Contributors - Binding Hook

Rodney Adriko

PhD Researcher in Cybersecurity, School of Computing and the Institute of Cyber Security for Society (iCSS), University of Kent

Rodney Adriko is a PhD Researcher in Cybersecurity in the School of Computing and the Institute of Cyber Security for Society (iCSS) at the University of Kent, UK. He is also a seasoned Technology Risk consulting, and Cybersecurity and Privacy professional with over nine years’ experience and core competences in internal and external information or cybersecurity assessments, IT risk reviews and assessments, cybersecurity maturity assessments, IT Governance reviews, IT internal controls advisory and IT Third Party Risk Management.

Kye Allen

Doctoral researcher in International Relations at the University of Oxford

Kye J. Allen is a doctoral researcher in International Relations at the University of Oxford and a member of the Extremism and Gaming Research Network specialising in the history of twentieth-century Anglo-American fascism and the study of contemporary forms of far-right extremism and conspiratorial theorising.

Nate Allen

Associate Professor of Security Studies, Africa Center for Strategic Studies; Research Fellow, South Africa’s Stellenbosch University

Dr. Nate Allen is Associate Professor of Security Studies at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies and a Research Fellow at South Africa’s Stellenbosch University. He conducts research and oversees the Africa Center’s programming for senior government and security sector officials on cyber policy and strategy. Dr. Allen’s work has appeared in a wide range of leading policy and peer-reviewed publications, including The Journal of Strategic Studies, Armed Forces and Society, The Washington Quarterly, Orbis, War on the Rocks, The Washington Post, and Foreign Affairs. Previously, Dr. Allen was a policy advisor at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) Task Force on Extremism in Fragile States. He has also worked at the U.S. State Department, House of Representatives, and as a research analyst at NORC at the University of Chicago. Dr. Allen holds a Ph.D. in African studies from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, an M.A. from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs, and a B.A. from Swarthmore College. He is a Term Member with the Council on Foreign Relations.

Sara Ann Brackett

Assistant Director, Atlantic Council Cyber Statecraft Initiative

Sara Ann Brackett is an assistant director with the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative. Sara Ann focuses on open-source software security, cloud computing, software bills of materials, software liability, and software supply-chain risk management within the Cyber Statecraft Initiative’s Systems Security research portfolio.

An Anonymous European Intelligence Official

Siena Anstis

PhD Fellow in Law, University of Oslo; Senior Legal Advisor, Citizen Lab

Siena Anstis is a PhD Fellow in Law at the University of Oslo and a senior legal advisor with the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy (University of Toronto). Previously, she worked as a litigation associate at Morrison & Foerster in New York City and clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada. She holds a law degree from McGill University and an LLM from the University of Cambridge. Her current research focuses on the regulation of transnational repression under international law.

Neil Ashdown

Head of Research, Tyburn St Raphael

Neil is the Head of Research at Tyburn St Raphael, a security consultancy. He has a PhD in cyber security from Royal Holloway University of London. Neil previously worked as an analyst for Jane's, the open-source defence intelligence specialists, including as the deputy editor of Jane's Intelligence Review from 2014 to 2019. He is a member of the UK Offensive Cyber Working Group.

Debi Ashenden

Professor of Cyber Security, University of New South Wales (UNSW)

Professor Debi Ashenden is a professor of cyber security at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Debi is also a director of the Institute for Cyber Security at the University of New South Wales. She previously held the DST Group-University of Adelaide Joint Chair in Cyber Security. In addition, she is a visiting professor at Royal Holloway, University of London in the UK. Debi’s research interests are in interdisciplinary approaches to solving complex cyber security problems – particularly in finding ways of ‘patching with people’ as well as technology. She is currently researching how to fuse behavioural science with cyber deception, the security implications of MLOps, and the socio-technical aspects of designing complex military systems. Debi was previously head of the Centre for Cyber Security at Cranfield University at the Defence Academy of the UK and was a member of the UK MOD’s Defence Science Expert Committee. She has worked extensively across the public and private sector for organisations such as UK MOD, GCHQ, Cabinet Office, Home Office, Euroclear, Prudential, Barclaycard, Reuters, and Close Bros. She has had a number of articles on cyber security published, presented at a range of conferences and co-authored a book for Butterworth Heinemann, ‘Risk Management for Computer Security: Protecting Your Network & Information Assets’.

Simona Autolitano

International Relations Officer, German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI)

Simona Autolitano is an international relations officer at the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) in Bonn, Germany. Her responsibilities focus on EU cybersecurity policy and managing relationships with EU bodies. She has published and co-authored several articles and book chapters on European cybersecurity policy.

Gil Baram

Senior Lecturer, Bar Ilan University; Non-resident Research Scholar, University of California, Berkeley

Dr. Gil Baram is a cyber strategy and policy expert with more than 15 years of experience leading innovative research, lecturing and consulting senior business leaders and government officials. Currently she is a Senior Lecturer at Bar Ilan University and Non-resident Research Scholar, Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity and Berkeley Risk and Security Lab, University of California, Berkeley. Her research interests encompass various aspects of emerging technologies, security and society. Her most recent project dives into the connections between AI and cybercrime, and how AI is affecting cyber threats and techniques.

James Barr

PhD researcher, Centre for Doctoral Training in Cyber Security, Royal Holloway, University of London

James Barr is a PhD researcher at the Centre for Doctoral Training in Cyber Security at Royal Holloway, University of London. James’ research explores the appropriation of digital technologies by autonomous communities in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Eugenio Benincasa

Senior Cyberdefense Researcher, Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich

Eugenio Benincasa is a Senior Cyberdefense Researcher at the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich. Before joining CSS, he worked as a Threat Analyst at the Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers in Rome, a Research Fellow at the Pacific Forum in Honolulu, and a Crime Analyst at the New York City Police Department (NYPD).

Dan Black

Senior Research Associate at ECCRI; Manager of Cyber Espionage Analysis at Google Cloud's Mandiant

Dan Black is a Senior Research Associate at ECCRI, a cyber threat expert with an interest in military cyber programs, operations, and the character of cyber conflict. He is currently a Manager of Cyber Espionage Analysis at Google Cloud’s Mandiant, and previously held similar leading analytical roles with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS). Dan holds master’s degrees in International Relations from Harvard University and in Anthropology from the University of Toronto. He was previously a Millennium Leadership Fellow with the Atlantic Council.

Stephan Blancke

Political scientist and analyst

Dr Blancke is a political scientist and analyst whose research focuses on international state and non-state intelligence. He holds a diploma in administrative law as well as a diploma in political science. His doctoral dissertation examined counterintelligence and espionage activities of non-state actors. He has researched Cyber Warfare in Geneva and worked in an Intelligence & Analysis unit at the UK Home Office in London. For some time, he worked at the Centre for Science & Security Studies (CSSS) at King's College London in the field of proliferation and illicit procurement networks. Since November 2022, he has been an Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London. Dr Blancke writes for Jane's Intelligence Review, Intelligence Online, NK News and others. He has published on Chinese and North Korean espionage, extremism and terrorism, as well as illegal trade on the dark web.

Stella Blumfelde

PhD Candidate in Security and Strategic Studies, University of Genoa

Stella Blumfelde is a PhD Candidate in Security and Strategic Studies at the Department of Political and International Science at University of Genoa. Her research centers on international governance of cyber domain, with a particular focus on cybersecurity and the role of regional organizations in international cooperation in the cyber domain. She has received an award by NATO within the 2030 Youth Summit for contributing to raising awareness of cybersecurity. She is an alumnus of the EU Non-proliferation and Disarmament Consortium Young Women in Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Mentorship Programme (YWNPD), within which she explored the applicability of disarmament, non-proliferation, and arms control concepts to cyber domain.

Kamil Bojarski

Lead, South Asia and Middle East Threat Area, Standard Chartered

Kamil Bojarski leads intelligence operations encompassing South Asia and Middle East at Standard Chartered’s Cyber Intelligence Centre. In this role he focuses on profiling adversarial groups, tracking state-nexus operations, and conducting comprehensive threat landscape assessments. Additionally, Kamil serves as a teaching assistant at the SANS Institute, supporting the FOR578 Cyber Threat Intelligence classes. His professional interests encompass national security and cyber defense, and he actively contributes as a member of the Polish Blue Team during the Locked Shields cyber defense exercises. He is also a fellow at Virtual Routes as part of the 2024–2025 European Cybersecurity Fellowship cohort. Kamil regularly shares insights on threat intelligence, national security, and OSINT at his blog, counterintelligence.pl. He writes here in a personal capacity.

