Dr Shahrzad Zargari BSc (Hons), MSc. PhD. SFHEA
Associate Head; Cyber Security and Computer Networks Subject Group Lead
Summary
Dr Shahrzad Zargari is an Associate Head and Cyber Security and Computer Networks Subject Group Lead with over 20 years of experience in the IT industry. She holds a PhD in Applied Statistics and an MSc in Forensic Computing and Security, and a BSc (Hons) in Statistics.
Shahrzad is passionate about digital forensics, with a particular expertise in mobile forensics and holds various industry certifications. She leverages her background in applied statistics and data mining to enhance network security and intrusion detection methodologies.
Shahrzad actively promotes collaboration among government, industry, and academia within the cyber security sector, focusing on initiatives to bridge the skills gap in this critical field.
About
Dr Shahrzad Zargari holds a PhD in Applied Statistics from the University of Leeds, an MSc in Forensic Computing and Security, and a BSc (Hons) in Statistics. She also earned a PgCert in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education and achieved Senior Fellowship status in July 2019.
With over 15 years of experience in the IT industry, Shahrzad transitioned to teaching in Higher Education in 2012. Her expertise spans various areas, including statistical analysis and mathematical modelling, Data mining, digital forensics, Expert Witness, information security, network security, intrusion detection, and incident response.
As an active researcher and member of CENTRIC, Shahrzad has published various papers in conferences and journals. Shahrzad is the associate editor for the Information Security Journal: A Global Perspective at Taylor & Francis.
Specialist areas of interest
Digital Forensics
Mobile Forensics
Intrusion Detection
Computer Security
Computer Hardware
Incident Handling
Security Technologies
Data Mining
Enterprise Management
Ethical Hacking
Business Disaster Recovery
Business Continuity and Contingency
Teaching
School of Computing and Digital Technologies
College of Business, Technology and Engineering
Projects
Cyber security
Digital forensics
Data mining
Intrusion detection
Subject area
Computer Systems and Networks
Courses
BSc Cyber Security
BSc Cyber Security with Forensics
MSc Cyber Security
Modules
Introduction to Cyber Security, Math and Cryptography
Advanced Cyber Forensics
Computer Forensics and Incident Response
Research
Anomaly detection using data mining, mobile forensics investigations, Cybersecuirty, Enhancing Student learning experience in HE, Computer laws, Pattern matching in Phishing attacks, Cyber Criminal profiling (OSINT).
Publications
Journal articles
Ajao, O., Bhowmik, D., & Zargari, S. (2024). Content-Aware Tweet Location Inference using Quadtree Spatial Partitioning and Jaccard-Cosine Word Embedding. CoRR, abs/2401.08506.
Janarthanan, T., & Zargari, S. (2024). Forensic Investigation in Robots. Latin-American Journal of Computing, 11 (2), 33-40. http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10402067
Zargari, S., & Dyson, J. (2022). Memory forensics: comparing the correctness of memory captures from locked Windows 10 machines using different boot capture vectors. Latin-American Journal of Computing, 9 (2), 37-51. https://lajc.epn.edu.ec/index.php/LAJC/article/view/310
Zargari, S. (2022). What is digital forensics? ITNOW, 64 (2), 46-47. http://doi.org/10.1093/itnow/bwac055
Kunev, D., Janarthanan, T., & Zargari, S. (2021). The investigative significance of digital artefacts discovered in forensic images of household IoT devices using open-source software. International Journal of Intelligent Computing Research, 12 (1), 1096-1104. http://doi.org/10.20533/ijicr.2042.4655.2021.0133
Mwitondi, K., Said, R.A., & Zargari, S. (2019). A robust domain partitioning intrusion detection method. Journal of information security and applications, 48. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jisa.2019.102360
Ajao, S., Bhowmik, D., & Zargari, S. (2019). Sentiment aware fake news detection on online social networks. 2019 IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP). http://doi.org/10.1109/ICASSP.2019.8683170
Mwitondi, K., & Zargari, S. (2018). An iterative multiple sampling method for intrusion detection. Information Security Journal: A Global Perspective, 27 (4), 230-239. http://doi.org/10.1080/19393555.2018.1539790
Mwitondi, K.S., Al-Kuwari, F.A., Saeed, R.A., & Zargari, S. (2018). A statistical downscaling framework for environmental mapping. Journal of Supercomputing. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11227-018-2624-y
Ajao, O., Bhowmik, D., & Zargari, S. (2018). Fake news identification on Twitter with hybrid CNN and RNN models. 9th International Conference on Social Media & Society, 226-230. http://doi.org/10.1145/3217804.3217917
Zargari, S., & Smith, A. (2014). Policing as a service in the cloud. Information Security Journal : A Global Perspective, 23 (4-6), 148-158. http://doi.org/10.1080/19393555.2014.931490
Zargari, S., & Foumeny, E. (2001). Design of Packed Bed Reactors: Guides to Catalyst Shape, Size, and Loading Selection. Applied Thermal Engineering, 21, 669-682.
