Islam Obaidat, Ph.D.

Working with me

What to expect, how to reach out, and what to read first, for prospective Ph.D. students, NC A&T undergraduates, and collaborators.

See also Join for the current call and Research Explorer for reading paths.

What the group works on

We secure embedded, IoT, and cyber-physical systems at the firmware, software, system, and network levels. Several projects built the attack first (DDoSim, DDoSimQ, DDoShield-IoT) before studying detection. Current projects include firmware and software security, network intrusion detection, and drone cybersecurity.

Prospective Ph.D. students

Openings are announced on the Join page and in the news feed, with open and close dates. When a call is open, the preliminary interest form is the only channel: it asks for a CV, unofficial transcripts, a research-interest and fit statement of 300 to 500 words, links to your work, and one optional work sample. Materials sent by email are not reviewed, and a second submission or a status inquiry does not help your case.

The call's required skills reflect the daily work: comfort in Linux, programming and debugging you can rely on, and a foundation in systems, networking, or security. C/C++, assembly, firmware analysis, embedded platforms, and machine learning are each an advantage, not a requirement. Shortlisted candidates are interviewed and may be asked to complete a brief, self-contained research-readiness assessment whose time commitment is stated in advance and which never feeds an active project.

  • Check the Join page first. If the current call is closed, the next one is TBA; watch the news feed rather than emailing to ask.
  • Write the fit statement about this group's work, not about cybersecurity in general. The reading list below is where to start.
  • Include links: a GitHub profile, a thesis, a technical report, or a project write-up says more than a paragraph of adjectives.

NC A&T undergraduates

Undergraduates have so far joined through programs: the CREO internship (Summer 2026), the ARROWS undergraduate research project (Summer 2025), NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (Summer 2023), and undergraduate research at UNC Charlotte (2018 and 2019). Students in my courses who want to go further are welcome to ask about the next cycle.

Collaborators and visitors

Email is the right channel for research collaboration, invited talks, and other professional matters. A short message that names the paper or system you have in mind gets a faster answer than a general introduction.

What to read first

Five papers give a fair picture of the group. Each is linked on the Publications page with its BibTeX, and the Research Explorer arranges them into longer reading paths.