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Research

Research Interests

My research advances a cohesive vision for securing mission-critical cyber-physical systems through integrated, end-to-end approaches that span infrastructure, communications, identity and trust, adaptive defense, and human-centered cybersecurity training. Rather than treating these areas as separate problems, my work connects them into a unified agenda that seeks to ensure trustworthy, resilient, and intelligently adaptive operation of modern interconnected systems.

This agenda brings together foundational security architectures, AI-driven sensing and response, robust communication protocols, privacy-preserving identity and trust mechanisms, and immersive education platforms that prepare both systems and operators to meet evolving threats.

Across this agenda, my research explores:

Research Projects

These active and past funded research projects collectively reflect my unified research agenda: securing mission-critical cyber-physical systems through resilient infrastructure protection, trustworthy next-generation communications, adaptive intelligent defense, and human-centered cybersecurity education. Each project contributes to this cohesive vision by advancing a different layer of the same overarching goal: ensuring trustworthy, resilient, and adaptive operation across interconnected and high-stakes environments.

Across this agenda, my research explores:

THRUST 1: Secure and Resilient Cyber-Physical and IoT Systems

This thrust focuses on the safety, reliability, and resilience of mission-critical systems such as smart grids, water treatment plants, industrial automation, and IoT-driven environments in the presence of cyber threats, failures, and operational disruptions. Our work integrates real-time constraints, adaptive security controls, digital twins, and system monitoring to ensure continuous and resilient operation.

Selected Projects:

Zero Trust Defense Framework for Real-Time CPS
Adapting zero trust principles to time-critical environments where strict scheduling, safety requirements, and uninterrupted operation must be preserved.
Role: Lead PI
Moving Target Defense for Mission-Critical CPS
Developing adaptive moving target defense strategies that maintain system performance while reducing attacker predictability.
Role: PI
Smart Grid and Water Treatment Security
AI-driven vulnerability analysis and mitigation supported by a physical infrastructure testbed that models real industrial components for research and experiential learning.
Role: Co-PI
Quantum-Resilient Security for Smart Farming
Exploring hybrid post-quantum cryptography and secure gateways within agricultural sensing and automation systems.
Role: PI

THRUST 2: Trustworthy NextG Communications and Wireless Security for CPSs

This thrust focuses on securing wireless systems that support cyber-physical operations, from Wi-Fi and IoT networks to emerging 5G and 6G infrastructures. We study authentication, rogue infrastructure detection, secure handoff mechanisms, and situational awareness in contested or safety-critical wireless environments.

Selected Projects:

Rogue Base Station Detection and Community Wireless Intelligence
Lightweight analytics and cooperative sensing methods to identify unauthorized or malicious access points and base stations.
Role: Lead PI
Trustworthy Base Station as a Service for 5G Networks
Secure support and verification for drone-mounted or temporary base stations using strong authentication and trust-anchored communication.
Role: Lead PI
Cross-Organization 5G Virtualization for Cybersecurity Training
A virtualization and SDN-driven platform enabling shared access to advanced 5G and IoT testbeds across multiple institutions for cybersecurity experimentation and education.
Role: Lead PI

THRUST 3: Human-Centered Security, Privacy, and AI-Enabled Cyber Operations

This thrust integrates cybersecurity with human cognition, adaptive learning, privacy engineering, and decentralized identity to strengthen human decision-making in mission-critical environments. The focus is on designing systems that support operators, protect sensitive data, and use AI to enhance usability, situational awareness, and training effectiveness.

Selected Projects:

Self Sovereign Identity and Privacy-Aware Data Ecosystems
Tools for decentralized identity management, secure data access, and AI-assisted privacy decision-making.
Role: Lead PI
Future Cybersecurity Educators (FCSE) Pipeline
A multi-tier educator-mentor program for graduate students, cadets, and high-school learners, supported by student-built CPS testbeds and AI-driven training tailored to cognitive style, skill level, and workforce objectives.
Role: Lead PI
Voice Based Social Networks Security
Investigating privacy, trust, and identity challenges in voice-based communication platforms used in mission-critical healthcare and collaborative environments.
Role: PI

Research Collaborations

Dr. Azab leads high-impact, interdisciplinary research initiatives that bring together faculty, students, and strategic partners from leading universities, industry innovators, and government agencies. His teams are known for their exceptional productivity, technical depth, and ability to deliver meaningful, real-world contributions across cybersecurity, cyber-physical systems, wireless resilience, immersive training, and privacy-aware technologies.

