Prof. Dr. Michael Waidner stands as a preeminent figure in cybersecurity research and leadership within the German and international academic landscape. He has served as Professor of Computer Science specializing in Security in Information Technology at Technische Universität Darmstadt since 2010, holding the Chair for Security in Information Technology. Concurrently, he directs the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology (SIT), establishing it as a premier European cybersecurity research institution. Prior to his academic appointment, Waidner held significant leadership roles at IBM Corporation from 1994 to 2010, culminating in his position as IBM Distinguished Engineer and Chief Technology Officer for Cybersecurity, where he chaired the IBM Security Architecture Board and shaped the company's global security strategy. Born in 1961 in Mühlacker, he earned both his diploma in 1986 and PhD in 1991 in Computer Science from the University of Karlsruhe, with his doctoral research focusing on Byzantine fault tolerance without cryptographic assumptions.
Professor Waidner's scholarly contributions have profoundly influenced the field through both theoretical foundations and practical security implementations. He is the inventor of 25 patents and author of over 160 scientific publications in leading conferences and journals, with research spanning cybersecurity, privacy, reliability, and cryptography. His work has shaped security architectures adopted by major technology companies and government institutions, effectively bridging the gap between academic research and real-world implementation needs. Since early 2024, he has served as Editor-in-Chief of ACM Transactions on Privacy and Security, one of the most prestigious journals in the cybersecurity field, further amplifying his influence on global research directions. His technical expertise in secure system design has been instrumental in developing frameworks that protect critical infrastructure against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats while advancing the theoretical underpinnings of information security.
As the founding director of ATHENE, Germany's National Research Center for Applied Cybersecurity established in 2019, Professor Waidner has positioned himself at the forefront of national cybersecurity strategy and research coordination. He serves in numerous advisory capacities for both government and industry, leveraging his unique perspective that bridges academia, research institutes, and corporate security practice. His recognition as a Fellow of the IEEE, Distinguished Scientist of the ACM, and member of acatech (German Academy of Engineering Sciences) underscores his standing as a thought leader in the field. Since 2017, he has additionally served as Chief Digital Officer of Darmstadt, applying his cybersecurity expertise to municipal digital transformation while advocating for secure digital infrastructure at the community level. Professor Waidner continues to drive the integration of cutting-edge security research with practical implementation needs, ensuring Germany's cybersecurity posture remains resilient against evolving threats while training the next generation of security professionals through his academic leadership.
