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In the wireless network realm, the avenues of attack are vast, and Evangelos Bitizkias is looking to block as many pathways as possible.
Smartphones are amazing pieces of technology, but they are ripe for attack by individuals looking to steal your valuable information, track your location and spread misinformation.
Evangelos Bitsikas, a doctoral student and cybersecurity researcher at Northeastern University, has spent the last few years uncovering some of those vulnerabilities and risks.
Last year, he published research into how hackers can easily track people’s cellphone locations through SMS messaging. He has also collaborated with the Federal Communications Commission and uncovered that the Emergency Alert System used to notify the public about hurricanes and other issues of public interest can be suppressed or spoofed by bad actors.
In the wireless network realm, the potential avenues of attack are vast, and Bitsikas is looking to shut down and block as many pathways as possible.
“These attacks can be used by any kind of malicious actor, and the more resourceful the organization, the worse it is,” he says.
He now has the support of one of the country’s most high-profile technology companies in pursuing those efforts.
He has been awarded the prestigious Google PhD Fellowship, a multiyear program the company offers to help doctoral students around the world pursue their research.
As part of the program, Bitsikas will be partnered with a Google mentor to help him continue his work in wireless networks and will have the opportunity to tap into the company’s vast network of resources.
He is the second Northeastern student to receive the honor since the program’s inception in 2014, according to Northeastern computer sciences professor Aanjhan Ranganathan.
“It’s a really competitive and, in my opinion, highly prestigious fellowship,” he says. “Previous year fellowship graduates have all gone on to become pioneers in their own field. Some have started their own companies. Some have become very successful faculty.”
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Ranganathan nominated Bitsikas for the fellowship.
“I think some of the best characteristics that have helped Bitsikas reach this achievement is that he is very curious, very passionate, extremely hardworking and dedicated,” he says.
Bitsikas’ wireless network research areas extend further than just security space; he is in the process of developing a 5G network for drones and he is also interested in exploring how satellites can better utilize 5G networks as well.
In the case of drones, Bitsikas says, there are a myriad of ways they could be used, including for package deliveries and for surveying dangerous locations.
Google is a world leader in wireless networking technologies, as showcased by its plethora of products ranging from Gmail and Google FI to Android and its Pixel line of phones, Ranganathan highlights.
“What Evangelos is working on, which is the security and privacy of security and cellular networks, is very closely tied to what Google does,” he says.