These collaborations go beyond traditional academic partnerships, uniting complementary expertise, merging research infrastructures, and cultivating a culture of innovation that accelerates scientific discovery, translates ideas into practice, and prepares the next generation of cybersecurity leaders.

Collaborative Focus Areas:

Representative Academic Partners:

Examples of recent institutions engaged in joint proposals, collaborative research, and co-authored publications. These collaborators reflect high-impact, multi-institution efforts that emphasize depth, sustained engagement, and complementary expertise.

Virginia Tech
Collaboration on secure smart grid operations, SCADA protection, cyber-physical system scheduling under security constraints, and advanced immersive cybersecurity learning environments, with emphasis on human-centered and extended-reality computing.
Old Dominion University (ODU)
Joint efforts in next-generation data and identity management systems, advanced wireless technologies, resilient IoT infrastructures, and mission-critical communication networks for cyber-physical resilience.
The University of Arizona
Partnerships focused on privacy, safety, and inclusive design for secure wireless communication networks and emerging cyber-physical systems.
William & Mary
Cooperative research in machine-learning and AI-driven decision systems, trusted data-sharing frameworks, and computational methods that support community-scale cybersecurity and resilience.
Morgan State University
Collaborations in operational security with practical, real-world cybersecurity use cases, cybersecurity analytics, and extensive student engagement across joint research and project activities.

