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Cyber Security

There is a wide range of security research happening in Liverpool, ranging from automated verification of programs and protocols through secure multi-party computation to network security and physical layer and telecoms security.

Purpose

Cyber Security research at Liverpool spans a diverse range of areas, including automated verification of software and protocols, secure multi-party computation, network and systems security, and physical layer and telecommunications security. Our work combines theoretical foundations with practical applications to address emerging threats in an increasingly interconnected world.

Our research

Our research focuses on both foundational and applied aspects of cyber security. Key themes include:

Software and Systems Security

  • We develop techniques to identify, analyse, and mitigate vulnerabilities in software and operating systems. This includes secure software development practices, automated vulnerability detection, program analysis, and runtime protection mechanisms. Our work aims to improve the security of complex, large-scale systems in real-world environments.

Cryptography and Privacy

  • Our research explores the design and analysis of cryptographic protocols that ensure confidentiality, integrity, and privacy. This includes work on secure multi-party computation, privacy-preserving data sharing, and applied cryptography for modern distributed systems. We focus on enabling secure collaboration without compromising sensitive information.

Network and Distributed Systems Security

  • We investigate security challenges in networked and distributed environments, including cloud systems, IoT, and next-generation communication infrastructures. Our work addresses secure communication protocols, intrusion detection, and resilience against large-scale attacks.

Formal Methods and Verification

  • We apply mathematically rigorous techniques to verify the correctness and security properties of software and protocols. This includes automated verification tools and formal modelling approaches that help detect subtle flaws early in the design process, particularly in safety- and security-critical systems.

Malware Analysis and Threat Intelligence

  • Our research focuses on understanding, detecting, and mitigating evolving cyber threats. We develop advanced techniques for malware analysis, behavioural modelling, and threat intelligence to proactively defend against sophisticated attacks.

Identity Management and Trust in Distributed and AI Systems

  • We investigate mechanisms for secure identity management, authentication, and access control in modern digital ecosystems. This includes identity and trust frameworks for distributed systems, federated environments, and emerging LLM-powered agent systems. A key focus is ensuring that autonomous and semi-autonomous agents can be reliably identified, authorised, and audited, enabling secure interaction, accountability, and governance in AI-driven applications.

We aim to bridge the gap between theory and practice, ensuring our research has real-world applicability and impact.

Our Team

  • Wanpeng Li
    • Web security, Software Security, System Security, Malware Analysis, Vulnerability Detection, Identity Management, Applied Cryptography.
  • Alexei Lisitsa
    • Formal Methods for Security, Distributed Systems Security, Applied Cryptography, AI for Security.
  • Alan Marshall
    • Networks & Cybersecurity, Wireless communications, Edge Processing & Analytics, Multi-Sensory Environments.
  • Miguel López-Benítez
    • Mobile and wireless communication technologies (4G/5G/6G), Smart cognitive technologies for dynamic and shared spectrum access, Wireless Internet of Things, Applications of artificial intelligence to communication systems.
  • Junqing Zhang
    • Wireless security, physical layer security, key generation from wireless channels, radio frequency fingerprint identification, physical layer authentication, Wi-Fi sensing, mmWave radar sensing.
  • Valerio Selis
    • Internet of Things, trust management, machine-to-machine communications, human-to-thing interactions, wireless and molecular communications, network security.
  • Huynh Nguyen
    • Physical layer security, Mobile computing, Edge intelligence, and Applied AI.
  • Sven Schewe
    • Formal Methods for Security, Security of AI, AI for Security.
  • Dominik Wojtczak
    • Formal Methods for Security, Authorisation & Accountability, AI for Security.

Partnerships and collaborations

  • Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Luxembourg
  • Nankai University, China

 Opportunities 

We welcome opportunities to engage with students, researchers, and industry partner:

  • PhD opportunities: Please contact us if you are interested in pursuing a PhD in automata and/or games.
  • Postdoctoral and visiting researchers: We encourage applications from researchers interested in short- or long-term visits. We also welcome applications interested in pursuing a fellowship hosted at Liverpool.
  • Consultancy and research collaborations: We are open to partnerships with academia, industry, and government.
  • Workshops and networks: We regularly organise seminars, reading groups, and international workshops to advance knowledge exchange.

Contact Us

Please discuss with relevant academic staff if you are interested in their research.