Nils Brinker

Senior Cyber Security Expert, intcube

Nils Brinker is a Senior Cyber Security Expert at intcube, where he specializes in guiding clients through complex regulatory landscapes and advising on the implementation of effective cybersecurity measures. Previously, Nils served as a researcher at the Digital Society Institute of ESMT Berlin, focusing on a systematic approach to cybersecurity regulation. Prior to that, he accumulated several years of experience as a data protection specialist in the insurance sector. With a technical background and expertise in law, Nils is deeply invested in interdisciplinary research and dialogue. He is committed to advancing more effective governance through enhanced mutual understanding.

Andi Brown

Criminologist, Monash University

Andi Brown is a criminologist at Monash University. Her research focus specialises in consumer internet-of-things technologies, and she has a specific interest in technology-facilitated abuse. Safety-by-design, and particularly codesign with vulnerable edge users, are important principles of exploration for her research. Her broader research interests encompass feminist and critical criminology, harm-reduction and crime prevention approaches, and domestic and family violence.

Natasha Buckley

Research Analyst, Cyber team, Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)

Tash Buckley is a Research Analyst in the Cyber team at RUSI. Her research includes disruptive and emerging technologies, national security, and cyber policy. Tash is also a PhD candidate at Royal Holloway University of London. Her thesis focuses on the transition from cyber security to cyber power within strategy and policy in the UK, exploring narratives and the cyber ecosystem. Tash also has a BSc in computer science. Tash’s other research interests include trusted innovation and research, novel engagement and education methods within cyber security, and innovation and technology policy.

Jakob Bund

Senior Researcher for Cyber Conflict and Statecraft, European Cyber Conflict Research Initiative (ECCRI); Associate, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP)

Jakob Bund is a Senior Researcher for Cyber Conflict and Statecraft at the European Cyber Conflict Research Initiative (ECCRI). Jakob is also an Associate at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), where he serves as Threat Intelligence Liaison for the European Repository of Cyber Incidents (EuRepoC) and editor of the monthly Cyber Conflict Briefing series. His research focuses on evolutions in state responses to malicious cyber activity.

Sally Burt

Lecturer in Cyber Security, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of New South Wales

Dr. Sally Burt is lecturer in cyber security at the University of New South Wales, Canberra. She is a specialist in Sino-US relations, cyber diplomacy, foreign policy, and crisis management in the current international environment. Her research focuses particularly on cyber-enabled statecraft, diplomacy, and information warfare. She is interested in US relations with China and cyber strategy and foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific. Sally has published on these topics as an editor and author of several books and journal articles. She has also presented internationally to conferences and summits and been a visiting fellow at several universities in the US and UK.

Benjamin Charlton

Senior Manager at Oxford Analytica

Benjamin Charlton is a geopolitical analyst and futurist specialising in China, Japan, and outer space. His research interests include Taiwan-China relations, strategic foresight methods, the social and political impacts of novel technology, and the long-term future of East Asia. His articles have appeared in the China Economic Review, The Space Review, The Diplomat and the South China Morning Post.

Timothy Charlton-Czaplicki

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Minderoo Centre for Technology & Democracy, University of Cambridge; Junior Research Fellow, Wolfson College, Cambridge

Timothy Charlton-Czaplicki is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Minderoo Centre for Technology & Democracy, University of Cambridge, and a Junior Research Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge. He researches how digital transformation and new technologies are impacting humanitarian action as well as communities affected by humanitarian emergencies.

Joseph Christian Agbagala

PhD candidate, Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich

Joseph Christian Agbagala is a PhD candidate at the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich. Joseph holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Amsterdam. His Master’s thesis examined how the decentralization process during China’s economic reforms in the 1980s enabled its provinces to operate within China’s foreign policymaking system. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in International Affairs with honors from the University of California, Riverside. During his undergraduate studies, he was a Communications Intern for the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington D.C. He also spent time as an undergraduate associate at the Queen Mary University of London. Before joining the CSS PhD program, Joseph also worked at the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMFUS) as a Research Intern for the Asia Program. His research focuses on military interoperability, military organization, international institutions, and alliance politics. Specifically, his main research interest is to examine the linkages between command and control systems, technical/hardware interoperability, and alliance formation and management.

Jamie Collier

Lead Threat Intelligence Advisor (Europe), Google Cloud

Dr Jamie Collier is the Lead Threat Intelligence Advisor in Europe at Google Cloud. He works with organisations to help them understand their threat landscape and build threat intelligence capabilities. He is also active within academia as an Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Before joining Mandiant, he was the Cyber Threat Intelligence Team Lead at Digital Shadows and completed a PhD in Cyber Security at the University of Oxford. Jamie was previously based at MIT as a Cyber Security Fulbright Scholar and has experience working with the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, Oxford Analytica, and PwC India.

Meghan Conroy

U.S. Research Fellow, Digital Forensic Research Lab, Atlantic Council

Meghan Conroy is the U.S. Research Fellow at the Digital Forensic Research Lab housed within the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington, DC.

Christopher Covino

Senior Cyber Policy Advisor, The Rosslyn Group

Chris is an experienced public policy professional specializing in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. As Senior Cyber Policy and Strategy Advisor at The Rosslyn Group, he works with clients including the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. He also serves as Senior Policy Advisor for the Institute for AI Policy and Strategy. Previously, Chris was Policy Director for Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security in the Los Angeles Mayor's Office. Other experience includes roles at San Diego County's Office of Emergency Services and the University of Southern California's Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Threats and Emergencies. Chris holds a Master's in Public Administration from the University of Southern California.

Rogier Creemers

Lecturer in Modern Chinese Studies

Rogier Creemers is a Lecturer in Modern Chinese Studies. With a background in Sinology and International Relations, and a PhD in Law, his research focuses on Chinese domestic digital technology policy, as well as China's growing importance in global digital affairs. He is the principal investigator of the NWO Vidi Project "The Smart State: Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and the Law in China". For the Leiden Asia Centre, he directs a project on China and global cybersecurity, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Veronika Datzer

Policy Advisor on International Digital Policy, GIZ

Veronika is a policy advisor on international digital policy at GIZ, Germany's main development agency. She previously worked at the German Parliament, at NATO CCDCOE and at the European Commission on policy issues at the intersection of international affairs, digitalisation and cybersecurity. She studied Liberal Arts (BA) and International Relations (MA).

Celien De Stercke

Criminologist, Ghent University's Institute for International Research on Criminal Policy (IRCP)

Celien De Stercke is a criminologist at Ghent University's Institute for International Research on Criminal Policy (IRCP), is a PhD researcher exploring the governance of security in cyberspace, focusing on cyber mercenaries and the impact of organised cybercrime on national security.

Ric Derbyshire

Principal Security Researcher, Orange Cyberdefense

Ric is a Principal Security Researcher at Orange Cyberdefense and an Honorary Researcher at Imperial College London. He holds a PhD in computer science from Lancaster University, undertaken as part of an EPSRC Industrial CASE studentship sponsored by Airbus, where his research focused on adversary-centric quantitative risk assessment. His work takes a pragmatic approach to both offensive and defensive aspects of cyber security. More recently, his research has explored both the technical and policy dimensions of operational technology, particularly within critical national infrastructure. This work has been recognised by multiple vendors, earning acknowledgements in their ‘hall of thanks’, and he has presented it at internationally recognised industry conferences. In 2024, he was awarded a funded fellowship with the Research Institute for Trustworthy Inter-connected Cyber-physical Systems (RITICS) to advance research into operational technology penetration testing.

Myriam Dunn Cavelty

Deputy for Research and Teaching, Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich

Myriam Dunn Cavelty is Senior Scientist and Deputy for Research and Teaching at the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich. She studied International Relations, History, and International Law at the University of Zurich. She is an Associated Researcher at the Centre for Advanced Security Theory at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, was a visiting fellow at Brown University, a Mercator Fellow at University of Darmstadt, Germany, and a Guest Lecturer at the Central European University, Hungary, and the Austrian Federal Security Academy for several years. Her research and teaching focuses on how digital technologies influence political behaviour and societal values and on how and why specific arrangements to govern the use of digital technologies emerge, with particular attention to how technologies are embedded in social, political, and economic processes. In addition to her teaching, research and publishing activities, she advises governments, international institutions and companies in the areas of cyber security, cyber warfare, critical infrastructure protection, risk analysis and strategic foresight. She is one of the editors-in-chief of the journal Contemporary Security Policy.

