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Cyber Horizons Summary

Cyber Horizon Sessions 2025: Advancing Cybersecurity and AI

The Cyber Horizons event brought together experts and early-career researchers to explore the evolving landscape of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

This two-day event, part of the CSIT Doctoral Training Programme Spring School, featured a series of insightful talks and interactive workshops aimed at addressing pressing challenges and fostering innovation in the field.

Day 1: Navigating Emerging Threats and Ethical Implications

Abeba Birhane opened the sessions by examining the societal impact of computer vision research. Through an analysis of three decades of research papers and patents, she highlighted how advancements in computer vision have inadvertently fueled mass surveillance technologies. Birhane emphasized the ethical responsibilities of researchers in mitigating these unintended consequences.​

Junqing Zhang discussed lightweight security solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT). He introducephysical layer security techniques, including radio frequency fingerprint identification (RFFI) and key generation from wireless channels, as effective methods for authenticating and securing low-power IoT devices without relying on traditional cryptography.​

Paul Smith delivered a compelling session on Digital Innovation in the Nuclear Sector, highlighting how technologies like AI, digital twins, and smart sensors are reshaping nuclear energy to support energy security and net-zero goals. While these advancements promise operational efficiencies, he cautioned that they also introduce significant cybersecurity risks. Smith argued for a systems-thinking approach to resilience—one that looks beyond the technology to address broader security challenges across digitalised critical infrastructure.

Roberto Doriguzzi Corin addressed the challenges of applying machine learning in dynamic cybersecurity environments. He focused on the "open-world" problem, where models must adapt to evolving threats and adversarial attacks. Corin proposed strategies for developing robust ML models capable of detecting novel threats and mitigating adversarial perturbations.​

Olivier Compagnon from Qualcomm delivered an engaging talk titled "Hardware Security Introduction – Do You Trust the Root?", focusing on the foundational role of hardware-based trust in cybersecurity. He highlighted how secure hardware elements, like roots of trust, underpin the integrity of digital systems but also come with their own challenges and vulnerabilities. The session emphasized the importance of verifying and securing the hardware layer as a critical component of building resilient, end-to-end security architectures.

 

Day 2: Empowering Researchers and Promoting Well-being

Alberto Huertas Celdran  discussed Decentralised Federated Learning: Opportunities and Security Challenges introduced a new AI paradigm that removes the need for a central coordinator, enhancing scalability, fault tolerance, and fairness. 

The remainder of the second day shifted focus to professional development and personal well-being.

A panel discussion titled "Cyber Futures: Charting Your PhD Path" featured early-career researchers Rachel Abbott, Mark Lennox and Jack Miskelly sharing insights on career planning, networking, and overcoming challenges during the PhD journey

Jamie Pei conducted two interactive sessions:​

"Confident Conferences": This session provided strategies for effective communication, handling challenging questions, and networking at academic events.​

"Working Less, Accomplishing More": Pei introduced the R.E.St Reset framework—Rest, Energise, Stop—to help researchers manage their time, maintain energy, and prevent burnout.​

Erin McElvogue concluded the event with "The MYND Movement", an interactive workshop focusing on mindfulness, self-reflection, and stress relief techniques to enhance mental and physical well-being.​

The Cyber Horizon Sessions 2025 underscored CSIT's commitment to advancing cybersecurity research and supporting the development of future leaders in the field. By addressing both technical challenges and personal growth, the event fostered a holistic approach to tackling the complexities of cybersecurity and AI.

GET IN TOUCH
For more information on the CSIT DTP please contact the DTP Programme Manager Adele Ward on a.ward@qub.ac.uk 
CSIT DTP Spring School
  • CSIT DTP Spring School
  • Cyber Horizons Summary
  • Session Descriptions Day 1
  • Session Descriptions Day 2
  • Location Details
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Contact Us

Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT)
Queen's University of Belfast
Northern Ireland Science Park
Queen's Road, Queen's Island
Belfast
United Kingdom
BT3 9DT

Phone: +44 (0) 28 9097 1700 
Fax: +44 (0) 28 9097 1702 
Email: info@csit.qub.ac.uk 
Web: https://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/csit/

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