Training and career
Technical high school diploma obtained in 1989, with a score of 60/60.
Master Degree (100/100) cum laude, in Computer Engineering, obtained in July 1995 at the University of Bologna, defending a thesis on "A programming environment for real-time control of a high-dexterity robot" .
Qualification for the profession obtained in the second session 1995.
In February 2000, at the end of the regular three-year course, I got a PhD in Electronic and Computer Engineering, with the defense of the thesis "Public-key infrastructures for secure transactions over untrusted networks".
In 2001 I was hired as Researcher at the School of Engineering of the University of Bologna, a role for which I received permanent confirmation in 2004.
Since Dec. 20th, 2021 I am an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering of the same University.
Teaching activity
Between 1996 and 2004 I lectured in several classroom and lab courses in the fields of Computer Networks and Digital Systems.
Since 2005 I have contributed every year to the design of various IFTS courses, where I also taught systems administration.
My main university assignment is the course of System Administration Laboratory (bachelor degree course in Computer Engineering), which I designed in 2005 and have been teaching every year since then; in the a.y. 2020/2021 it has been redesigned to be complemented by Computer Security Laboratory, which I have also been teaching since then.
From 2017 I teach one of the modules of the Real Time OS course (International Master Degree course in Advanced Automotive Electronic Engineering)
I have taught several didactic modules related to computer security in various Masters and Advanced Training Courses.
From 2018/2019 I am the director of the First-level University Master in Cybersecurity: from design to operations and the coordinator for the Bologna branch of the Cyberchallenge.IT program.
Since a.y. 2022/2023 I am an Adjunct Professor at SDU where I am teaching Applied Cybersecurity
Scientific activity
My field of research is security of systems and networks. So far I have published about fifty articles in journals and at conferences of international relevance.
Projects in which I have recently been involved include:
- EINS NoE: Network of Excellence in Internet Science, funded by the EU under the 7FP, November 2011 - May 2015
- SMAll: Smart Mobility for All, funded by EIT Digital, January-December 2016
- SACHER: Smart Architecture for Cultural Heritage in Emilia-Romagna, funded by the Emilia-Romagna Region, April 2016 - July 2018
- I4S - Securing Industry 4.0, funded by the Emilia-Romagna Region, July 2019 - July 2021
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- IGNITE5.0: "Intelligent and Secure Networking for Industry 5.0", December 2023 - December 2026
- D.A.I.MON (as a team leaded for Unibo): "A.I. applications to monitoring and test automation of next-generation networks", funded by MIMIT - October 2023 - October 2026
- CRI4.0 (as a team leaded for Unibo): "Cyber Range per Industria 4.0", funded by the Emilia-Romagna Region, December 2023 - December 2026
I was Visiting Researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute from Sep. 15th to Oct. 4th, 2013
I am a supervisor of six research fellows and co-supervisor of six Ph.D. students.
Participation in scientific committees
Reviewer for Computing Surveys, Mobile Information Systems, Journal of Network and Computer Applications
IEEE International Symposium on Computers and Communications (ISCC) - member of the TPC since 2005
E-voting Conference (EVOTE), now EVOTE-ID - member of the TPC since 2014
Applied Computer Security Conference (ACSAC) - auditor from 2000 to 2006
Institutional activities and academic assignments
Since 2005: responsible for the management of students in Computer Engineering Courses (bachelor and master's degree) going abroad to study under the Erasmus and Overseas programs
Since 2010: member of the Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research - ICT
Since 2012: member of the DISI Services, Networks and Systems Commission
Since 2018:
- Responsible for the Erasmus exchange with TU Eindhoven
- Coordinator of the Bologna node of the National Cybersecurity Laboratory
- Representative of Unibo at the European Cyber Security Organization
- member of the DISI executive committee (ended May 2021)
Since 2022: Member of the teaching council in the PhD program of National Interest in Cybersecurity
Industrial relationships
From 2015 onwards I was responsible for several commissioned research contracts, aimed at the technological transfer of skills on the issues of high-availability systems, of management of infrastructures based on public clouds, of security of automotive systems, and of penetration testing.
Thanks to these, I have acquired a total of almost 1 million Euro in funds, which have financed research grants, a three-year PhD scholarship, and standard research expenditure.