John E. Savage

An Wang Professor Emeritus of Computer Science, Brown University

John E. Savage is the An Wang Professor Emeritus of Computer Science at Brown University. He is a Fellow of the AAAS, ACM, IEEE, and a Guggenheim Fellow. He served as a Jefferson Science Fellow in the US State Department, a Fellow at the EastWest Institute, and a member of the Rhode Island Cybersecurity Commission. He published over 100 research articles, two books on theoretical computer science, co-authored a book on computer literacy, and co-edited a book on VLSI and parallel systems. He has given more than 185 invited presentations worldwide.

Cat Easdon

Privacy engineer and researcher

Cat Easdon is an engineer and researcher working at the intersection of privacy, security, and policy. At Dynatrace, she translates law and policy into code to protect users, designing product privacy features and building privacy controls into the software development lifecycle. Previously, she engaged on tech policy in part-time fellowships with ECCRI and the Internet Society, and conducted CPU security research investigating software-exploitable side channels and hardware backdoors.

Isabel Ebert

Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Business Ethics, University of St. Gallen; Strategic Adviser, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights B-Tech Project

Isabel Ebert is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Business Ethics, University of St. Gallen, and serves as a Strategic Adviser to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights B-Tech Project, focusing on Business & Human Rights in the technology sector. She is a technology and human rights fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Carr Center. Her research explores regulatory and policy responses to emerging human rights challenges connected with technology company conduct and implications for policy coherence.

Mailyn Fidler

Assistant Professor, University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law

Mailyn Fidler is an Assistant Professor at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. Her research focuses on regulatory and criminal law approaches to cybersecurity and cybercrime. Prior to joining legal academia, clerked on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, served as the Tech & First Amendment Fellow at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and was a Fellow at the Berkman Klein Center. She is a graduate of Yale Law School, Oxford University (as a Marshall Scholar) and Stanford University.

Michael Fischerkeller

Research Staff Member, IDA

Dr. Michael Fischerkeller is a research staff member in the Information Technology and Systems Division at the Institute for Defense Analyses.

Aidan Foster-Carter

Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Sociology and Modern Korea, Leeds University

Aidan Foster-Carter has tracked trends on the Korean peninsula ever since 1968, starting unpropitiously as a Kim Il-sung fanboy. Educated at Eton and Oxford (PPE), he taught development sociology at the Universities of Hull, Dar es Salaam and Leeds from 1971 to 1997. Since then he has been a full-time analyst and consultant on contemporary Korea: writing, lecturing and broadcasting for academic, business and policy audiences worldwide. Widely published, he has been Oxford Analytica’s main contributor on Korea since the 1980s, and until 2017 did the same at EIU. He also writes for IISS and elsewhere.

Noran Fouad

Senior Lecturer in Digital Politics, Manchester Metropolitan University

Dr. Noran Fouad is a senior lecturer in digital politics at Manchester Metropolitan University, in the United Kingdom. Her research and teaching lie at the intersection of technology, security, and governance, with a particular focus on cybersecurity. Her research interests include critical approaches to cybersecurity in international relations, cybersecurity of the everyday, the global politics of cyber governance, and the co-production of cybersecurity policies and practices between human and non-human agency. She is currently co-leading the Middle East and Africa stream in RUSI’s Global Partnership for Responsible Cyber Behaviour. Previously, Noran worked as a postdoctoral research associate at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, where she conducted public policy research on cybersecurity for the education sector and on risk-based approaches to cybersecurity in low- and middle-income countries. In that role, she co-designed and co-taught multiple executive education programmes, postgraduate courses, and online courses for public policy makers on governing digital transformation and cybersecurity. Noran holds a doctorate in international relations from the University of Sussex, UK, and bachelor and master of science degrees in political science from Cairo University, Egypt, where she worked as an assistant lecturer of political science.

Jonas Franken

Doctoral candidate and research associate in computer science, Technical University of Darmstadt

Jonas Franken is a doctoral candidate and research associate at the Science and Technology for Peace and Security (PEASEC) group in the Department of Computer Science at Technical University of Darmstadt. His research is located within the nexus of technology, policy, and international law, focusing on the resilience of critical communication infrastructures, as well as emerging issues in Maritime Security. Previous policy work includes reports on subsea data cable security and resilience for the European Parliament Subcommittee on Security and Defence and the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research. He holds a bachelor’s degree in politics and law and a master’s degree in international studies / peace and conflict research from Goethe University Frankfurt and TU Darmstadt.

Livia Fries

Public Policy Manager for EMEA, Darktrace

Livia is a Public Policy Manager for EMEA at Darktrace, a global AI-cybersecurity company. As part of her role, she engages on AI and cyber policy, with a focus on critical infrastructure protection and responsible AI governance. Prior to this, Livia was a cyber technologist, specialising in incident readiness and recovery. Livia has a strong interest in interdisciplinary research and uses her background in Political Science (M.Sc Oxford, BA Cambridge) and Computer Science (M.Sc Imperial) to bridge the gap between policymakers and technologists. Her research included analysing the impact of cyber public-private partnerships on European sovereignty and applying NLP techniques to automate the extraction of TTPs from cyber threat intelligence reports.

Artem Galushko

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow (MSCA-PF), UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Artem Galushko is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow (MSCA-PF) at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. His research focuses on modern warfare and cyber-security. Information about his research project ‘Hybrid Cyber Warfare and Common Security in Europe’ is available at https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101107026.

Sebastian Garcia

Assistant Professor, Czech Technical University in Prague

Sebastian Garcia co-directs the Stratosphere Laboratory (CTU University) as an Assistant Professor, principal investigator and security researcher specializing in applied machine learning for cybersecurity, network traffic and malware detection. A strong advocate for digital rights, Sebastian supports free software, and privacy. His expertise includes malware detection, IDS/IPS, honeypots, social network and P2P security, privacy protection, AI agents, and more. He has a diverse teaching and industry background, contributed to numerous conferences, and co-founded MatesLab hackspace in Argentina and the Independent Fund for Women in Tech.

Michael Genkin

Visiting Research Fellow, Department of War Studies, King's College London

Michael Genkin is a visiting research fellow at the Department of War Studies, King's College London (KCL), where he studies cyber conflict empirics and responsible behaviour in offensive cyber operations. He is also a member of the OCWG College of Experts.

Mauro Gilli

Senior Researcher in Military Technology and International Security

Mauro Gilli is a Senior Researcher in Military Technology and International Security at the Center for Security Studies of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH-Zurich). His research has been published in International Security, Security Studies, Journal of Strategic Studies, Social Science Quarterly and PlosOne, and has received coverage, among others, in The Economist, the Washington Post, The New Yorker, Wired Magazine, Foreign Policy, The Diplomat, and others. He has written articles, among others, for Lawfare Blog, Monkey Cage, VoxEU, War on the Rocks.

Anita Gohdes

Professor of International and Cyber Security, Hertie School Berlin

Anita R. Gohdes is Professor of International and Cyber Security at the Hertie School in Berlin. She works at the intersection of international security and technology and is the author of the forthcoming book “Repression in the Digital Age: Surveillance, Censorship, and the Dynamics of State Violence”. Previously, she was Assistant Professor of International Relations at the University of Zurich and postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center’s International Security Program. Her work has appeared in the American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, Journal of Peace Research, Journal of Conflict Resolution, and Nature Human Behaviour, among others.

Emily Goldman

Cyber Strategist, U.S. Cyber Command

Dr. Emily Goldman serves as a strategist at U.S. Cyber Command and a thought leader on cyber policy. From 2014 to 2018 she directed the U.S. Cyber Command / National Security Agency Combined Action Group, leading a team that wrote the 2018 U.S. Cyber Command vision, Achieve and Maintain Cyberspace Superiority.

Jack Goldsmith

Visiting Fellow, ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet)

Jack A. Goldsmith is a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University’s (ANU) School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet), wherein he works with the Justice and Technoscience Lab. He is also an Associate Fellow at the Social Cyber Institute and Editor-in-Chief at Young Australians in International Affairs. Prior to these roles, Jack worked at the Jeff Bleich Centre for Democracy and Disruptive Technologies, where he researched the social and strategic applications of machine learning and big data. Jack’s primary research interests centre on the international political economy of technology and security, including how geopolitics intersects with regulation.

