Ohio State's cybersecurity-focused institute gets new leader
In January 2020, The Ohio State University established the Institute for Cybersecurity and Digital Trust (ICDT) to organize the university’s immense data security assets, more effectively collaborate with partners statewide and focus on preparing cybersecurity industry talent.
Three years later, ICDT has a new leader. Computer Science and Engineering Professor Zhiqiang Lin has been named the institute’s inaugural director, effective immediately.
A College of Engineering Distinguished Professor and prominent figure in the field of cybersecurity, Lin is director of Ohio State's Computer Security Laboratory, which is affiliated with the Center for Automotive Research, the Translational Data Analytics Institute and the NSF AI Institute for Future Edge Networks and Distributed Intelligence. He is the founding faculty advisor of the Women in Cybersecurity chapter and has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the College of Engineering's 2022 Harrison Faculty Award for Excellence in Engineering Education and Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award. Recently he also was named an ACM Distinguished Member.
“In the presence of constant threats that seek to compromise the security of computer systems, networks, mobile and everyday household devices, we need to be at the forefront of research to stymie these attacks,” said College of Engineering Associate Dean for Research Andre Palmer. “ICDT will serve as a hub to catalyze cutting-edge research to combat these vulnerabilities. As a cybersecurity leader, Prof. Lin has an intimate knowledge of the cybersecurity landscape and the breath of expertise to lead ICDT researchers engineering solutions to these rapidly evolving security threats.”
Lin’s research focuses on cybersecurity, with an emphasis on advancing program analysis to solve security problems. His work covers the entire software stack from firmware, operating systems, to applications ranging from the web to the Internet of Things. With more than 140 papers published, he has made numerous contributions to the field. For example, Lin led a team of cybersecurity researchers that discovered a large number of cell phone applications contain hardcoded secrets allowing others to access private data or block content provided by users. More recently, his team discovered a decade-old vulnerability in Bluetooth devices, including smartphones, which allows cyber attackers to track a user’s daily movement.
Lin’s research is supported by funding from National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, Department of Transportation, and several industry leaders including Amazon, Cisco and VMware.
“I am extremely pleased to be selected to lead ICDT,” Lin said. “I plan to leverage the resources and expertise at Ohio State to drive its growth and success. By focusing on organizing the university's cybersecurity assets, collaborating with partners and stakeholders, and preparing the next generation of cybersecurity talent, I believe that ICDT will become a leading force in the field, contributing to the protection of important data and systems in Ohio and beyond.”
