Prof Vijay Varadharajan has held the Global Innovation Chair in Cyber Security at the University of Newcastle since March 2017. He is also the Director of Advanced Cyber Security Engineering Research Centre (ACSRC) at Newcastle. Previously he was Microsoft Chair Professor in Innovation in Computing at Macquarie University (2001-2017). At Macquarie, he conceived the concept of an interdisciplinary institute in Cyber Security and was the founder of the Optus MQ Cyber Security Hub. Prior to this he was Dean of School of Computing and IT at University of Western Sydney (1996-2000).
From 1988 to 1995 Vijay headed Worldwide Security Research for HP Labs in Bristol, UK. Under his leadership at HP Labs, some 6 different security technologies were transferred into successful HP products, generating billions of dollars. He also headed the Technical Security Strategy Initiative at HP under the Senior Vice President, USA. From 1987-88, Vijay was Research Manager at British Telecom Research Labs. U.K. During 1985-1986, first he was Research Fellow and then Lecturer in Computer Science at Plymouth and Reading Universities. He attained his Ph.D in Computer and Communication Security from Plymouth and Exeter Universities in 1984, sponsored by BT Research Labs. He attained his Electronic Engineering degree from Sussex University, UK in 1981. He was awarded the 1981 Prize of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, IEE, for outstanding performance at Sussex University as well as the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals Award UK.
His current areas of research interest include Cloud Computing Security, Internet of Things Security, Big Data and Distributed Applications Security, Malware and Security Attacks, Software Security, Trustworthy Computing, Software Defined Networks Security, Wireless and Mobile Networks Security, Cyber Security and Machine Learning, Security Architectures, Security Policies and Models, Security Protocols and Applications of Cryptography.
Vijay is a Fellow of the British Computer Society (FBCS), a Fellow of the IEE, UK (FIEE), a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and Applications, UK (FIMA), a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Engineers (FIEAust), a Fellow of the Australian Computer Society (FACS) and a Fellow of the Institutio of Electronic and Telecommunication Engineers (FIETE).