Conference papers
Ghashi, H., Zargari, S., & Jalali, S. (2024). Data hiding in anti-forensics – Exploit delivery through digital steganography. In Jahankhani, H. (Ed.) ICGS3-23: Cybersecurity Challenges in the Age of AI, Space Communications and Cyborgs Conference Programme, Virtual, 11 October 2023 - 12 October 2023. Cham: Springer: http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-47594-8_4
Pournouri, S., Zargari, S., & Akhgar, B. (2019). An Investigation of Using Classification Techniques in Prediction of Type of Targets in Cyber Attacks. Proceedings of 12th International Conference on Global Security, Safety and Sustainability, ICGS3 2019, 122-132. http://doi.org/10.1109/ICGS3.2019.8688266
Ajao, O., Bhowmik, D., & Zargari, S. (2018). Fake News Identification on Twitter with Hybrid CNN and RNN Models. SMSociety, 226-230. http://doi.org/10.1145/3217804.3217917
Ajao, O., Bhowmik, D., & Zargari, S. (2018). Content-aware tweet location inference using quadtree spatial partitioning and jaccard-cosine word embedding. Proceedings of the 2018 IEEE/ACM International Conference on Advances in Social Networks Analysis and Mining, ASONAM 2018, 1116-1123. http://doi.org/10.1109/ASONAM.2018.8508257
Mwitondi, K., Al Kuwari, F., Saeed, R., & Zargari, S. (2018). A Statistical Downscaling Framework for Environmental Mapping. In Mwitondi, K., Al-Kuwari, F., Said, R. and Zargari, S. (2018). A Statistical DownscalISAR-5 – The Fifth International Symposium on Arctic Research; From Data to Knowledge, January 15-18, Tokyo, Japan.
Mwitondi, K., Said, R., & Zargari, S. (2017). An Ensemble Method for Intrusion Detection with Conformity to Data Variability. The Annual International Conference on ICT: Big Data, Cloud and Security (ICT-BDCS 2017). http://www.bigdataclouds.org/
Janarthanan, T., & Zargari, S. (2017). Feature Selection in UNSW-NB15 and KDDCUP’99 datasets. ISIE 2017. http://doi.org/10.1109/ISIE.2017.8001537
Mwitondi, K., & Zargari, S. (2017). A Repeated Sampling and Clustering Method for Intrusion Detection. International Conference in Data Mining (DMIN'17), 91-96. http://csce.ucmss.com/cr/books/2017/LFS/CSREA2017/DMI3482.pdf
Abdullahi Yari, I., & Zargari, S. (2017). An overview and computer forensic challenges in image steganography. In Proceedings, 2017 IEEE International Conference on Internet of Things (iThings) and IEEE Green Computing and Communications (GreenCom) and IEEE Cyber, Physical and Social Computing (CPSCom) and IEEE Smart Data (SmartData), (pp. 360-364). IEEE: http://doi.org/10.1109/iThings-GreenCom-CPSCom-SmartData.2017.60
Palmieri, G., & Zargari, S. (2017). Using open source forensic carving tools on split dd and EWF files. In Proceedings, 2017 IEEE International Conference on Internet of Things (iThings) and IEEE Green Computing and Communications (GreenCom) and IEEE Cyber, Physical and Social Computing (CPSCom) and IEEE Smart Data (SmartData), (pp. 379-383). IEEE: http://doi.org/10.1109/iThings-GreenCom-CPSCom-SmartData.2017.183
Zargari, S. (2017). Feature Selection in the Corrected KDD -dataset. In International Conference on Big Data in Cyber Security 2017, Cyber Academy, Edinburgh, 10 May 2017. http://thecyberacademy.org/bigcyber2017/
Zargari, S., & Janarthanan, T. (2015). The evidentiary value of link files in Linux file system to digital forensic investigation. International Conference on Computer and Information Technology, 1984-1988. http://doi.org/10.1109/CIT/IUCC/DASC/PICOM.2015.294
Janarthanan, T., & Zargari, S. (2015). The Evidentiary Value of Link Files in Linux File System to Digital Forensic Investigation. CIT/IUCC/DASC/PICOM 2015 IEEE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON COMPUTER AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING AND COMMUNICATIONS - DEPENDABLE, AUTONOMIC AND SECURE COMPUTING - PERVASIVE INTELLIGENCE AND COMPUTING, 1985-1989. http://doi.org/10.1109/CIT/IUCC/DASC/PICOM.2015.294
