Marc-Oliver Pahl chairs Dr Majed Jaber’s thesis defence at the University of Strasbourg

January 13, 2026January 13, 2026 By Dylan Massieux Actualités / PhD Defenseattack,attack detection,cyber,cybercni,cybersecurity,PhD,research,these,thesis,thesis defense

Faced with the increase in cyber threats targeting critical digital infrastructure, academic research plays a key role in strengthening detection and resilience capabilities. In line with the scientific priorities of the Cyber CNI Chair, Marc-Oliver Pahl had the pleasure of chairing the thesis defence of Dr. Majed Jaber, whose work is fully in line with the current challenges of cybersecurity for critical systems. The thesis defence was held at the University of Strasbourg on Friday, 19 December 2025.

Doctoral research tailored to the needs of the public and private sectors

The thesis, entitled ‘Structural and Spectral Analysis of Dynamic Graphs for Attack Detection’, addresses the challenges of securing complex digital systems. It focuses on the analysis of complex evolving networks, particularly in contexts such as the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT).

This work goes beyond traditional static security approaches. It proposes advanced methods for identifying cyberattacks that are difficult to detect. In addition, it enables the early detection of malicious behaviour and complex attack scenarios in constantly evolving operational environments.

Major scientific contributions

Innovative methods for detecting cyber attacks

Among the main contributions, Spectral Time-Windowing (SpectraTW) uses new spectral indicators. This enables effective and comprehensible detection of abnormal behaviour. In addition, the BiFlowness metric enhances early warning capabilities, particularly for supply chain attacks and bipartite structures.

Practical applications and open software framework

The work also includes GPML, an open source Python framework. It facilitates scientific reproducibility, scalability and the operational transfer of advanced methods. These results therefore offer significant potential for industrial players and regulators seeking robust, explainable and scalable solutions to protect critical infrastructure.

Scientific supervision and jury

Thesis supervision and co-supervision

The thesis was supervised by Pierre Parrend, Professor at the University of Strasbourg (ICube), and Aline Deruyver, Senior Lecturer at the University of Strasbourg (ICube). Co-supervision was provided by Nicolas Boutry, Senior Lecturer at the University of Strasbourg.

Composition of the jury

The jury was chaired by Marc-Oliver Pahl, rapporteur, Professor (HDR) atIMT Atlantique (Rennes campus). It was composed of Véronique Legrand, rapporteur, Professor (HDR) at CNAM Paris, Mohamed-Lamine Messai, examiner, Professor (HDR) at EPITA Strasbourg (ICube), Rushed Kanawati, examiner, Senior Lecturer (HDR) at Lumière Lyon 2 University (ERIC Laboratory), as well as the thesis supervisors.

The strategic role of the Cyber CNI Chair

By chairing this defence, the Cyber CNI Chair confirms its role as a link between academic excellence, industrial needs and public policy priorities in cybersecurity. Our chair extends its warmest congratulations to Dr. Majed Jaber for this remarkable work. His contributions directly strengthen the protection and resilience of critical digital infrastructure.