Profile
Vladislav Mladenov is a security researcher and educator with a focus on practical IT security, combining protocol security, data/application security, and applied teaching in cybersecurity.
Core Expertise
- Security and privacy of networked systems and identity protocols.
- Threat intelligence for data and application security.
- Security of document ecosystems (PDF, OOXML, OpenDocument) and related processing software.
- Practical teaching and lab-driven cybersecurity education.
Career Highlights
- Since 11/2024: Research Group Leader, Ruhr University Bochum.
- Since 08/2025: Habilitation equivalence (RUB).
- Long-term postdoctoral work in network and data security.
- Industry consulting and training in IT security since 2015.
Research Highlights
- 30+ peer-reviewed papers, including top-tier venues.
- Extensive work on SSO, APIs, document security, and secure data processing.
- Ongoing work on automated large-scale analysis and malware detection weaknesses.
Teaching Highlights
- 10+ years of university teaching in German and English.
- 2024 Excellent Teaching Award (RUB).
- 2022 winner of the 5x5000 competition for the e-Hacking platform.
- Practical teaching formats with hands-on security exercises and research integration.
Awards and Service
- Excellent Teaching Award (2024).
- Multiple best paper distinctions and broad PC/sub-review service.
- Active involvement in standardization and community groups.