Zargari, S., & Smith, A. (2013). Policing as a service in the cloud. In 2013 Fourth International Conference on Emerging Intelligent Data and Web Technologies, Xi'an, (pp. 589-596). IEEE: http://doi.org/10.1109/EIDWT.2013.106
Zargari, S., & Benford, D. (2012). Cloud forensics : concepts, issues, and challenges. In EIDWT 2012 Third International Conference on Emerging Intelligent Data and Web Technologies, (pp. 236-243). IEEE
Zargari, S., Foumeny, E., & Bailey, (1997). Statistical Modelling of Packed Towers of Non-Equilateral Particles. In IChem E Research Event, Leeds. The Proceedings of IChem E Research Event
Zargari, S., Foumeny, E., & Bailey, (1996). Packed Bed Heat Exchangers: Aspects of Scale Up. In IChem E Research Event, Manchester, (pp. 247). The Proceedings of IChem E Research Event
Zargari, S., Foumeny, E., & Bailey, (1995). Randomly Packed Towers: Statistical Description of the Structure. In IChem E Research Event, Edinburgh, (pp. 793). 2 The Proceedings of IChem E Research Event
Zargari, S., Foumeny, E., & Bailey, (1994). Structural Aspects of Packed Bed Design Using Statistical Methods. In 9th International Workshop on Statistical Modelling, Exeter.
Zargari, S., & Mohammed, S. (2024). Comprehensive Analysis of MSpy within covert operations. In Virtual 16th International Conference on Global Security, Safety & Sustainability, ICGS3-24, Virtual conference, 25 November 2024 - 27 November 2024. Springer ‘Advanced Sciences and Technologies for Security Applications’ series
Book chapters
Janarthanan, T., Bagheri, M., & Zargari, S. (2021). IoT Forensics: An Overview of the Current Issues and Challenges. In Advanced Sciences and Technologies for Security Applications. (pp. 223-254). Springer International Publishing: http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60425-7_10
Shibuya, Y., Mwitondi, K., & Zargari, S. (2020). Experimental Analyses in Search of Effective Mitigation for Login Cross-Site Request Forgery. In Advanced Sciences and Technologies for Security Applications. (pp. 233-266). Springer International Publishing: http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35746-7_12
Atkinson, S., Carr, G., Shaw, C., & Zargari, S. (2020). Drone Forensics: The Impact and Challenges. In Montasari, R., Jahankhani, H., Hill, R., & Parkinson, S. (Eds.) Advanced Sciences and Technologies for Security Applications. (pp. 65-124). Springer International Publishing: http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60425-7_4
Pournouri, S., Zargari, S., & Akhgar, B. (2018). Predicting the Cyber Attackers; A Comparison of Different Classification Techniques. In Advanced Sciences and Technologies for Security Applications. (pp. 169-181). Springer International Publishing: http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97181-0_8
Theses / Dissertations
Ajao, O. (2019). Content-aware Location Inference and Misinformation in Online Social Networks. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Zargari, S. http://doi.org/10.7190/shu-thesis-00252
Media
Zargari, S. (2022). Digital Forensic 101. Youtube- British Computer Society- South Yorkshire Branch
Zargari, S. (2022). Digital Forensic 101. Youtube- British Computer Society- South Yorkshire Branch
Zargari, S. (2021). Drone Forensics. [Youtube]. ASCLD Lightning Talk- American Society Crime Laboratory Directors
Zargari, S. (2021). Drone Forensics. [Youtube]. ASCLD Lightning Talk- American Society Crime Laboratory Directors
Presentations
Zargari, S. (2016). Computer Forensics Community : A Case Study. Presented at: 12th Annual Teaching Computer Forensics Workshop, Sunderland, UK, 2016
Zargari, S., & Bagheri Zadeh, P. (2015). Enhancing student engagement in Digital Forensics. Presented at: 11th Annual Teaching Computer Forensics Workshop, University of Sunderland, 2015
Other activities
External examiner
Postgraduate supervision
MSc & PhD