Google Scholar: View my full list on Google Scholar

Researcher Id: H-2423-2018

Selected Publications

Selected Journal Articles

  • Ghourab, E. M., Azab, M., Gračanin, D., Alhussein, O., Al-Qutayri, M., & Muhaidat, S. (2025). Extended reality-aware wireless communication networks: A systematic literature review. IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society.
  • Ponnuru, R. B., Palaniswamy, B., Azab, M., Palmieri, P., & Roedig, U. (2025). Protecting DNP3-SAB (SAv6): A Quantum-Safe Hybrid Authentication Protocol With Moving Target Defense. IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics.
  • Ghourab, E. M., Azab, M., Gračanin, D., Al-Qutayri, M., & Muhaidat, S. (2025). Cross-Layer Management Framework for Enhancing XR-Based System Security in Zero-Trust Wireless Communications. IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications.
  • Ghourab, E. M., Azab, M., & Gračanin, D. (2025). A Quantum Key Distribution Routing Scheme for a Zero-Trust QKD Network System: A Moving Target Defense Approach. Big Data and Cognitive Computing, 9(4), 76.
  • Ibrahim, Y., Abdel-Malek, M. A., Azab, M., & Rizk, M. R. (2025). Privacy-preserved mutually-trusted 5G communications in presence of pervasive attacks. Internet of Things, 30, 101491.
  • Fathalla, E., & Azab, M. (2025). Decentralized Trace-Resistant Self-Sovereign Service Provisioning for Next-Generation Federated Wireless Networks. Information, 16(3), 159.
  • Ponnuru, R. B., Kumar, S. A., Azab, M., & Alavalapati, G. R. (2025). BAAP-FIoT: Blockchain Assisted Authentication Protocol for Fog-enabled Internet of Things Environment. IEEE Internet of Things Journal.
  • Donekal Chandrashekar, N., Lee, A., Azab, M., & Gracanin, D. (2024). Understanding User Behavior for Enhancing Cybersecurity Training with Immersive Gamified Platforms. Information, 15(12), 814.
  • Fathalla, E., & Azab, M. (2024). Beyond Classical Cryptography: A Systematic Review of Post-Quantum Hash-Based Signature Schemes, Security, and Optimizations. IEEE Access.
  • Abdel-Malek, M. A., & Azab, M. (2024). UAV-fleet management for extended NextG emergency support infrastructure with QoS and cost aware. Internet of Things, 25, 101043.
  • Fathalla, E. S., Azab, M., Xin, C., & Wu, H. (2023). PT-SSIM: A proactive, trustworthy self-sovereign identity management system. IEEE Internet of Things Journal, 10(19), 17155–17169.
  • Magdy, Y., Azab, M., Hamada, A., Rizk, M. R., & Sadek, N. (2022). Moving-target defense in depth: pervasive self-and situation-aware vm mobilization across federated clouds in presence of active attacks. Sensors, 22(23), 9548.
  • Azab, M., Samir, M., & Samir, E. (2022). “MystifY”: A proactive Moving-Target Defense for a resilient SDN controller in Software Defined CPS. Computer Communications, 189, 205–220.
  • Abdel-Malek, M. A., Sayed, M. M., & Azab, M. (2022). UAV-based privacy-preserved trustworthy seamless service agility for NextG cellular networks. Sensors, 22(7), 2756.
  • Samir, E., Wu, H., Azab, M., Xin, C., & Zhang, Q. (2021). DT-SSIM: A decentralized trustworthy self-sovereign identity management framework. IEEE Internet of Things Journal, 9(11), 7972–7988.
  • Ghourab, E. M., Azab, M., & Ezzeldin, N. (2021). Blockchain-guided dynamic best-relay selection for trustworthy vehicular communication. IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, 23(8), 13678–13693.
  • Samir, M., Azab, M., & Samir, E. (2021). SD-CPC: SDN controller placement camouflage based on stochastic game for moving-target defense. Computer Communications, 168, 75–92.
  • Ghourab, E. M., & Azab, M. (2020). Benign false-data injection as a moving-target defense to secure mobile wireless communications. Ad Hoc Networks, 102, 102064.
  • Abed, A. S., Azab, M., Clancy, C., & Kashkoush, M. S. (2020). Resilient intrusion detection system for cloud containers. International Journal of Communication Networks and Distributed Systems, 24(1), 1–22.
  • Ghourab, E. M., Azab, M., & Mansour, A. (2019). Spatiotemporal diversification by moving-target defense through benign employment of false-data injection for dynamic, secure cognitive radio network. Journal of Network and Computer Applications, 138, 1–14.
  • Jones, D., Gračanin, D., & Azab, M. (2024, October). Augmented Reality Research: Benefit or Detriment for Neurodiverse People. In 2024 IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality Adjunct (ISMAR-Adjunct) (pp. 26–28). IEEE.
  • Sarshartehrani, F., Lee, A., Azab, M., Watkins, T., & Gračanin, D. (2024, October). Towards immersive cybersecurity workforce development for mission-critical IoT Systems. In 2024 IEEE 15th Annual Ubiquitous Computing, Electronics & Mobile Communication Conference (UEMCON) (pp. 0176–0182). IEEE.
  • Mukherjee, R., Azab, M., & Chantem, T. (2024, October). Enabling Moving Target Defense for Real-Time CPS Security. In 2024 IEEE 15th Annual Ubiquitous Computing, Electronics & Mobile Communication Conference (UEMCON) (pp. 636–642). IEEE.
  • Behravan, M., Mohammadrezaei, E., Azab, M., & Gračanin, D. (2024, October). Multilingual Standalone Trustworthy Voice-Based Social Network for Disaster Situations. In 2024 IEEE 15th Annual Ubiquitous Computing, Electronics & Mobile Communication Conference (UEMCON) (pp. 264–270). IEEE.
  • King III, K., & Azab, M. (2024, June). SafeSpace, the Smart Caretaker: An AI-Driven Safe and Comfortable Environment for the Well-Being of Alzheimer’s and Dementia Patients. In International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (pp. 358–369). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
  • Chandrashekar, N. D., King, K., Gračanin, D., & Azab, M. (2023, October). Design & development of virtual reality empowered cyber-security training testbed for IoT systems. In 2023 3rd Intelligent Cybersecurity Conference (ICSC) (pp. 86–94). IEEE.
  • Sayed, M. M., Kashkoush, M. S., & Azab, M. (2020, November). Towards resilient adaptive vehicular fog computing. In 2020 11th IEEE Annual Information Technology, Electronics and Mobile Communication Conference (IEMCON) (pp. 0681–0685). IEEE.
  • Azab, M., Ergawy, R. R., Ghourab, E. M., Mokhtar, A., & Rizk, M. (2019, October). Towards blockchain-based multi-controller managed switching for trustworthy SDN operation. In 2019 IEEE 10th Annual Information Technology, Electronics and Mobile Communication Conference (IEMCON) (pp. 0991–0998). IEEE.
  • Saad, O. A., Etman, A. A., Abdel-Malek, M. A., & Azab, M. (2025, January). A Proactive Crowdsourcing Framework for Fake Base Station Detection and Avoidance. In 2025 IEEE 15th Annual Computing and Communication Workshop and Conference (CCWC) (pp. 00814–00820). IEEE.
  • Fathalla, E., Jorgensen, M., Harvey, S., & Azab, M. (2025, January). Towards a Quantum-Resistant HashBlock Signature Scheme for Secure IoT Applications. In 2025 IEEE 15th Annual Computing and Communication Workshop and Conference (CCWC) (pp. 00970–00976). IEEE.
  • Bordeaux, K., Manning, J., Noonan, A., & Azab, M. (2024, June). SmartSecur: Integrating an Empatica Watch to Enhance Patient Physical Security. In International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (pp. 251–258). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
  • Barker, J., Hamada, A., & Azab, M. (2021, October). Lightweight proactive moving-target defense for secure data exchange in IoT networks. In 2021 IEEE 12th Annual Information Technology, Electronics and Mobile Communication Conference (IEMCON) (pp. 0317–0322). IEEE.
  • Farr, Z., Azab, M., & Samir, E. (2020, November). Blockchain-based cooperative autonomous detection of suspicious vehicles. In 2020 11th IEEE Annual Information Technology, Electronics and Mobile Communication Conference (IEMCON) (pp. 0188–0192). IEEE.
  • Magdy, Y., Kashkoush, M. S., Azab, M., & Rizk, M. R. (2020, May). Anonymous blockchain based routing for moving-target defense across federated clouds. In 2020 IEEE 21st International Conference on High Performance Switching and Routing (HPSR) (pp. 1–7). IEEE.

