SecHuman "Security for People in Cyberspace"

SecHuman – Security for People in Cyberspace is a research school that was funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia during its first funding phase (2016–2020) and its second funding phase (2021–2024). The official project period for SecHuman has ended; it was successfully completed in December 2024.

Research in Tandem

The SecHuman Research School is based on an innovative tandem concept. In each tandem, a doctoral researcher from a technical field works together with a doctoral researcher from the humanities or social sciences. In addition to the six tandem doctoral projects, there is another dissertation project that examines the extent to which knowledge integration occurs in interdisciplinary work.

The concept of tandem doctoral programs at the SecHuman Research School as an “enabler” for advances in security research was cited, among other places, in the 2017 report by the U.S. National Academies Foundational Cybersecurity Research: Improving Science, Engineering, and Institutions, as a pioneering model for the urgently needed expansion of interdisciplinary security research.

About the Research School SecHuman

At SecHuman, 13 doctoral researchers investigate technical and societal issues in IT security within an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research environment. The goal of the research group is to examine not only the technological aspects of IT security but also the opportunities and consequences for people, society, and culture. To ensure the socio-political and practical relevance of the research, the group collaborates with numerous practitioners from business, politics, and civil society.

Group photo from the SecHuman Summer School 2024. Several people are standing on outdoor stairs in front of green foliage.

Group photo of the SecHuman team at the 2024 Summer School. Copyright: SecHuman/RUB, Marquard

Eva Wolfangel stands at the lectern in front of a screen displaying Google search suggestions; the audience is seated facing her, with a banner bearing the word “Bochum” and the event backdrop visible.

The SecHuman closing symposium on October 1, 2024. Copyright: SecHuman/RUB, Marquard

Three Achievements of the SecHuman Research School

A flagship project at Ruhr University Bochum characterized by its interdisciplinary and holistic approach. This holistic exploration of Cyber Security—ranging from cryptographic fundamentals to human-centered security—inspired, among other things, the successful establishment of the CASA (Securing the Digital Society) Cluster of Excellence at RUB
High international visibility and publication of interdisciplinary papers at the following top-tier conferences:
- ACM CHI. Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (2023, 2024, 2025)
- USENIX Security Symposium (2023)
- USENIX SOUPS. Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security (2020, 2022, 2023)
Expansion of international networking as well as networking within the regional ecosystem of the Research Alliance Ruhr

Team

Professors

Research Tandem: IT Security Solutions and Risk Management in Organizations

Prof. M. Angela Sasse

Spokesperson
Human-Centred Security
Faculty of Computer Science
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Cognitive Aspects of Hacking

Prof. Christof Paar

Deputy Spokesperson
Embedded Security
Faculty of Computer Science
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Ethical Vulnerability Analysis: Automated Methods and Ethical Guidance

Prof. Thorsten Holz

System Security
Faculty of Computer Science
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Protecting Against Re-Identification When Linking Data

Prof. Maike Buchin

Theoretical Computer Science
Faculty of Computer Science
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Private Autonomous Decision-Making as a Security Risk

Prof. Markus Dürmuth

Mobile Security
Faculty of Computer Science
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Author Profiles of the Writers of Hateful Speech

Prof. Dorothea Kolossa

Cognitive Signal Processing
Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Author Profiles of the Writers of Hateful Speech

Prof. Karin Pittner

German Linguistics
Faculty of Philology
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: IT Security Solutions and Risk Management in Organizations

Prof. Annette Kluge

Work and Organizational Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Cognitive Aspects of Hacking

Prof. Nikol Rummel

Educational Psychology and Technology
Faculty of Philosophy and Educational Research
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Ethical Vulnerability Analysis: Automated Methods and Ethical Guidance

Jun.-Prof. Sebastian Weydner-Volkmann

Ethics of Digital Methods and Technologies
Faculty of Philosophy and Educational Research
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Protecting Against Re-Identification When Linking Data

Prof. Estrid Sørensen

Centre for Anthropological Knowledge in Scientific and Technical Cultures (CAST)
Faculty of Social Sciences
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Private Autonomous Decision-Making as a Security Risk

