Vyas Sekar
Tan Family Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Vyas Sekar is a professor in the Department of Electrical and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, and is affiliated with the CyLab Security and Privacy Institute. His research is at the intersection of networking, security, and systems. Sekar's current research focuses on systems for accelerating the deployment of innovative network middleboxes, and designing content distribution mechanisms to improve user experience.
Sekar received his Ph.D. from the Computer Science Department at Carnegie Mellon University in 2010. He has been the recipient of multiple awards, including a National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2016. He earned his bachelor's degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, where he was awarded the President of India Gold Medal. His work has been recognized with best paper awards at ACM SIGCOMM, ACM CoNext, and ACM Multimedia. In addition to being a professor of electrical and computer engineering, Sekar is affiliated with the CyLab Security and Privacy Institute.
Network Security: Making the Internet a Safer Place
Improving Video Streaming
Education
2010 Ph.D., Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University
2003 BS, Computer Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Chennai
Affiliations
Research Interests
- access control and authorization
- AI and ML for security
- anonymity
- Applications of security and privacy
- authentication and passwords
- automotive and transportation security and privacy
- autonomy
- censorship resistance and measurement
- cloud security
- computer security
- computer/storage systems
- cyber physical systems security and privacy
- cyberphysical systems (CPS)
- cybersecurity + privacy
- digital twins
- distributed systems
- embedded systems security
- emerging applications security
- energy and critical infrastructure security
- Formal methods
- formal methods for security
- hardware security
- information networking
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- intrusion and anomaly detection and prevention
- IoT security and privacy
- manufacturing security
- Measurement and analysis
- ML and AI
- mobile and app security and privacy
- mobile systems
- network security
- protocol security
- secure systems
- security and privacy economics
- smart infrastructure
- software security
- systems security
- threat analysis and modeling
- Usability and human behavior
- verification
- web security
Media mentions
The Atlantic
Sekar on how cyberattacks could affect smart cars
CyLab/ECE’s Vyas Sekar explains how smart cars may be at risk of cyberattacks.
The Atlantic
Sekar quoted on EV cyberattacks
ECE’s Vyas Sekar discussed the potential cyber threats associated with connected electric vehicles.
CyLab Security and Privacy Institute
First round of Future Enterprise Security Initiative funded projects announced
CyLab’s Future Enterprise Security Initiative is underway as the first round of funded proposals has been announced.
CyLab Security and Privacy Institute
Nokia Bell Labs sponsors CyLab’s Future Enterprise Security Initiative
Nokia Bell Labs expands its partnership with Carnegie Mellon University, becoming a sponsor of CyLab's Future Enterprise Security Initiative.
Authority Magazine
Sekar featured in Authority Magazine
Vyas Sekar, Professor in CMU’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, was featured by Authority Magazine. In the article, he discusses how he became interested in cybersecurity, talks about his research, and offers thoughts on what must be done to protect critical industrial systems from cyber attacks.
Los Angeles Times
Sekar quoted on how hackers search for vulnerabilities
Vyas Sekar, Professor in CMU's Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, provides insight on how hackers search for vulnerabilities, explains the importance of security protocols, and shares ways entities can protect themselves against cyberattacks.
CMU-Africa
Afretec planning grants announced
The African Engineering and Technology Network, led by CMU-Africa, awarded six planning grants to research collaborations that will lead to socio-economic impact and focus on driving inclusive digital growth on the continent.
CyLab Security and Privacy Institute
Carnegie Mellon faculty, students present at the 31st USENIX Security Symposium
An overview of papers, authored by members of CMU's CyLab Security and Privacy Institute, being presented at the 31st USENIX Security Symposium
Best Life
Sekar talks cybersecurity on cell phones
ECE’s Vyas Sekar was quoted in Best Life on cybersecurity measures to protect your cell phone while out and about, particularly when using public charging stations. “It’s easy to modify the outlet if the attacker has physical access,” Sekar originally told the New York Times.
Sekar earns ACM SIGCOMM Test of Time Paper Award
ECE’s Vyas Sekar and fellow researchers have earned ACM SIGCOMM’s Test of Time Paper Award, recognizing the lasting impact of their study, which remains a “vibrant and useful contribution” in today’s streaming landscape.
CMU Engineering
CMU launches initiative to transform nanosatellite capabilities
Researchers at CMU’s College of Engineering are working to develop computationally capable constellations of nanosatellites, equipped with machine learning techniques that extract valuable insights from the data while still in orbit.
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Sekar earns IIT Madras Young Alumni Achiever Award
ECE’s Vyas Sekar has received the Institute of Technology Madras’ inaugural Young Alumni Achiever Award.