Groundbreaking Findings

"Something to be proud of"

Some of the most cited – and most influential – research produced at the University of New Haven is the result of its Cyber Forensics Research and Education Group, which, in just the two years since it was founded, has quickly risen to become one of the top such research labs in the world.

Led by Ibrahim "Abe" Baggili, Ph.D., Elder Family Endowed Chair, assistant dean and associate professor of computer science, the group, comprising students and faculty, has been published extensively in such publications and conferences as the Journal of Digital Investigation, the Digital Forensic Research Workshop, and the International Conference of Availability, Reliability, and Security (ARES). The research lab also hosted the National Conference on Digital Forensics.

The lab was the first to create an open-source tool drone, the DJI Drone, which is already being used by outside entities, according to Baggili. The Artifact Genome Project, launched by the group this summer, is a centralized hub meant to connect forensics specialists around the globe so that they can share digital information and learn from one another.

"It’s a huge initiative that collects digital artifacts and helps connect investigators," said Baggili, who earlier established the first cyber forensics research lab in the United Arab Emirates and who was also the first to graduate with a doctorate in cyber forensics from Purdue Polytechnic, one of the largest and highest-rated technology schools in the United States. "It’s important that we start sharing and collecting so that investigators can start learning from each other."

"Our lab is really something to be proud of," he continued. "We are operating and producing in the area of cyber forensics beyond our institution because we really value what we do, and we love what we do." Ibrahim "Abe" Baggili, Ph.D.