Prof. Tobias Gostomzyk

Media Law
Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences
TU Dortmund

Research Tandem: Author Profiles of the Writers of Hateful Speech

Dr. Kerstin Kucharczik-Kohrt

German Linguistics
Faculty of Philology
Ruhr University Bochum

Metapromotion

Prof. Marcel Hunecke

General Psychology, Organizational and Environmental Psychology
Faculty of Applied Social Sciences
FH Dortmund

PhD researchers at the Research School - SecHuman II Research Tandems (2021-2024)

Research Tandem: IT Security Solutions and Risk Management in Organizations

Jonas Hielscher

Human Centered Security
Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Cognitive Aspects of Hacking

René Walendy

Embedded Security
Faculty of Computer Science
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Ethical Vulnerability Analysis: Automated Methods and Ethical Guidance

Johannes Willbold

System Security
Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Protecting Against Re-Identification When Linking Data

Lukas Plätz

Theoretical Computer Science
Faculty of Computer Science
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Private Autonomous Decision-Making as a Security Risk

Leona Lassak

Mobile Security
Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Author Profiles of the Writers of Hateful Speech

Wentao Yu

Cognitive Signal Processing
Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
Ruhr University Bochum

Metapromotion

Olga Skrebec

Faculty of Applied Social Sciences
FH Dortmund

Research Tandem: IT Security Solutions and Risk Management in Organizations

Uta Menges

Work and Organizational Psychology
Faculty of Psychology
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Cognitive Aspects of Hacking

Markus Weber

Educational Psychology and Technology
Faculty of Philosophy and Educational Research
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Ethical Vulnerability Analysis: Automated Methods and Ethical Guidance

Kaya Cassing

Ethics of Digital Methods and Technologies
Faculty of Philosophy and Educational Research
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Protecting Against Re-Identification When Linking Data

Jan Schmutzler

CAST - Centre for Anthropological Knowledge in Scientific and Technical Cultures
Faculty of Social Sciences
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Private Autonomous Decision-Making as a Security Risk

Hanna Püschel

Media Law
Institute for Journalism
TU Dortmund

Research Tandem: Author Profiles of the Writers of Hateful Speech

Nora Giljohann

German Linguistics
Faculty of Philology
Ruhr University Bochum

PhD researchers at the Research School - SecHuman I Research Tandems (2016-2020)

Research Tandem: Security and Privacy after Snowden

Benedikt Auerbach

Fundamentals of Cryptography
Faculty of Mathematics
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: What do Social Networks and Sensors Reveal About Us

Alexander Helm

Cryptology and IT Security
Faculty of Mathematics
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Linguistic Strategies of Imitation and Disguise

Benedikt Bönninghoff

Cognitive Signal Processing
Institute of Communication Acoustics
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Learning Processes in IT Security

Steffen Becker

Embedded Security
Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Privacy as a Human Right

Christine Utz

System Security
Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Digital Oblivion

Florian Farke

Mobile Security
Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
Ruhr University Bochum

Metapromotion

Olga Skrebec

Faculty of Applied Social Sciences
FH Dortmund

Research Tandem: Security and Privacy after Snowden

Mary Shnayien

Theory, Aesthetics, and Politics of Digital Media
Institute for Media Studies
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: What do Social Networks and Sensors Reveal About Us

Laura Kocksch

Cultural Psychology and Knowledge Anthropology
Social Sciences
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Linguistic Strategies of Imitation and Disguise

Steffen Hessler

German Linguistics
Institute for German Studies
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Learning Processes in IT Security

Carina Wiesen

Educational Psychology
Institute of Educational Science
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Privacy as a Human Right

Stephan Koloßa

Faculty of Law
Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict
Ruhr University Bochum

Research Tandem: Digital Oblivion

Jan Rensinghoff

Media Law
Institute for Journalism
TU Dortmund

Research Coordination

Person mit schulterlangen gewellten Haaren und schwarzem T-Shirt vor unscharfem Hintergrund. Es handelt sich um Wissenschaftskoordinatorin Mirjam Stricker.

Mirjam Stricker
Research Coordinator