Dr Jair Santanna, principal researcher at Northwave Cybersecurity and assistant professor in the Design and Analysis of Communication Systems (DACS) group within the Faculty of EEMCS, has been appointed to Europol's European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) Advisory Board on Research and Development. This recognition highlights UT's role in advancing cybersecurity research and strengthening collaboration between academia and law enforcement.
Established in 2013, EC3 is Europol's specialised unit combating cybercrime within the European Union. The centre focuses on cyber-dependent crimes, child exploitation, payment fraud, and Dark Web criminality. Santanna's appointment highlights his expertise in cybersecurity and cybercrime, and his contributions will assist in developing advanced strategies to strengthen Europe's digital landscape against emerging threats.
Bridging research and real-world security challenges
Santanna’s early research on investigating DDoS attacks as a service is still used by law enforcement worldwide (ex. FBI and the Dutch High Tech Crime unit police) in operations known as “PowerOff.” He is one of the creators of the Dutch anti-DDoS coalition, the DDoS Clearing House, and its technical components, including DDoSDB, DDoS fingerprints, and fingerprint converters. In 2021, the European Commission recognised the DDoS Clearing House as a key innovation. Additionally, he was named one of the “Top Young Talented Engineers of the Netherlands” by Het Koninklijk Instituut Van Ingenieurs in 2018.
With years of experience in cybersecurity research and collaboration with law enforcement, Santanna brings valuable insights to EC3. His work has concentrated on addressing complex cyber threats and recently, on automating cybersecurity processes with Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models. His involvement with Europol's advisory board will further bridge the gap between academic research and practical law enforcement applications, ensuring that innovative solutions translate into real-world security improvements.
Reflecting on his appointment, Santanna shared: “I’m thrilled to share this incredible milestone, which reflects years of hard work and collaboration in the cybersecurity field. Being selected for this advisory group is not only a personal achievement but also a recognition of the value in blending research, innovation, and practical application to tackle real-world challenges.”
The University of Twente and the Faculty of EEMCS congratulate Santanna on this achievement and look forward to his contributions to strengthening European cybersecurity!