Elena Grossfeld

PhD candidate, Department of War Studies, King's College London (KCL); Member of King's Centre for the Study of Intelligence (KCSI)

Elena Grossfeld is a PhD candidate in the Department of War Studies, King's College London (KCL), and a member of King's Centre for the Study of Intelligence (KCSI). Her research interests are strategic culture of Russian/Soviet intelligence, Cold War, and information warfare. Elena holds an MA in Intelligence and International Security from KCL, an MA in Linguistics from San Jose State University, and a BS in Mathematics with a minor in Russian Studies from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Having started her career as a software engineer and architect, she specialized in reliability and performance of systems powering the Internet and e-commerce before moving into cybersecurity, focusing on the areas of insider threat, cyber threat intelligence, and cryptocurrencies-related fraud investigations.

Christian Guntur Lebang

Research Fellow, Lab 45

Christian Guntur Lebang (Guntur) is a lead analyst for political security at the Jakarta-based think tank Laboratorium Indonesia 2045 (Lab 45). His research focuses on Indonesia’s cybersecurity governance, cyber warfare, and defense policy. He holds a master’s degree in cyber security analysis from Macquarie University.

Anubha Gupta

Anubha Gupta focuses on Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s work and its engagement with international cybersecurity. She has qualified University Grants Commission’s National Eligibility Test and Junior Research Fellowship in Political Science. She is pursuing her doctoral degree in Diplomacy and Disarmament division of the Centre for International Politics, Organizations, and Disarmament (CIPOD) at the School of International Studies (SIS) at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, India. She has a master’s degree in Politics with a specialization in International Relations from the School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi and an undergraduate degree in Political Science and Economics from St Stephen’s College, Delhi University, New Delhi, India. She is currently working as a Research Associate with Indian Council of World Affairs, Sapru House, New Dehi. She has previously worked with Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi.

Richard Harknett

Co-Director of the Ohio Cyber Range Institute

Dr. Richard Harknett is Professor and Director of the School of Public and International Affairs, Co-Director of the Ohio Cyber Range Institute, and Chair of the Center for Cyber Strategy and Policy at the University of Cincinnati.

Irfan Hemani

Deputy Director for Cyber Security, UK's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Irfan Hemani is Deputy Director for Cyber Security at the UK's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. He is responsible for secure technology policy as part of the UK's National Cyber strategy. He is also the author of the Harvard Belfer Center's National Cyber Power Index, He previously worked in Deloitte's Technology Risk Advisory team.

Jeremy Henty

Mentee, Tyburn St Raphael

Jeremy Henty has an MPhil in Modern European History from Cambridge, where he specialised in Cold War intelligence history. He is a mentee at Tyburn St Raphael, involved in projects at the intersection of cybersecurity and intelligence.

Pia Hüsch

Research Fellow for Cyber, Technology and National Security, Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)

Dr. Pia Hüsch is a Research Fellow in cyber, technology, and national security at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Her research focuses on the impact, societal risks, and lawfulness of cyber operations and the geopolitical and national security implications of disruptive technologies, such as AI. Before joining RUSI, Pia conducted her doctoral research on cyber operations under international law. Pia holds a PhD and an LLM in international law and security (with distinction) from the University of Glasgow.

Sophie in t' Veld

Dutch Member of the European Parliament

Sophie in 't Veld (1963) is a Dutch MEP with the Renew Group. Her work in the European Parliament revolves around issues related to democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights (DRFMG). She has a keen interest in the risks posed to the fundamental right of privacy by governments and businesses. Since 2018, she has presided over the DRFMG monitor group, and in 2021 she took the initiative for the European Parliament's Pegasus Spyware Report.

Janina Inauen

MA Student, Comparative and International Studies, ETH Zurich; Research Assistant, Center for Security Studies, ETH Zurich

Janina Inauen is a master's student at ETH Zurich and a research assistant at the Center for Security Studies (CSS). She is also a master's thesis fellow at the Cyber-Defence Campus in Zurich. Her research explores the evolution of various ransomware groups as well as government responses to ransomware.

Joseph Jarnecki

Research Fellow, Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)

Joseph Jarnecki is a Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and a European Cybersecurity Fellow as part of the European Cyber Conflict Research Initiative (ECCRI). His research focuses on international cyber and technology policy, cyber threats to critical infrastructure, and cyber conflict and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

Mahmoud Javadi

Doctoral Researcher, Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

Mahmoud Javadi is a doctoral researcher within the Center for Security, Diplomacy, and Strategy (CSDS) at the Brussels School of Governance, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), in Belgium. He is involved in the European Research Council-funded project ‘Competition in the Digital Era: Geopolitics and Technology in the 21st Century’ (CODE).

Tom Johansmeyer

POLIR Ph.D. candidate, University of Kent, Canterbury

Tom Johansmeyer is a POLIR Ph.D. candidate at the University of Kent, Canterbury. Based in Bermuda, where he also works in the reinsurance industry, he was previously the head of Property Claim Services (PCS) at data/analytics firm Verisk, which provides data on industry-wide insured loss events for both natural and man-made disaster events. In this role, he developed the first such tools for global cyber risk. Tom proudly pushed paper in the U.S. Army in the late 1990s, and if you were in the 2nd Infantry Division in 1998, you might have bugged him for your reassignment orders.

Jacqueline Kazil

Director of Geospatial Solutions, Bana Solutions

Jacqueline Kazil is the Director of Geospatial Solutions at Bana Solutions, a Fellow of the Python Software Foundation, and a former Board Member. She was a co-founder of 18F, a leader of “open by default” initiatives, and a former White House Presidential Innovation Fellow. She is also the author of Data Wrangling with Python, published by O’Reilly, and the creator of the agent-based modeling library called Mesa. She has a Ph.D. in computational social science from George Mason University. Her contributions to this article are her own views, not those of any affiliations.

Nima Khorrami

Research Associate, The Arctic Institute

Nima Khorrami is a research associate at the Arctic Institute where his work explores critical digital infrastructure in the Arctic and other key topics.

Mamuka Kirkitadze

Technical Data Information Specialist, Zinc Network

Mamuka is a technical data information specialist at the London-based international development agency Zinc Network. He also serves as a digital security consultant at EU CyberNet and is a former cybersecurity fellow at the European Cyber Conflict Research Initiative. Mamuka has authored publications on various cybersecurity topics, with a focus on state-sponsored cyberattacks, disinformation, and influence operations.

Sofia Liemann Escobar

PhD researcher, Centre for Doctoral Training in Cyber Security, Royal Holloway, University of London

Sofia Liemann Escobar is a PhD researcher at the Centre for Doctoral Training in Cyber Security at Royal Holloway, University of London. Her research looks at Colombia’s approach to cyber security, and the negotiation of the contested meanings and practices associated with cyber security itself.

Eugenia Lostri

Senior Editor, Lawfare

Eugenia Lostri is a senior editor at Lawfare, where she researches cybersecurity policy and law. Prior to joining Lawfare, she was an associate fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She also worked for the Argentinian Secretariat for Strategic Affairs and the City of Buenos Aires’ Undersecretary for International and Institutional Relations. She holds a law degree from the Universidad Católica Argentina, and an LLM in International Law from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

Jamie MacColl

Senior Research Fellow, Virtual Routes

Jamie is a Senior Research Associate at Virtual Routes. He is also a Senior Research Fellow in cyber security at the Royal United Services Institute. His current research interests include ransomware, the UK’s approach to offensive cyber operations, and the role of private companies in global cyber governance. He has led a range of public and private projects for RUSI, with a particular focus on UK cyber policy. Prior to joining RUSI, he worked in cyber threat intelligence where he provided strategic and operational intelligence analysis on the cyber threat landscape. Jamie holds an MPhil in International Relations and Politics from the University of Cambridge, where his research focused on UK policy towards Russia since the end of the Cold War. He also holds a BA in War Studies from King’s College London, where he was awarded the Sir Michael Howard Excellence Award in 2016 and 2018. When he is not carrying out research into cyber threats and cyber security, Jamie can be found on stage with his band Bombay Bicycle Club.