Student Supervision

Dr. Azab mentors graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and emerging scholars across projects involving smart grid and SCADA security, wireless and IoT resilience, post-quantum cryptography, and immersive cybersecurity training.

The following list highlights recent research group members and alumni who have contributed to these efforts.

Current Graduate Students & Postdoctoral Researchers

  • Raveendra Babu Ponnuru — Postdoctoral Researcher
  • David Jones — PhD Student
  • Stephanie T. — PhD Student
  • Fatemeh Sarshartehrani — PhD Student
  • Rajarshi Mukherjee — PhD Student
  • Samson Adeoye — PhD Student
  • Amal Hamada — PhD Student
  • Salma Samy — PhD Student
  • Salwa Mohamed — PhD Student
  • Fatma Zahran — PhD Student

Graduate Alumni

  • Youmna Ibrahim — MSc (2025)
  • Esraa Ghourab — MSc (2019), PhD (2024)
  • Mai Abdel-Malek — Postdoctoral Researcher (2024)
  • Efat Fathalla — PhD (2024)
  • Kenneth King III — MSc (2024)
  • Rana Ergawy — MSc (2024)
  • Yousra Magdy — MSc (2023)
  • Juwon Park — MSc (2022)
  • Noha Ezzeldin — MSc (2020)
  • Mohamed Samir — PhD (2019)
  • Moataz Khalil — PhD (2019)
  • Mona Kashkoush — MSc (2018)
  • Amal Hamada — MSc (2019)
  • Fatma Zahran — MSc (2019)
  • Salwa Mohamed — MSc (2020)
  • Salma Samy — MSc (2020)