BioTrojans” — stealthy material-level attacks on flow-based microfluidic biochips. The study shows how tampered microvalves can appear normal but fail under stress, posing risks to diagnostics, healthcare, defense, and biomedical research. The team proposed safeguards including fluorescent dye watermarks, machine learning-based authentication, and more resilient chip designs.
ASME | March 25, 2025
BioTrojans: Viscoelastic Microvalve-Based Attacks in Flow-Based Microfluidic Biochips and Their Countermeasures
Elveflow featured research led by Navajit Singh Baban, a postdoctoral researcher at NYU Abu Dhabi’s Center for Cyber Security, on “BioTrojans” — material-level attacks targeting PDMS microvalves in flow-based microfluidic biochips. The study shows how chemically tampered microvalves can evade standard checks but rupture under repeated actuation, posing risks to biomedical research and diagnostics. The work also proposes countermeasures, including stress-reducing design improvements and fluorescence-based authentication to help detect compromised components before deployment.
Elveflow | October 8, 2024
Securing the Future: The Impact of Full Duplex ISAC in the 6G Era
HackerNoon featured research by CCS researchers Ahmad Bazzi and Marwa Chafii on secure full-duplex Integrated Sensing and Communications, a key technology for future 6G systems. Their work explores how next-generation networks can simultaneously communicate, sense potential eavesdroppers, and protect data through secure beamforming and artificial-noise techniques, highlighting the importance of privacy, safety, and security in future wireless communications.
HackerNoon | April 29, 2024
Why Seeing Must Be Believing – AI, Computational Imaging and the Battle Against Deepfakes
More than perhaps any other time in history, people are asking: “what is true?”
Transmitter | September 27, 2021
UAE women's rights champion finding a formula for gender equality in the sciences
Hoda Al Khzaimi is aiming to empower women in science by assisting them with scholarships, resources, funding and a support network.
The National | June 28, 2018
UAE bucks global trend as women lead the way in science studies
More women in the UAE and the rest of the Middle East are enrolling in science and technology subjects than in many countries.
The National | June 28, 2018
Why we need more women in cybersecurity
Women continue to be underrepresented in the cybersecurity workforce, which leads to missed opportunities for today’s organisations to acquire the best information security talents. But what is holding the security industry back from attracting more women in the field?
Tahawul Tech | April 03, 2018
My UAE: Fighting off Threats with NYUAD Cyber Security Director Hoda Al Khzaimi
New York University Abu Dhabi’s new director of cyber security is as concerned about preserving the environment as implementing safe online practices.
The National | April 26, 2017