Christos Makridis

Associate Research Professor at the W. P. Carey School of Business and Research Affiliate at the Global Security Initiative, Arizona State University

Christos serves as an Associate Research Professor at the W. P. Carey School of Business and Research Affiliate at the Global Security Initiative (both in Arizona State University), a Professor at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, a Digital Fellow at the Digital Economy Lab in Stanford University, a Non-resident Fellow at the Institute for Religious Studies at Baylor University, an Adjunct Scholar at the Manhattan Institute, a Senior Adviser at Gallup, a policy adviser, and an entrepreneur. He is the CEO/founder of Dainamic, a technology startup working to democratize the use and application of data science and AI techniques for small and mid sized organizations, and COO/co-founder of Living Opera, a classical music multimedia startup. Christos previously served on the White House Council of Economic Advisers managing the cybersecurity, technology, and space activities, as a Non-resident Fellow at the Cyber Security Project in the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, as a Digital Fellow at the Initiative at the Digital Economy in the MIT Sloan School of Management, a a Non-resident Research Scientist at Datacamp, as a Visiting Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and as an Adjunct Associate Research Scholar at the Chazen Institute in Columbia Business School. Christos’ primary academic research focuses on labor economics, the digital economy, and personal finance and well-being. He also writes frequently for syndicated outlets in the press and serves on the Council of Advisers for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. Christos earned a Bachelor’s in Economics and Minor in Mathematics at Arizona State University, as well as dual Masters and PhDs in Economics and Management Science & Engineering at Stanford University.

Lennart Maschmeyer

Senior Researcher, Center for Security Studies at ETH Zürich

Lennart Maschmeyer is a Senior Researcher in Cybersecurity at the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zürich with an interest in the strategic role of cyber conflict, subversion as an instrument of power, and threat intelligence. He holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Toronto, and an MPhil in International Relations from the University of Oxford. Lennart also co-chairs the ECCRI Virtual Research Workshop series, and the FIRST Threat Intel Coalition SIG.

Niklas Masuhr

Senior Researcher at the Center for Security Studies ETH Zurich

Niklas Masuhr is a Senior Researcher and military analyst at the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich. He focuses on Russian and NATO force development and doctrine, dynamics and insights of contemporary conflict and Russian semi-state activities in Africa. He holds an MA in Strategic Studies from the University of Reading.

Jessica McClearn

PhD researcher, Centre for Doctoral Training in Cyber Security, Royal Holloway, University of London

Jessica McClearn is a PhD researcher at the Centre for Doctoral Training in Cyber Security at Royal Holloway, University of London. She explores the intersections of digital and ontological security of marginalised communities in ‘post’-conflict societies through ethnographic research.

Anwar Mhajne

Assistant Professor of Political Science, Stonehill College

Dr. Anwar Mhajne is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Stonehill College. Her research focuses on gender, religion, cybersecurity, digital politics, disinformation, and Middle Eastern politics. She is the coeditor of Critical Perspectives on Cybersecurity, (Oxford University Press 2024).

Aleksandar Milenkoski

Senior threat researcher, SentinelLabs

Aleksandar Milenkoski is a senior threat researcher at SentinelLabs. With expertise in malware research and focus on targeted attacks, he brings a blend of practical and deep insights to the forefront of cyber threat intelligence. Aleksandar has a PhD in system security and is the author of numerous reports on cyberespionage and high-impact cybercriminal operations, conference talks, and peer-reviewed research papers. From 2011 to 2014, he was a European Commission Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellow. His research has won awards from the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC), the Bavarian Foundation for Science, and the University of Würzburg.

Katharine Millar

Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, London School of Economics and Political Science

Katharine Millar is an Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is an is an academic expert in gender and international security. Katharine has extensive experience in the burgeoning field of intersectional gender equality and international cybersecurity governance, working with think tanks, national governments, regional, and international organisations to conduct gender analysis of cybersecurity practices/governance, and develop best practices for intersectional, gender-response cybersecurity policy- and decision-making. Katharine has published widely on gendered cultural narratives underlying the modern use of force and experiences of insecurity, on topics including gender, citizenship and militarism; women combatants; far-right populism, race, and conspiracy theories; and death, grief, and social order. Her current work seeks to bring the UN Women, Peace, and Security Agenda into closer conversation with cybersecurity and global internet governance.

Jiro Minier

Lead, Threat Intelligence Research & Analysis, Deutsche Cyber-Sicherheitsorganisation (DCSO)

Jiro Minier leads the Threat Intelligence Research & Analysis team at the Deutsche Cyber-Sicherheitsorganisation (DCSO), a Berlin-based cybersecurity competence center, with a personal research focus on China-nexus cyberespionage activity. He is actively involved in the cybersecurity and technology policy debate, including as a member of the German Council on Foreign Relations’ Action Group Zeitenwende and has held previous fellowships with the European Cyber Conflict Research Initiative and the Centre for International Security at the Hertie School in Berlin.

Daniel Moore

Threat Intelligence Manager, Meta

Dr. Daniel Moore has nearly 20 years of experience in the intersection of technology, intelligence and cyber. He holds a PhD from King's College London and has held roles in the public and private sectors, including with the Israeli military, IBM, Accenture and Meta. Daniel has published extensively on security issues.

Lapo Moriani

Policy Officer, NATO’s Joint Intelligence & Security Division

Lapo Moriani serves as a Policy Officer within NATO’s Joint Intelligence & Security Division, where he works on cyber threat intelligence policy and capability development. He holds a Master’s degree in International Security from Sciences Po where he graduated cum laude with a thesis on private sector cyber defense assistance to Ukraine, and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Trento, also graduating cum laude. Previously, he worked with the NATO Digital Staff, contributing to military cyber defense policy, and with UNIDIR’s Cyber Stability Programme, supporting cyber diplomacy efforts and capacity-building initiatives. Beyond his professional role, Lapo inherited a passion for philosophy from his family, particularly the ideas of Karl Popper, and has a deep interest for literature, especially the works of Milan Kundera.

Densua Mumford

Assistant Professor of International Relations, Leiden University

Dr. Densua Mumford is Assistant Professor of International Relations at the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs, Leiden University. Her research primarily explores the international relations of African peoples and states. Within this broad theme, she focuses on the role of regional organisations such as the African Union, ECOWAS, and SADC in the political and economic dynamics of the continent. She is currently investigating the discursive context of African regionalism. She also has a robust research interest in the politics of the internet and digital technologies, with a current project on the political narratives of cryptocurrency evangelists. Her work contributes to decolonising perspectives on international relations.

Isabella Neumann

Ph.D. candidate in International Politics and Conflict Resolution, University of Coimbra

Isabella Neumann is a Ph.D. candidate in International Politics and Conflict Resolution at the University of Coimbra. Her research focuses on cybersecurity in the European Union, particularly the civil-military dynamics involved. She was a secondee in a Marie Curie Staff Exchange program, where she spent a year working on innovation and media literacy as part of an EU-funded project. Currently, she is a guest researcher at the University of Oslo’s Centre for European Studies.

Bessie O'Dell

Strategy & Delivery Advisor, UK AI Safety Institute

Bessie has recently joined the UK AI Safety Institute as a Strategy and Delivery Advisor for the Societal Impacts team. In 2024 she completed her DPhil in Psychiatry at the University of Oxford (Brasenose College), where her research focused on developing AI tools for precision psychiatry. She also holds degrees from the University of Cambridge (St. Edmund’s College), and UCL in collaboration with Yale University. Post-DPhil she was a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for the Governance of AI, where she worked with the leading UK cross-party think tank Demos on developing technical and policy approaches to AI openness. She has also been affiliated with the Blavatnik School of Government since 2021.

Emily Otto

Alperovitch PhD Fellow, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

Ms. Emily Otto is an Alperovitch PhD Fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis. Emily served as an Army Cyber Warfare Officer from 2017 to 2024, with assignments to the Cyber National Mission Force and the Cyber Protection Brigade.

Katharine Palmer

Cyber Threat Intelligence Consultant, Security Alliance

Katharine is a Cyber Threat Intelligence Consultant at London-based consultancy Security Alliance. She also heads up the Geopolitical team and is the lead analyst for Russia and Europe. Katharine has published work on a range of cybersecurity-related topics, with her research interests including spyware, disinformation and influence operations and expansion of state cyber capabilities. She holds a Master’s in Intelligence and International Security from King’s College London and was a 2023-2024 ECCRI Fellow.

