Research Laboratory for Advanced Cyber Systems and Usable Security (ACSUS Lab)
Robinson Hall, 3rd floor

About ACSUS Lab

ACSUS Lab is a research group in the Department of Computer Science at Rowan University where we delve deep into the realms of cybersecurity, usable security, systems security, distributed systems security, self-sovereign digital identity, and digital equity. We pioneer the design of innovative computer networks, distributed systems, authentication, and communication protocols with an emphasis on fundamental security and privacy. We recognize the crucial role of human cognition in cybersecurity, so we work on ensuring that security is not only robust but also user-friendly and intuitive. Our commitment to a more inclusive digital space drives us to ensure that our cybersecurity measures are practical, realistic, and holistic. Moreover, we actively research the development of distributed systems that champion equity, ensuring they are free from bias, discrimination, and are universally accessible.

RECENT NEWS

  • 6/17/2024: Dr. Ivanov has accepted the invitation to serve as a Blockchain track chair at IEEE ICPADS 2024.
  • 5/15/2024: Maryam M. Ahmed has received the 2024 Computer Science Research Ambassador Award. Congratulations, Maryam!
  • 5/7/2024: Jill Surti joined ACSUS Lab as an Undergraduate Researcher.
  • 5/7/2024: Sushanth Ambati joined ACSUS Lab as an Undergraduate Researcher.
  • 4/30/2024: Our NSF project "CRII: SaTC: A Framework for Usable Self-Sovereign Digital Identities" is funded! Thank you, NSF!
  • 3/15/2024: Our paper "Multi-Turn Hidden Backdoor in Large Language Model-powered Chatbot Models" is accepted to ACM AsiaCCS 2024!
  • 1/31/2024: Michael Lim joined ACSUS Lab as an Undergraduate Researcher.
  • 1/29/2024: Dr. Ivanov is invited to serve as a reviewer at IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics & Security (TIFS), a flagship Security Journal.
  • 1/16/2024: Tyler Fewer joined ACSUS Lab as an Undergraduate Researcher.
  • 1/16/2024: Bijayata Shrestha joined ACSUS Lab as a M.S. Thesis Researcher.
  • 1/16/2024: Maryam Ahmed joined ACSUS Lab as a PhD Researcher.
  • 11/03/2023: Croce Randazzo joined ACSUS Lab as an Undergraduate Researcher.
  • 09/05/2023: Dr. Ivanov is invited to serve as a TPC Member at SECUREWARE 2023.

TEAM


Dr. Nikolay (Nick) Ivanov

Dr. Nikolay (Nick) Ivanov

Assistant Professor, ACSUS Lab Director
E-mail: ivanov@rowan.edu
Phone: 856-256-4500 ext. 53548

Website: https://nick-ivanov.com


Sky Waterpeace

Sky Pelletier Waterpeace

Ph.D. Student, Graduate Researcher
E-mail: waterpeace@rowan.edu

Sushanth Ambati

Sushanth Ambati

4+1 Student, Graduate Researcher
E-mail: ambati23@students.rowan.edu

Website: GitHub


Michael Lim

Michael Lim

B.S. Student, Undergraduate Researcher
E-mail: limcar44@students.rowan.edu

Website: LinkedIn


Jill Surti

Jill Surti

B.S. Student, Undergraduate Researcher
E-mail: surtij13@students.rowan.edu

Website: LinkedIn

ACSUS LAB ALUMNI

RESEARCH PROJECTS

Usable Self-Sovereign Digital Identity (SSDI) Management
Machine Learning-Based Blockchain Forensic Investigation
Stochastic Testing of BFT Consensus in Sybil Adversarial Environments
Cross-Verifiable Blockchain Oracles
Private Key Generation Based on Non-Alphanumeric Mnemonics
Modern-World Approach to Usable Security
ML-Based Risk Assessment of Out-of-Gas Exceptions in Ethereum

More to come very soon...