I began my academic journey in Palestine, completing high school in 2013 and earning a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Birzeit University in 2017. I then worked as a teacher assistant at Birzeit University from 2017 to 2020. In 2020, I moved to Germany for a Master’s degree at the University of Passau, graduating in 2022. In 2023, I began my PhD at the University of Passau, continuing the academic path I had started during my Master’s studies. My doctoral research is centered on automotive security, particularly in the context of the RESURREC project. RESURREC, a project under Resilience World, aims to enhance the resilience of safety-critical systems such as autonomous vehicles against cyberattacks. More information about RESURREC can be found here​​​​​​​.

My PhD work, supervised by Prof. Katzenbeisser in the Chair of Computer Engineering, focuses on developing a run-time risk assessment framework for automotive systems as part of the RESURREC project. The primary objective is to create an online risk assessment method that estimates the risks of ongoing cyberattacks in safety-critical real-time systems. This research aims to enhance the understanding of how attacks can propagate within these systems and improve decision-making processes regarding their security. Ultimately, I seek to ensure that our risk assessment scheme complies with established safety guidelines while contributing to the resilience of automotive systems against potential cyber threats. Additionally, I will apply mitigation strategies based on the risk assessment results to further enhance system security.

Some of my key research interests in this area include:

• Developing novel risk assessment models for safety-critical systems
• Analyzing the interdependencies between assets in autonomous vehicles
• Investigating the impact of emerging threats on risk profiles
• Creating frameworks for real-time risk assessment to inform security decisions

Are you interested in this research area and considering starting work on your thesis? Feel free to contact me at yaman.qendah@uni-passau.de to discuss it in more detail.

Are you looking to gain practical experience in automotive security and risk assessment research? I am seeking motivated student to join our team as student assistant!

If you're interested in learning more about this opportunity, please check our chair's job portal about the position and reach out to me at yaman.qendah@uni-passau.de.