Alexandra Paulus

Researcher for cybersecurity policy and emerging technologies, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP)

Dr. Alexandra Paulus is a researcher for cybersecurity policy and emerging technologies at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), a Berlin-based foreign and security policy think tank. Previously, Alexandra was project director for cybersecurity policy and resilience at tech policy think tank interface. Her dissertation on Brazil's role in the construction of global cyber norms was published by Springer Nature in 2024. Her previous work covers cyber diplomacy, German and European cyber foreign policy, software supply chain security, and attribution. She is currently working on the resilience of military software supply chains.

Kenneth Payne

Professor of Strategy, King’s College London

Kenneth Payne is Professor of Strategy at King’s College London, where he researches the role of Artificial Intelligence in national security. He’s the author of four books on strategy, most recently 'I, Warbot: The Dawn of Artificially Intelligent Conflict'. This book looked ahead to the battlefield of the near future and considered the prospects for creative artificial strategists. 'I, Warbot' was named a book of the year by The Economist newspaper and the leading academic journal, International Affairs. Professor Payne is a Commissioner of the Global Commission for Responsible AI in the Military Domain. He has appeared before Parliamentary committees in the UK and the Netherlands, and currently serves as Specialist Advisor to the UK Parliament’s Defence Committee for its work on AI. He contributed to the US National Security Commission on AI, and has been invited to consult with the UN Secretary General’s recently formed high-level advisory body on AI.

Gatra Priyandita

Senior Analyst, Australian Strategic Policy Institute

Dr. Gatra Priyandita is a senior analyst in the Cyber, Technology, and Security Program at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI). His primary research area is cyber diplomacy and the military applications of emerging technology. He also provides commentary on foreign and defence policy issues in Southeast Asia. He is a political scientist by training, specialising in the intersections of comparative politics, cybersecurity, and international relations. He holds nearly a decade of research experience, working extensively on projects researching Southeast Asian security and cyber politics. His analysis has appeared in multiple news outlets, academic journals, and think tank publications. He is also currently a visiting fellow at the Australian National University’s Department of Political and Social Change and an International Strategy Fellow at the Special Competitive Studies Project. He was formerly the non-resident WSD-Handa fellow at the Pacific Forum, where he remains a part of its Young Leaders’ program. Gatra has also had past affiliations with the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, University of Indonesia, and Jinan University. Gatra holds a PhD in political science and a bachelor of Asia-Pacific security (honours), both from the Australian National University.

Michaela Prucková

Legal and Policy Officer, National Cyber and Information Security Agency (NÚKIB) of the Czech Republic

Michaela Prucková works as a legal and policy officer at the National Cyber and Information Security Agency (NÚKIB) of the Czech Republic where is covers the cybersecurity agenda of the EU and NATO. In her line of work, Michaela primarily focuses on cyber crisis management, cyberdefence policy, EU law and public international law related to cybersecurity, and cybercrime. Before joining NÚKIB, Michaela completed internships in NATO HQ, NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence or Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She competed and later mentored the Czech team in the international Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge, wrote popular science articles on cybersecurity topics or contributed to the Cyber Law Toolkit project. Being originally a journalism student, she also worked in the Czech Radio during her university studies. Michaela gained a master’s degree in the Security and Strategic Studies and a master’s degree in Law, both at the Masaryk University, where she occasionally lectures on cybersecurity policy.

Tobias Pulver

PhD candidate, Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich

Tobias Pulver is a PhD candidate at the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich. He holds a Master’s degree in Comparative and International Studies from ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich. His Master’s thesis investigated the impacts of foreign cyber-enabled disinformation influence efforts targeting democracies. During his Master’s, Tobias worked as a research assistant in cyber security politics at the CSS. After completing his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science at the University of Zurich, Tobias co-founded the Effective Altruism Foundation, where he worked on projects in the areas of global health and development, animal welfare, and risks from advanced artificial intelligence over the course of five years. Tobias’ research interest revolves around the intersection of international security, emerging technologies and economics. Specifically, he focuses on the use of economic statecraft in technological great power competition.

Jason R.C. Nurse

Reader in Cybersecurity, Institute of Cyber Security for Society (iCSS) and the School of Computing, University of Kent

Dr Jason R.C. Nurse is a Reader in Cybersecurity in the Institute of Cyber Security for Society (iCSS) and the School of Computing at the University of Kent. He is also an Associate Fellow at RUSI, Visiting Fellow in Defence and Security at Cranfield University, and Research Member of Wolfson College, University of Oxford. He received his PhD in cybersecurity from the University of Warwick and PostDoc scholarship at the University of Oxford, UK. Dr Nurse specialises in research on cyber resilience, cyber harms, cyber insurance amongst other security topics. Dr Nurse has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and serves as Editor at several prominent cyber security journals. He was selected as a ‘Rising Star’ for his research into cyber security, as a part of the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council’s Recognising Inspirational Scientists and Engineers (RISE) awards campaign. Jason is a professional member of the British Computing Society. His research has been featured in national and international media including the BBC, Newsweek, Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Wired.

Yael Ram

Ph.D. candidate, International Relations Department of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Fellow, Leonard Davis Institute's graduate program (TELEM)

Yael Ram is a Ph.D. candidate at the International Relations Department of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a fellow in the Leonard Davis Institute's graduate program (TELEM). Her research interests include technological manipulation, disinformation, intelligence, and international security. Yael's dissertation examines how international actors manage trust and credibility in the post-truth era, specifically focusing on deepfake technology.

Sujit Raman

Chief Legal Officer, TRM Labs

Sujit Raman is Chief Legal Officer at TRM Labs, a leading blockchain intelligence firm, and a senior fellow in the Tech, Law & Security program at American University. Previously, he served as U.S. Associate Deputy Attorney General for cyber and emerging technologies, and chair of the Attorney General’s Cyber-Digital Task Force. A regulator commentator on technology and global security issues, Sujit’s views have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Financial Times, and Bloomberg, among other leading media sources.

Mark Raymond

Wick Cary Associate Professor of International Relations, University of Oklahoma

Mark Raymond is the Wick Cary Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Oklahoma. He is also the Associate Editor of International Theory, and the Associate Director for International Security Policy at the Oklahoma Aerospace and Defense Innovation Institute (OADII). He is the author of Social Practices of Rule-Making in World Politics (New York: Oxford University Press, 2019). His work appears in various academic journals including International Theory, Contemporary Security Policy, the Journal of Global Security Studies, Strategic Studies Quarterly, and The Cyber Defense Review. He was a Senior Advisor with the United States Cyberspace Solarium Commission, and he has testified before the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development.

Thomas Reinhold

Researcher, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt

Dr. Thomas Reinhold is a researcher at the Research Department International Security and the Cluster for Natural and Technical Science Arms Control Research (CNTR). He conducts research on the militarization of cyberspace, AI and possibilities for arms control and disarmament of these technologies.

Derek Reveron

Chair and Professor of National Security Affairs at the US Naval War College

Derek Reveron is Chair and Professor of National Security Affairs at the US Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. He specializes in strategy development, non-state security challenges, intelligence, and US defense policy. He has authored or edited 14 books. Dr. Reveron is a faculty affiliate at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University where he co-teaches a course on contemporary national security challenges at the Kennedy School of Government. Note: The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Naval War College, Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, or the US government.

Lena Riecke

PhD Candidate, Leiden University’s Institute of Security and Global Affairs

Lena Riecke is a Colloquium Leader at Virtual Routes. She is also a PhD candidate at Leiden University’s Institute of Security and Global Affairs. Her research is situated at the intersection of law, intelligence studies, and cyber security governance. It explores approaches and challenges to governing the spyware market. Lena has held fellowships from the European Cyber Conflict Research Initiative as well as the Europaeum Scholars Programme. Her previous research projects examined the protection of civilian data during international armed conflict and the regulation of lethal autonomous weapons systems. She holds a BA in Law from the University of Cambridge as well as an LLM in Public International Law from Leiden University.

Hugo Rosemont

Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Government Solutions International, KBR Inc.; Visiting Senior Research Fellow, Department of War Studies, King’s College, London

Dr Hugo Rosemont is Director of Policy and Public Affairs for the Government Solutions International business at KBR Inc. He also serves as Visiting Senior Research Fellow with the Department of War Studies at King’s College, London. He writes here in a personal capacity and bases this article on his talk to the CCW Emerging Threats Group at the University of Oxford on 22 January 2024.

