Teaching

Doctoral Students

My Former PhD Students

• Prof. Dr. Tobias Schmidbauer: Novel Sophisticated Network-level Covert Channels, FernUniversität in Hagen. Defended: Apr-19, 2023. (Second advisor: Jörg Keller, FernUniversität in Hagen).
  • Became a research professor at TH Nürnberg in 2024.

External Reviewer of Doctoral Committees

I was external reviewer for the following PhD student evaluations:

• Dr. Damjan Fujs, University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), Faculty of Computer and Information Science, Thesis: Tailoring security-related software requirements and training based on security categorization of users, external reviewer Nov-2021 – Mar-2024 (regular meetings), defended: Mar-2024.
• Dr. Marco Zuppelli, University of Genoa (Italy), Dipartimento di Informatica, Bioingegneria, Robotica ed Ingegneria dei Sistemi. Thesis: Detection and Mitigation of Steganographic Malware, external reviewer, defended: Nov-2022.
• Dr. Saffija Kasem-Madani, University of Bonn (Germany), Institute Computer Science IV, Thesis: Massgeschneiderte Nutzbarkeitserhaltende Pseudonymisierung, external reviewer, defended: Oct-2022.
• Ass. Prof. Dr. Aleksandar Velinov, Goce Delčev University of Štip (North Macedonia), Faculty of Computer Science, Thesis: Security improvement of IoT Communications by Analysis of Network Covert Channels, external reviewer in Jul-2021.

Bachelor/Master Theses

I am currently offering thesis topics within, but not limited to, the following areas:

• Internet censorship (measurement and circumvention)
• network covert channels
  • You can take my online class before writing a thesis on this topic.
• security of smart buildings / Internet of Things (IoT) / smart cities
• design and implementation of extensions for selected open source software projects
• topics under the umbrella of my funded projects

All mentioned topics require either network-level programming skills, knowledge of network protocols and/or skills in information security. In general, I support the open source release of developed code (under the condition of a good code quality). I support the publication of scientific results. Moreover, I encourage my students to give public talks about their work. Good written and oral communication in the English language, coupled with relevant skills in the chosen research field are considered a strong advantage. As a researcher who encourages collaboration, progress and originality, I do not sign any NDAs (“Sperrvermerke”) anymore (starting April, 2019).

Classes taught

University of Ulm (2024-)

• Internet Censorship (2024-)

FernUniversität in Hagen (2011-2025)

• 01731 Network Steganography (M.Sc. program; winter 2021/22 - winter 2024/25)
• Seminar 01952 ``Metriken für Software-Qualität und -Sicherheit’’ (Part II, 15 seminar students, winter term 2023/24).
• 01599b Information Security Practicum (M.Sc. program; winter term 2022/23, examining group 2)
• Theses advisor (since 2011)

Worms University of Applied Sciences (2016-2024)

• Security of Distributed Systems and the Internet-of-Things (M.Sc., 2023-2024)
• Network Information Hiding (M.Sc., 2023)
• Cryptography (B.Sc., 2016-2023)
• Mobile Security (M.Sc., 2018-2024)
• Security and Privacy in the Internet of Things (M.Sc., occasionally)
• Network Security (B.Sc., 2017-2024)
• Computer Networks/Networks and Information Security (B.Sc., 2016-2020)
• Operating Systems (B.Sc., 2016-2023)
• Machine Learning (B.Sc., occasionally)
• MSc Seminar II (M.Sc., occasionally)
• Research Seminar in Computer Science (organizer: 2019-2023)
• Team-oriented project (B.Sc., occasionally)

NTNU/COINS PhD Summer School (2018)

I contributed a full-day lecture on my covert channel research to the COINS PhD summer school on Lesvos (Metochi monastery annex).

Akademie at Biberach University of Applied Sciences (2017-2021)

• Part of Building Automation Networks, M.Eng. program (summer 2017-summer 2021)

University of Bonn (2014-2016)

• Advanced IT-Security (M.Sc. program; contributed selected lectures on network security over multiple semesters summer 2015-summer 2016)
• Master Lab advisor (summer 2015-summer 2016)
• Master’s Project with Seminar advisor (winter 2014/15)
• Advisor of several theses and seminar students (summer 2014-summer 2016)

Augsburg University of Applied Sciences (2011-2014)

• Data Communication (summer 2011-summer 2014)
• Tunneling and Covert Channels (winter 2013/14)
• Project Groups (co-supervision; summer 2011-summer 2013)
• Environmental Computer Science (co-supervision; summer 2013)
• Research Methodology 101 (part of Startklar program; winter 2012/13)
• Linux Basics (for bureau of women’s representative; several years in a row)