CYBERGY FAU Summer School 2026

By participating in this summer school, attendees will:

• Understand the architecture and cybersecurity challenges of modern critical infrastructures and smart grids.
• Explore emerging threats targeting operational technology (OT), industrial control systems (ICS), and cyber-physical systems.
• Learn how artificial intelligence impacts both cyber defense and cyber threats.
• Gain practical experience with network monitoring, intrusion detection, adversary simulation, and threat modelling.
• Understand current developments in quantum computing and post-quantum cryptography.
• Apply cybersecurity concepts through hands-on exercises and real-world scenarios.
• Network with international experts and fellow participants from academia and industry.

Day 1 – Foundations of Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity

• Critical Infrastructure & Smart Grids
• OT/ICS Security
• Threat Landscape

Day 2 – Smart Buildings & Network Security

• Smart Building Security
• BACnet Security
• Network Detection & Adversary Simulation
• Hands-on Lab

Day 3 – AI & Quantum Security

• Corporate AI Threats
• Quantum Computing & PQC
• Invited Expert Talks

Day 4–5 – Threat Modelling

• Threat Modelling Methodologies
• Risk Assessment
• Hands-on Workshops
• Final Exercises

To ensure participants can fully engage with the program and benefit from the training, the following foundational knowledge is recommended:

• Cybersecurity Fundamentals
  A basic understanding of cybersecurity concepts such as threats, vulnerabilities, attack vectors, and protection mechanisms.
• Computer Science Basics
  Familiarity with operating systems, networking, and basic programming concepts.
• Operating Systems
  Experience working with Linux and/or Windows environments.
• Networking Fundamentals
  Basic understanding of TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP, routing, and network architectures.

• Participants should bring their own laptop.

The following software should be installed before the summer school:

• Python 3
• Docker
• VirtualBox
• Vagrant

Participants should also be able to install additional Python libraries (e.g., BACpypes3) if required during the hands-on sessions.

Dr.-Ing. Loui Al Sardy
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Germany

Dr.-Ing. Loui Al Sardy is the Head of the Network Security Research Group at the Lab of Computer Networks and Communication Systems, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). His research focuses on network security, software security testing, blockchain security, and cybersecurity for critical infrastructures.

Prior to his current role, he was a Research Associate at the Chair of Software Engineering, contributing to the BMBF-funded SMARTEST and SMARTEST2 projects on securing software-based control systems. He is also the Co-Founder and COO of Sakundi, an AI-driven blockchain cybersecurity startup, and actively contributes to the cybersecurity community through professional and international organizations.

Mamdouh Muhammad, M. Sc.
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Germany

Muhammad Mamdouh is currently working as a research assistant at the Chair of Computer Networks and Communication Systems. He obtained his Master’s degree from Technische Universität Ilmenau in Thuringia, Germany. His current PhD research focuses on the application of artificial intelligence in the field of cybersecurity.

Dr. Abdelkader Shaaban
Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), Austria

Abdelkader Shaaban is a Scientist at the Centre for Digital Safety and Security (DSS) at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. He received his PhD in Computer Science from the University of Vienna, specialising in cybersecurity engineering in the automotive domain. His research focuses on structured threat analysis, security requirements engineering, AI-driven security assessment, and regulatory compliance for cyber-physical critical systems.

His work systematically aligns technical system development with international standards (ISA/IEC 62443, ISO/SAE 21434, ISO/IEC 27001) and emerging European regulatory frameworks such as the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and the AI Act.

He has contributed to and is currently contributing to multiple national and European research and innovation projects, including AIMS5.0, EDEN, CyberSecPro, Labyrinth, KITT, and INSTAR, as well as several additional publicly funded and industry-partnered initiatives. As part of these activities, he co-developed ThreatGet, a structured threat modelling and security analysis tool supporting security-by-design processes across automotive, industrial, railway, and IoT domains.

Prof. Andrés Marín López
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Spain

Andrés Marín López received his degree in Telecommunications Engineering from the ETSIT (School of Telecommunications Engineering) of the UPM (Technical University of Madrid) in 1992 and his PhD in 1996 from the same university. He completed his FPU (University Program Funding) grant from the Ministry of Education at UC3M (Carlos III University of Madrid), where he continued his research activities and began lecturing in Computer Engineering and Telecommunications Engineering programs. At UC3M, he specialized in security issues as a co-founder in 2000 of the ubiquitous computing laboratory (Pervasive) in the Telematics Engineering Department of UC3M School of Engineering).

After 26 years as a tenured professor at UC3M, he returned to the UPM to the RSTI (Research and Security in Telecommunications Engineering) group at the ETSIT UPM. His research interests focus on network security and the study of new quantum-resistant encryption (PQC) algorithms. Over the past ten years, she has published several articles, including 14 in JCR-indexed journals. He frequently collaborates on research projects. Actually he is the principal researcher of the national research funded project RAMONES-CM, and is collaborating with the UE funded EUCINF Project.