Kritika Roy

Senior Threat Intelligence Researcher, Deutsche Cyber-Sicherheitsorganisation (DCSO)

Kritika Roy a Senior Threat Intelligence Researcher at Deutsche Cyber-Sicherheitsorganisation (DCSO) GmbH in Berlin, a Practice Fellow at the Hertie School’s Centre for International Security, and a former delegate at the Indo-German Young Leader Forum. Her current research focuses on North Korea-linked cyber threats, tracking cyber campaigns, threat actors, tactics, and geopolitical linkages. She also explores the intersection of AI and cybersecurity, examining how AI can enhance or challenge cybersecurity measures. Before joining DCSO, Kritika worked as a Research Analyst at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, as well as at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies in India. Kritika holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs (MIA), specializing in technology and international security, from the Hertie School, where she also contributed as a Project Officer for the Security Club and co-led the Cyber Lab at Tech Society. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering, followed by a Master’s in Geopolitics and International Relations from India.

Elena Rückheim

Project Officer, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue

Elena Rückheim is a project officer at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD). As part of HD’s cyber mediation team, Elena’s work focuses on norms and confidence-building measures regarding the use of information and communication technology. Before joining HD, she served as deputy head of unit at the National IT Situation Centre of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).

Daniel Salisbury

Associate Fellow, RUSI; Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Science and Security Studies (CSSS), King's College London

Dr Daniel Salisbury is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Science and Security Studies (CSSS) within the Department of War Studies at King’s College London. He is currently undertaking a three-year research project on arms embargos as part of a Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship. Daniel previously held positions at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, the Henry L. Stimson Center in Washington DC, the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, CSSS and the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. He is the author of Secrecy, Public Relations and the British Nuclear Debate: How the UK Government Learned to Talk about the Bomb, 1970-1983 (Routledge Cold War History series, 2020). He is also the author or co-author of over twenty journal articles and book chapters, and the co-editor of books on Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and UN Security Council resolution 1540. His commentary has been published by Arms Control Today, Arms Control Wonk, Asia Times, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, The Conversation, The Diplomat, Lawfare, Newsweek, NK News, Scientific American, and Vice.

Runa Sandvik

Founder of Granitt

Runa Sandvik is the founder of Granitt, a consultancy focused on security for civil society and at-risk people around the world. Her work builds upon experience from her time at the New York Times, Freedom of the Press Foundation, and the Tor Project. She’s a member of the Aspen Institute’s Global Cybersecurity Group and an advisor to the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s Technical Advisory Council. She writes an occasional newsletter called Glitch Cat and posts on X as @runasand.

Matthias Schulze

Head of the international cybersecurity research focus, Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy, University of Hamburg

Dr. Matthias Schulze is the head of the international cybersecurity research focus at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg. He was previously the deputy head of the Security Research Group at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs as well as principal investigator in the European Repository of Cyber Incidents project. In addition, he is a trained cybersecurity analyst and host of the Percepticon.de podcast, focused on cyber conflicts, cyber espionage, and disinformation.

Fabio Seferi

PhD candidate, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca and the University of Florence

Fabio Seferi is a PhD candidate in the Italian National PhD Programme in Cybersecurity at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca and the University of Florence, Italy. His research focuses on AI and cyber resilience regulatory sandboxes from a legal and practical perspective. He has been a visiting researcher at the European Commission’s AI Office from July to December 2024. Previously, he has worked as a cybersecurity consultant in the private sector (focusing on cyber governance, risk and compliance). He has also been a researcher at the US-based Center for AI and Digital Policy. He holds several postgraduate diplomas and industry certifications in areas such as information security (e.g., ISO 27001), and intelligence and homeland security.

Sara Seppanen

Research Analyst, Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)

Sara Seppanen is a research analyst at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Her work focuses on advancing the understanding of responsible cyber behaviour and examining the role of private actors in international cyber governance. She is particularly focused on how private companies influence the development of cyber statecraft and cloud policy. Sara holds an MA in Cyber Policy and Strategy, as well as a BA in War Studies from King's College London

Chandana Seshadri

DPRK-focused sanctions and financial crime researcher

Chandana Seshadri is an independent researcher and analyst specialising in the intersection of sanctions, financial crime, and cyber threats, with a particular focus on North Korea. Her work explores how illicit actors exploit global systems, especially through identity abuse, sanctions evasion, and cyber-enabled financial crime. Chandana has advised governments, financial institutions, and multilateral bodies on mitigating sanctions evasion and counter-proliferation finance risks. Her expertise spans Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) IT worker infiltration tactics, proliferation finance typologies, and the vulnerabilities of identity systems within the financial and non-banking sectors. Previously, she worked at the Centre for Finance and Security at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and at the Centre for Science and Security Studies at King’s College London, where she conducted open-source network analysis to support improved sanctions implementation.

Salma Shaheen

Teaching Fellow at King's College London

Salma Shaheen is currently teaching at the Department of Defence Studies, King’s College, London. She specialises in nuclear command and control and is the author of 'Nuclear Command and Control Norms'. Dr Shaheen regularly contributes to national and international newspapers and magazines. Her areas of research include the impact of emerging and disruptive technologies, nuclear non-proliferation, international security and deterrence, and strategic communications. Prior to starting her PhD at King’s, she worked as Assistant Director (research) in Pakistan's Arms Control and Disarmament Affairs directorate, Strategic Plans Division.

Abhishek Sharma

Ph.D. Scholar in Korean Studies, Delhi University

Abhishek Sharma is a Ph.D. Scholar in Korean Studies at the Department of East Asian Studies, Delhi University and a Research Associate with the Centre for Air Power Studies, a military think tank based in New Delhi. His doctoral thesis examines the Strategic Utility of North Korean cyber capabilities. His research interest focuses on the intersection of geopolitics and critical emerging technologies in the Indo-Pacific, particularly cyber capabilities, cyber crimes, and AI. He is a Non-resident Kelly Fellow at Pacific Forum and NASC Fellow at Takshashila Institution. Currently, he is working on a book project titled Minilaterals in Indo-Pacific and India: Perspectives, Power, and Prospects. He holds a First-Class Master’s degree in International Relations from South Asian University. In 2022, he was selected as the Quadmin Emerging Leader and an NCAFP Emerging Leader, where he contributed a policy brief on Quad's cyber cooperation and prospects and North Korea's Peace-time Cyber capabilities. His articles have been featured in several publications, including Nikkei Asia, NK News, The Diplomat, The National Interest, Observer Research Foundation, South Korea Pro, and 9Dashline.

Yuliana Shemetovets

Political Representative, Belarusian Cyber Partisans

Based in New York City, Yuliana Shemetovets is the political representative of the Belarusian Cyber Partisans. In her role, she coordinates platform building, cybersecurity, verification policies and manages communication strategies with media, civil, and political organizations. Yuliana is a panelist at Bloomberg, BBC, Harvard, Yale, NYU. In addition to her work with the Cyber Partisans, Yuliana is an active council member of the Kalinouski Regiment in Ukraine. A director of the organizing committee for the “Belarus Liberty” nonprofit organization, Yuliana is focused on using technology to empower civil societies and to advocate for human rights. Yuliana holds MA in Political Science and MS in Data Analytics.

Phil Sheriff

Former diplomat and army officer; PhD student, Royal Holloway, University of London

Phil Sheriff is a former diplomat and army officer, who is currently studying for a PhD at Royal Holloway, University of London, looking at the evaluation of international Cyber Capacity Building programmes.

Justin Sherman

Founder and CEO, Global Cyber Strategies

Justin Sherman is the founder and CEO of Global Cyber Strategies, a Washington, DC-based research and advisory firm. He is also a distinguished fellow at Georgetown Law's Center on Privacy & Technology, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Cyber Statecraft Initiative, and a contributing editor at Lawfare.

Ben Silverstein

Space Policy Analyst

Benjamin Silverstein is an independent space policy analyst. His prior roles within and outside the U.S. government focused on international cooperation on space security issues. His work has appeared in outlets such as Foreign Policy, Issues in Science and Technology, War on the Rocks, and SpaceNews. Silverstein completed his MA in international relations at Syracuse University and received his BA in international affairs from George Washington University.

