Dr. Tarini Saka, PhD
Chair for Security & Privacy of Ubiquitous Systems
Address:Ruhr University Bochum
Faculty of Computer Science
Security & Privacy of Ubiquitous Systems
Universitätsstr. 150
D-44801 BochumRoom: MC 4.130Email: tarini.saka at ruhr-uni-bochum.dePersonal Website: https://tarinisaka.github.io/
Research
My research focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence, user behavior, and security. AI technologies and tools are increasingly used in everyday tasks, but they pose new risks that must be considered during their use and integration. There is an urgent need to study current practices for deploying AI technology, understand the resources available to users for safe AI usage, and educate both users and organizations on safer practices. In my research, I examine this interaction from a security and privacy perspective.
During my PhD, I explored organizational phishing mitigation, leveraging AI and natural language processing (NLP) to develop tools for threat detection, attack mitigation, and user guidance. By integrating human-computer interaction (HCI) principles, I designed user-centric solutions to enhance security practices. I am always excited to work in the phishing domain, so feel free to contact me if you’re interested in this topic.
Thesis Supervision
If you are interested in writing a Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis in my research area, feel free to contact me via email. Please consult our full list of thesis topics .
Bridging the Gap Between Email Security Research and Organizational Practice
Contact: Tarini Saka (Email: tarini.saka@rub.de )
See Details
This project investigates how organizations currently implement email-security measures and how these practices align with user-focused solutions proposed in research. Through a mixed-methods approach of combining surveys and follow-up interviews, the study aims to map real-world defences, understand barriers to adopting advanced security features, and identify gaps between academic recommendations and operational practice. The findings will help guide future, practice-informed email-security research.
Using LLMs to Provide Real-time Phishing Guidance to Non-German Speakers [Not Available]
Contact: Tarini Saka (Email: tarini.saka@rub.de )
See Details
This study investigates how large language models (LLMs) can assist non-German speakers in detecting and understanding phishing emails written in German. By combining machine translation, context-aware analysis, and email threat detection, our system provides real-time guidance, highlighting suspicious elements and offering actionable insights. The aim is to bridge the language barrier, enhancing phishing awareness and cybersecurity for international users in Germany. A user study will assess its effectiveness in improving security decision-making and reducing phishing susceptibility.
Analyzing Browser Extension Behavior in AI-Assisted Email Environments
Contact: Tarini Saka (Email: tarini.saka@rub.de)