Hi, I’m Dr. Rahat Masood (she/her), a Senior Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in the School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney). My work is driven by a strong commitment to inclusive privacy i.e., designing technologies, policies, and analytics that protect and empower vulnerable and underserved communities, including older adults, refugees, children, and people experiencing online harms. I focus on how privacy, security, and misinformation intersect with real human experiences, and how we can build systems that are both trustworthy and socially responsible.
My broader research spans privacy-preserving technologies, behavioural biometrics, misinformation and social-bot detection, secure human–AI interaction, and AI-driven cybersecurity education. I lead and collaborate on multi-year, multi-institutional projects funded by the Office of National Intelligence (ONI), Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), Cyber Security CRC (CSCRC), auDA, and the Australian Human Rights Institute. Much of this work explores multimodal behavioural sensing, secure machine learning pipelines, narrative manipulation on social media, and privacy risks in digital ecosystems that affect everyday users.
At UNSW, I also serve as the Director of the UNSW Online Cyber Security Program, where I help shape curriculum for students across Australia. I coordinate and teach a range of undergraduate and postgraduate cybersecurity courses and have co-introduced new experiential learning initiatives, including Capture the Narrative (CTN), a world-first misinformation simulation competition combining AI agents, social media dynamics, and game-based learning. I also design inclusive-privacy learning modules and CTF-style experiences that support more equitable and accessible cyber education.
My academic journey began with a PhD in Privacy-Preserving Technologies at UNSW and CSIRO Data61, where I investigated privacy leakage in behavioural data and developed secure release mechanisms for mobile sensor data. My work has been published in leading venues such as PoPETs, WWW, ARES, AsiaCCS, ACM TOPS, IEEE IoT Journal, and IEEE LCN, spanning areas from SSL-based social bot detection and soft-moderation analysis to adversarial attacks on behavioural biometrics and large-scale web privacy measurement. I have received several honours, including the Best Paper Award at ACM WPES 2025, IEEE LCN 2024, the Data61 Graduate Writing Fellowship, the U.S. State Department Nonproliferation Scholarship, UNSW PRSS, and a gold medal for topping my undergraduate degree. My research has also been featured in media outlets such as the Sydney Morning Herald and Technology Decisions.
I am deeply committed to public engagement and community-focused cybersecurity outreach. I regularly work with NGOs, government agencies, and community organisations to support digital safety for groups disproportionately affected by online threats.
If you’re interested in collaborating with me or seeking a project, Master’s thesis, PhD, or postdoctoral opportunity, please feel free to reach out by email. I’m always excited to hear from motivated students and partners who share an interest in privacy, security, and building safer digital futures.
