Invited Speakers_2025
Asst. Prof. Affan Yasin, Xi'an jiaotong - Liverpool University, China
Bio: Dr. Affan Yasin completed his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (FAST-NUCES), Pakistan. He holds a Master’s degree in Software Engineering from Blekinge Tekniska Högskola in Sweden and a PhD in Software Engineering from Tsinghua University, China, where he studied under Prof. Wang Jianmin, Dean of the School of Software. Following his PhD, he continued at Tsinghua University as a postdoctoral fellow for 2 years and 5 months, working under the co-supervision of Associate Prof. Lin Liu. He later joined Northwestern Polytechnical University as a postdoctoral researcher under the guidance of Prof. Zheng Jiangbin, Dean of the School of Software at NPU. Dr. Affan’s research spans empirical software engineering, requirements engineering, human factors in security, social engineering and phishing attacks, education, game design, agent-based modeling, natural language processing, and interdisciplinary studies. He has published over 30 research papers in esteemed journals and conferences, including Information and Software Technology (CCF-B, Zone 2), Journal of Software: Process and Evolution (CCF-B), and IET Software (CCF-B). He has also contributed to Computer Fraud & Security, a security magazine indexed by ScienceDirect, and authored a book chapter published by Springer. Dr. Affan has served as a lead guest editor for journals such as Applied Sciences, Electronics, AI, and Computers, Materials & Continua (CMC). His research collaborations extend globally, involving researchers at institutions like the University of Hertfordshire (UK), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (Qatar), Mälardalen University (Sweden), Tsinghua University (China), Emerson University (Pakistan) and Universitas Airlangga (Indonesia).
Speech Title: Counteracting Phishing /Social Engineering Attacks Using Game-Based Education
Speech Abstract: How, in the era of AI, social engineering and phishing attack scenarios can be easily generated, posing significant challenges to cybersecurity. It will examine how game-based education can be an effective countermeasure, offering interactive, scenario-driven learning experiences that help participants recognize and respond to real-world threats in a controlled, risk-free environment. The session will highlight the potential of gaming strategy to enhance awareness, improve critical thinking, and reinforce secure behaviors.