Amir Rahmati, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Science
Stony Brook Universityy

Computer networks, especially industrial control system (ICS) networks, are increasingly targeted by large-scale systematic attacks initiated by Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs). These attackers leverage automation tools to scan for vulnerable and launch attacks to infiltrate and disrupt these networks. In this talk, I will discuss how system security researchers can keep up with this evolving landscape and showcase some of my lab's recent work on understanding and detecting malicious bots. I will explore how we can build and roll out research infrastructure to measure bot activities at scale and later use our newfound understanding to develop practical solutions to counter them. Finally, I will highlight how we can apply similar research principles to areas such as online scams and misinformation.

Amir Rahmati is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Stony Brook University, where he leads the Ethos Security & Privacy lab. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science & Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2017. His research focuses on understanding emerging security and privacy threats in computer systems and building practical solutions to tackle these challenges. His work has resulted in tens of publications and patents, as well as thousands of citations. Rahmati’s research is supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), Office of Naval Research (ONR), Meta, and IBM. His research has received frequent attention from media outlets, including MIT Technology Review, Washington Post, and Bloomberg. His work on the security of autonomous driving systems is part of the permanent display at the London Science Museum.

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