Yussuf Ahmed
Dr Yussuf Ahmed is an Associate Professor of Cyber Security and Director of the BSc and MSci Cyber Security programmes at Birmingham City University. He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and brings over 15 years of industry experience into academia, having held senior roles in the cybersecurity sector before entering higher education.
His expertise spans Information Security, Cyber Assurance, Network Security, Operational Technology (OT) Security, Cyber Risk Management and Security Governance. He holds multiple industry-recognised certifications in cybersecurity, reflecting his focus on applied, practice-based teaching and research.
Yussuf holds a PhD in Cyber Security from Birmingham City University, an MSc (Distinction) in Information Security and Computer Forensics from the University of East London, and a BSc (Hons, First Class) in Computer Systems from the University of Northampton.
He has led and taught across a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate modules, including Information Security Governance, Network Forensics, Software Security, Ethical Hacking and Cyber Operations, earning multiple nominations for teaching excellence. As Director of Studies, he supervises several PhD candidates and leads academic and industry-driven research projects across undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His supervisory and research interests are closely aligned with real-world cybersecurity challenges, particularly those facing critical infrastructure and emerging technologies.
He actively engages in international academic collaborations and has mentored students and early-career academics across institutions. He has delivered keynote speeches at national and international conferences, contributing to the dialogue at the intersection of cybersecurity research, industry practice, and public policy.
He works closely with SMEs and key stakeholders to enhance cyber resilience and address emerging threats, advising organisations on cyber risk, compliance, and enterprise security. His work has supported international initiatives that reinforce the links between higher education and industry, with measurable impact on knowledge exchange, and innovation.
He welcomes research and consultancy partnerships and is keen to hear from self-funded PhD applicants with interests aligned to his research themes.