John Speed Meyers

Head, Chainguard Labs

John Speed Meyers is the head of Chainguard Labs. He leads an applied R&D team focused on software supply chain security and open source software security. He previously led an open source software security research initiative at In-Q-Tel, advising the U.S. intelligence community about their dependence and symbiosis with free and open source software. He has a PhD in public policy from the Pardee RAND Graduate School, an MPA from Princeton University, and a BA in international relations from Tufts University. He has reluctantly accepted that software rules everything around him.

Elena Steiner

Associate Research Scientist, Global Security Initiative, Arizona State University

Dr. Elena Steiner is an associate research scientist at Arizona State University’s Global Security Initiative and a research fellow at Steinbeis School of Management and Technology, Germany. Formerly, she was faculty/lecturer at Regis University, Denver, Colorado and University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. She has authored and co-authored multidisciplinary articles and book chapters on intercultural and strategic communication. Currently, she is the primary investigator of the Minerva-funded project ‘Fusing Narrative and Social Cyber Forensics to Understand Covert Influence’.

Tim Stevens

Reader (Associate Professor) in International Security, King's College London

Dr. Tim Stevens is a reader (associate professor) in international security at the Department of War Studies, King’s College London, and director of the KCL Cyber Security Research Group. He is the author of many books and articles on cybersecurity politics, cyber strategy, and cyberwarfare. Tim is currently the principal investigator of the UKRI-funded project, ‘Cyber Statecraft in an Age of Systemic Competition’ (CyCRAFT) with KCL, RUSI, and the University of Bath. He is also a visiting professor at UNED (Madrid) and senior fellow at Cnam (Paris).

Juliana Suess

Research Fellow on Space Security, Military Sciences team, RUSI; Podcast host, War in Space

Juliana is the Research Fellow on Space Security as part of the Military Sciences team at RUSI and is the host of the podcast War in Space. She was previously Project Officer and Research Analyst at RUSI International. Her research interests include global space governance, sustainability, counterspace capabilities and space warfare. Juliana holds an MA in Conflict, Security and Development from King’s College London and a BA in Politics and International Relations from the University of Reading. Prior to joining RUSI, she was an intern for the Development, Concept and Doctrine Centre, the independent think tank of the Ministry of Defence. There she researched varied topic areas, including geo-strategic, security and stabilisation topics, as well as future and contemporary trends in warfare.

Alexandra Trantos

Political science student, Stonehill College

Alexandra Trantos is an undergraduate student studying political science at Stonehill College. She is currently working with Dr. Mhajne on a research project related to disinformation in the Israel-Hamas war.

Max van der Horst

Security Researcher, Dutch Institute for Vulnerability Disclosure (DIVD)

Max van der Horst is a Security Researcher that focuses on Vulnerability Intelligence, Geopolitical Risk Analysis, and mass-scale Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure. His involvement with the Dutch Institute for Vulnerability Disclosure (DIVD) and its Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) includes coordinating new and ongoing investigations into the public exposure of emerging vulnerabilities and their exploitation in the wild. Through his work, Max aims to support the development of a safer Internet by combining his technical knowledge with an understanding of the broader cyber threat landscape, ethical and legal considerations and collaboration with governments and academia.

Mauro Vignati

Advisor on New Digital Technologies of Warfare, International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC

In 2003 Mauro started working at the first unit of the Swiss Federal Police fighting cybercrime. Later on, he collaborated to the establishment of MELANI, Switzerland's first centre for public-private partnership on cybersecurity for critical infrastructure. Back in 2013, he set up and led the Cyber Threat Intelligence Division within the Department of Defence in Bern. In 2021, he was tasked to create the Vulnerability Management unit within the National Cyber Security Centre NCSC.ch, leading several projects, among them the first bug bounty program of the Swiss government. He then joined the International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC one year later, as advisor on new digital technologies of warfare.

Jelena Vićić

Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity, Institute of Security and Global Affairs, Leiden University

Jelena Vićić is an assistant professor of cybersecurity at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs at Leiden University. Her work examines international conflict, emerging technology, and national security.

Julian-Ferdinand Vögele

Threat researcher, Recorded Future

Julian-Ferdinand Vögele is a threat researcher with Recorded Future’s Insikt Group, specializing in malware research, threat hunting, and cyber threat intelligence. His work primarily focuses on malware analysis and the detection of malicious infrastructure. Prior to joining Recorded Future, he worked in IT security at Security Research Labs, where he was involved in security research and red team operations. Julian-Ferdinand holds a MSc in computer science from University College London. He is also a fellow of Virtual Routes (formerly ECCRI) and a scholar of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation.

Hannah-Sophie Weber

Junior Researcher, Virtual Routes

Hannah-Sophie Weber is a Junior Researcher at Virtual Routes. As a Master’s graduate (MPhil) and incoming doctoral candidate (DPhil) at the University of Oxford, she works on European cyber and foreign policy, specifically on public-private interaction and critical infrastructure. She holds two degrees of B.A. Political Science & B.A. Empirical Cultural Studies and European Ethnology from the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich. Prior positions include her roles at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), the German Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ) in Brussels, and the Center for International Peace Operations (ZIF).

Omree Wechsler

Senior Researcher, Tel Aviv University

Omree is a researcher at the Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center and a senior researcher at the Yuval Ne’eman Workshop for Science, Security and Technology at Tel Aviv University. He specializes in cyber threat intelligence and his research fields include national cyber strategies, cyber warfare, ransomware and counter-ransomware strategies, influence operations and cyber threats to elections, cyber threats to space systems, and the integration of AI and cybersecurity. Omree is a graduate of the CISO&DPO (Data Protection Officer) program at Bar Ilan University and a holder of the ISACA's Certified Information Security Manager and the Cloud Security Alliance's Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge certifications.

Ollie Whitehouse

Chief Technology Officer, UK National Cyber Security Centre

Ollie Whitehouse is the Chief Technology Officer of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre. He aims both to maintain the NCSC's role as the National Technical Authority for cyber security and provide influence in tackling the challenges of tomorrow. His career spans over 27 years in applied cyber-attack and defence, in addition to his role as a science advisor to wider government. Prior to joining the NCSC, Ollie held a portfolio of non-executive directorships and investment advisory positions in relation to British cyber interests. His operational tenures include over ten and half years at NCC Group as CTO, and at BlackBerry and Symantec. Ollie has given oral evidence to the UK Parliament Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy twice in 2017 and 2022 on matters related to cyber security.

Gavin Wilde

Senior Fellow in the Technology and International Affairs program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Adjunct Professor at the Alperovitch Institute for Cybersecurity Studies at Johns Hopkins University

Gavin Wilde is a senior fellow in the Technology and International Affairs program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where his research focuses on cyber, propaganda, emerging tech, and Russia-related issues. He is also an adjunct professor at the Alperovitch Institute for Cybersecurity Studies at Johns Hopkins University. He previously served as a director for Russia on the US National Security Council, and as a senior analyst in the US intelligence community.

Josephine Wolff

Associate Professor of Cybersecurity Policy, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University

Josephine Wolff is an associate professor of cybersecurity policy at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She is the author of two books, "You'll See This Message When It Is Too Late: The Legal and Economic Aftermath of Cybersecurity Breaches" (MIT Press, 2018) and "Cyberinsurance Policy: Rethinking Risk in an Age of Ransomware, Computer Fraud, Data Breaches, and Cyberattacks" (MIT Press, 2022). Her writing on cybersecurity has also appeared in the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, Slate, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Wired.

Nicolas Zahn

Managing Director, Swiss Digital Initiative

Nicolas Zahn works as Managing Director at the Swiss Digital Initiative and is also an independent digital expert. He holds a Master of Arts in International Affairs from the Graduate Institute Geneva. He is a board member, co-founder and member of various organizations and is especially active in democracy and net politics. He is an alumnus of the Swiss Study Foundation, a former Binding Fellow, a former fellow of the Mercator Kolleg for International Affairs, and an ECCRI European Cybersecurity Fellow. His work on bridging technology and politics was also acknowledged by being featured on the 35 under 35 list of CIDOB Barcelona & Banco Santander. He publishes on various digital & political topics in the Republic, NZZ & The Market, Handelszeitung and Schweizer Monat, among others.

Terms and Conditions for the AI-Cybersecurity Essay Prize Competition

Introduction

Eligibility

Submission Guidelines

Judging and Awards

Intellectual Property Rights

Data Protection

Liability and Indemnity

General Conditions

Governing Law