Dr. Herson Esquivel Vargas
Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica (TEC), Costa Rica

Herson is an adjunct professor and researcher at the Costa Rica Institute of Technology (TEC), where he is part of the management and teaching staff of the Cybersecurity Master’s Program. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in cybersecurity and leads TEC’s cybersecurity research group, El Hackatorio.

He earned his PhD in Cybersecurity from the University of Twente, the Netherlands. His research collaborations with both industry and academic partners include the Siemens CERT, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security, among others.

Dr. Xavier Larriva-Novo
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Spain

Dr. Xavier Larriva-Novo is a Permanent Professor at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM). He received his M.Sc. in Cybersecurity in 2018 and his Ph.D. in Telematic Systems Engineering in 2022, both from UPM. He has been involved in several research projects funded by European and Spanish public bodies related to network systems, service management, application and design, as well as network security, machine learning and high-performance computing, along

with various national projects focused on cybersecurity and defense. He is the author of more than 30 technical publications in national and international journals and conferences. He has received several awards, including the Best Doctoral Thesis Award granted by the UPM Chair with CESEDEN (Spanish Center for National Defense Studies), Ingeniero General D. Antonio Remón y Zarco del Valle, as well as the Extraordinary Doctorate Award granted by the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

Siddique Reza Khan

Siddique Reza Khan is a certified cybersecurity expert and Master’s graduate with over eight years of experience in IT and Operational Technology (OT) security. He specializes in helping organizations
transform complex cyber risks into practical security solutions, with expertise in critical infrastructure protection, industrial control systems (ICS), IoT security, threat modeling, cloud security,
and cyber risk management.

Professor Helge Janicke

Professor Helge Janicke is an internationally recognised cybersecurity leader, researcher, and entrepreneur dedicated to advancing digital resilience across industries and governments. He is the founder of Janicke Consulting, where he develops Corporates Compromised®, an innovative cybersecurity awareness simulation designed for executives and boards. This program is widely adopted across government and corporate sectors, helping leaders make informed decisions in high-stakes cyber crisis scenarios.

Helge is a Professor of Cybersecurity at Edith Cowan University (ECU), where his work focuses on critical infrastructure security, operational technology resilience, and secure digital transformation.

Previously, Helge was the CEO and Research Director of the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre (CSCRC), where he oversaw a $100 million national research portfolio. In this role, he built strong industry, government, and academic partnerships that advanced Australia’s cybersecurity capabilities and drove innovative solutions to market. Recognised as the leading researcher in Computer Security and Cryptography in The Australian’s 2024 Top 250 Researchers list, Helge continues to influence national and international cybersecurity strategy, policy, and education. Helge was nominated as a finalist in the 2025 American Chamber of Commerce awards in the Cyber Security category.

Helge is passionate about bridging the gap between research and technical innovation and ensuring organisations and their leaders are prepared for the challenges of the evolving digital landscape.

Zakhar Bernhardt

Zakhar is an Operational Technology (OT) security and SIEM expert with approximately 10 years of experience in the field. Throughout his career, he has worked extensively with both IT and OT environments.

He is best known as the creator of LabShock, a highly regarded platform built to help people learn about, visualize, and test OT infrastructure. Zakhar developed LabShock to address a major industry challenge: big companies often struggle to build safe testing environments for newcomers to learn about OT. His platform allows users to connect hardware or virtual PLCs, visualize protocols like

Modbus, simulate cyber attacks, and train security teams in a hands-on way. Additionally, Zakhar has a strong public presence in the cybersecurity community. He is recognized for his active work on LinkedIn, where he regularly publishes articles, shares his theories, and posts updates about his projects to educate other OT defenders.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lamya Abdullah

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lamya Abdullah is a Professor at Provadis University of Applied Sciences in Germany, where she teaches and conducts applied research in fundamental subjects, privacy, and various systems design. She previously held research positions at Technische Universität Darmstadt and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), following her Marie Skłodowska-Curie doctoral research in privacy-preserving systems.

Her work focuses on systems engineering, with particular interests in threat modelling, Privacy by Design, privacy engineering, secure architectures, and human-centered designs. She has experience in both academic research and industrial R&D, designing solutions for distributed systems, cloud platforms, and medical data sharing, etc.
At the summer school, she will share approaches to threat modelling, helping participants systematically identify security and privacy risks, analyse attack surfaces, and integrate security and privacy considerations into system design from the earliest development stages.

• Learn from internationally recognized cybersecurity experts.
• Gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art tools and methodologies.
• Explore real-world cybersecurity challenges in critical infrastructures.
• Expand your professional and academic network.
• Receive an official certificate of participation.
• Discover current research trends and future challenges in smart-grid cybersecurity.

Who can join the CYBERGY Summer School?
Master students, PhD students, researchers, and professionals interested in cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection.

Is there a participation fee?
No. Participation is free of charge.

Will I receive a certificate?
Yes. Participants who successfully complete the summer school will receive an official certificate of participation.

What should I bring?
A laptop and enthusiasm for learning and collaboration.

How do I apply?
Applications will be handled through StudOn. Registration details will be announced soon.