Every new technological advancement brings with it risks of abuse and vulnerabilities to attack by malicious entities, often spawning opportunities for exploitation and criminal activity. Computer scientists work tirelessly to anticipate emerging threats and build new protections against them, before malicious agents can take advantage. New tools protect both individual users and entire computing systems from attack and leaks of private information, enabling the benefits of these innovations to thrive without unintended consequences.

UChicago CS researchers address these hazards with a broad spectrum of approaches, including cryptography, machine learning, user-centered design, and data science. They’re building cutting-edge protections against security flaws in the latest technologies, such as Internet of Things devices, quantum computers, and machine learning models and systems. They’re designing new privacy mechanisms that raise users’ awareness of how their data is collected online and in the physical world and how they can best protect themselves against invasive technology. They’re also developing new technologies to improve users’ safety and security online, including technologies for improving digital literacy and combating online censorship.

Labs & Groups

SAND (Security, Algorithms, Networking and Data) Lab

Ben Y. Zhao, Heather Zheng
SAND Lab spans research topics in security, machine learning, networked systems, HCI, data mining and modeling.

SUPER (Security, Usability, & Privacy Education & Research) Group

Blase Ur
Focused on data-driven methods to improve online security and privacy and improving interaction for IoT and machine learning systems.

Network Operations and Internet Security (NOISE) Lab

Nick Feamster
Develops data-driven systems that derive insights from network traffic and explores how network traffic can reveal insights into human behavior.

Amyoli Internet Research (AIR) Lab

Marshini Chetty
Working to make the Internet more trustworthy and inclusive, drawing on human-computer interaction, usable privacy and security, ubiquitous computing, and...

Related Faculty

David Cash

Professor, Department of Computer Science

Marshini Chetty

Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science

Fred Chong

Seymour Goodman Professor, Department of Computer Science

Aloni Cohen

Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Data Science

Nick Feamster

Neubauer Professor, Department of Computer Science

Grant Ho

Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science

Blase Ur

Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science

Ben Y. Zhao

Neubauer Professor, Department of Computer Science

Heather Zheng

Neubauer Professor, Department of Computer Science

News & Events

UChicago CS News

Computer Science Displays Catch Attention at MSI’s Annual Robot Block Party

Apr 07, 2023
UChicago CS News

UChicago / School of the Art Institute Class Uses Art to Highlight Data Privacy Dangers

Apr 03, 2023
Young students on computers
UChicago CS News

UChicago and NYU Research Team Finds Edtech Tools Could Pose Privacy Risks For Students

Feb 21, 2023
UChicago CS News

UChicago Scientists Develop New Tool to Protect Artists from AI Mimicry

Feb 13, 2023
In the News

Professors Rebecca Willett and Ben Zhao Discuss the Future of AI on Public Radio

Jan 26, 2023
UChicago CS News

Professor Heather Zheng Named ACM Fellow

Jan 18, 2023
UChicago CS News

Professor Fred Chong Named IEEE Fellow

Dec 09, 2022
UChicago CS News

The Computing Pipeline: A Foundation for Diversifying Computer Science

Nov 28, 2022
man browsing Netflix
UChicago CS News

Trending Now: How Netflix Chills Our Free Will

Nov 14, 2022
UChicago CS News

UChicago AI Summit Examines Promise and Concerns for Science and Society

Nov 01, 2022
UChicago CS News

Five UChicago CS Students Named to Siebel Scholars 2023 Class

Sep 22, 2022
UChicago CS News

UChicago CS Students Emily Wenger and Xu Zhang Receive Harper Fellowships

Sep 14, 2022
arrow-down-largearrow-left-largearrow-right-large-greyarrow-right-large-yellowarrow-right-largearrow-right-smallbutton-arrowclosedocumentfacebookfacet-arrow-down-whitefacet-arrow-downPage 1CheckedCheckedicon-apple-t5backgroundLayer 1icon-google-t5icon-office365-t5icon-outlook-t5backgroundLayer 1icon-outlookcom-t5backgroundLayer 1icon-yahoo-t5backgroundLayer 1internal-yellowinternalintranetlinkedinlinkoutpauseplaypresentationsearch-bluesearchshareslider-arrow-nextslider-arrow-prevtwittervideoyoutube