Vahid Behzadan, Ph.D.

Vahid Behzadan Headshot
Assistant Professor of Data Science

Electrical and Computer Engineering & Computer Science Department
Tagliatela College of Engineering
About Vahid

Vahid Behzadan is an Assistant Professor in Computer Science and Data Science. He is also the founder and director of the Secure and Assured Intelligent Learning (SAIL) research group, and mentors the University's hacking team. Dr. Behzadan's research is primarily on the safety and security of artificial intelligence and complex adaptive systems. His pioneering work on the security of deep reinforcement learning is recognized as seminal contributions to this growing field of research. Dr. Behzadan's recent work includes publications on the applications of machine learning to security and safety assessment of complex systems, such as driverless cars, unmanned aerial systems, and smart cities. He has presented numerous invited talks on the security of machine learning, and applications of data science in cybersecurity at venues such as the Open Web Application Security Project (OWSAP) foundation, the Black Hat conference, and UK's Transportation Research Laboratory (TRL). His research on the psychopathological approach to AI safety has been featured in national and international news.

In 2023, Dr. Behzadan was appointed to the new Connecticut Artificial Intelligence Working Group by Governor Ned Lamont.

Dr. Behzadan received his Ph.D. from Kansas State University, where he also co-founded the K-State AI Safety Research Initiative. Previously, he was at the Computer Networking Lab, University of Nevada in Reno and the Microwave research group at the University of Birmingham, UK. He received his B. Eng. in computer and communication systems engineering from the University of Birmingham, UK, and his M.S. in computer science from the University of Nevada, Reno.

News and In the Media

In the Media

NBC Connecticut: Four in critical condition after crash

Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of cybersecurity, data and computer science, computer and electrical engineering, and the SAIL Lab director, discusses how the iPhone includes a crash detection feature that alerts police when there has been an accident. Behzadan says the accuracy of this feature is more than 75%.

In the Media

Voice of America: The Inside Story - Biden Ends Reelection Bid

Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of cybersecurity, data and computer science, computer and electrical engineering, and the SAIL Lab director, comments on how a single line of bad code by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike caused millions of computers to crash and the significant impact this had on businesses globally.

In the Media

LiveNOW from Fox: Major airlines impacted by Microsoft outage

Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of cybersecurity, data and computer science, computer and electrical engineering, and the SAIL Lab director, comments on the number of businesses impacted by the global outage caused by a faulty Crowdstrike software update affecting Microsoft computer systems.

In the Media

The Hour: How Connecticut is being affected by Microsoft outage

Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of cybersecurity, data and computer science, computer and electrical engineering, and the SAIL Lab director, comments on the number of businesses impacted by the global outage caused by a faulty Crowdstrike software update affecting Microsoft computer systems.

In the Media

CT Old State House: How A.I. Is Changing Government

Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of cybersecurity, data and computer science, computer and electrical engineering, and the SAIL Lab director, participated in a panel discussion on the complexity of AI in government and public services as part of a series called 'Ctrl+Shift+Democracy: The Impact of Technology on Society and Governance.'

In the Media

PIX 11: Scam alert: NY CityPay text messages are fake

Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of cybersecurity, data, computer science, computer, and electrical engineering, and the SAIL Lab director, discusses ways to avoid being scammed by texts asking for money. One way is to not click on any links in the message and to contact the source's authority using a different method to validate the information.

In the Media

CT Old State House: How A.I. Is Changing Government

Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of cybersecurity, data, and computer science; computer and electrical engineering; and the SAIL Lab director, will take part in a panel discussion on how technology impacts governance and society. It takes place on July 11 at Connecticut’s Old State House in Hartford.

In the Media

Banking Dive: Varo Bank faces lawsuit over March data breach

Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of cybersecurity, data, and computer science; computer and electrical engineering; and director of the SAIL Lab, comments that a data breach at a bank is not only about security and financial consequences but also the impact it has on the organization's reputation.

In the Media

CT Examiner: Connecticut Lawmakers Take on AI Regulation in New Bill

Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of cybersecurity, data and computer science; computer and electrical engineering; and director of the SAIL Lab, and Ron Harichandran, dean of the Tagliatela College of Engineering, comment on the technical applications of AI models used by engineers and researchers. As AI becomes more mainstream, the Connecticut State Legislature aims to regulate how it can be used to prevent nefarious actions.

In the Media

CNN Newsource: Romance Scams

Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of cybersecurity; data and computer science; computer, and electrical engineering; and director of the SAIL Lab, discusses online scams that take advantage of people on dating sites by asking for money or credit card information. The scams are becoming very sophisticated.

In the Media

News 8 WTNH: Police in Connecticut warning parents about new iPhone feature

Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of cybersecurity, data and computer science, computer and electrical engineering, and director of the SAIL Lab, discusses a tech alert sent out by law enforcement agencies about the Name Drop feature that can share contact information with a nearby iPhone or Apple Watch, perhaps unknowingly from another device.

In the Media

HuffPost: What Does 'QR' Stand For Anyway?

Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of cybersecurity, data and computer science, computer and electrical engineering, and director of the SAIL Lab, explains what the QR code abbreviation stands for and where it was invented.

In the Media

WICC 600 AM: Melissa in the Morning

Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of cybersecurity; data and computer science; computer and electrical engineering; and director of the SAIL Lab, discusses cybersecurity and how to protect your data from hackers.

In the Media

Al Jazeera: Twitter Threatens to Sue Threads: Report

Vahid Behzadan, associate professor of cybersecurity, data and computer science; computer and electrical engineer; and director of the SAIL Lab, discusses Threads, a new Meta app aimed to compete with Twitter and its popularity since it launched.

In the Media

Fox61: A.I. advancements causing concern among experts

Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of cybersecurity; data and computer science; computer and electrical engineering; and director of the SAIL Lab, discusses the pros and cons of artificial intelligence, including the potential of an overreliance on using these tools.

In the Media

ticker NEWS: Space 2.0: the new frontier in space travel

Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of cybersecurity, data and computer science, computer and electrical engineering, and director of the SAIL Lab, discusses how artificial intelligence is assisting NASA and private companies in researching space, in this in-depth interview.

In the Media

Eyewitness News 3 WFSB: Tesla Recall

Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of cybersecurity, data and computer science, and computer and electrical engineering, comments on the massive recall of Tesla self-driving cars and says drivers should remain engaged and alert in these vehicles.

In the Media

Eyewitness News 3 WFSB: Interview: Risk of Oversharing on Social Media

Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of cybersecurity, electrical and computer engineering, and data and computer science, discusses how posts on social media may put you at risk for revealing too much personal information, such as TikTok’s #GRWM trend, which includes details of where, who you are with, and what you are doing to start your day.

In the Media

NECN: Is TikTok A Threat To Americans

Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of cybersecurity, data and computer science, and computer and electrical engineering, discusses TikTok and some of the concerns for U.S. government agencies that are banning it from official devices, such as computers and cellular devices.

In the Media

WICC 600AM Connecticut Today with Paul Pacelli: Controversy In Darien?

Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of data and computer science, cybersecurity, and computer and electrical engineering, discusses a rally at the University of New Haven and hundreds of other universities across the globe to stand in solidarity with the University of Guelph in Iran. Students are protesting the treatment of women after the death of Iranian Mahsa Amini by the morality police in Iran, the death of a 10-year-old boy Kian Pirfalak, and violence against marginalized Kurdish communities.

The Charger Blog

Connecticut Attorney General Discusses Cybercrime with Students, Faculty

As part of a recent visit to the University, Attorney General William Tong interacted with faculty and students, discussing the importance of cybersecurity and data privacy as well as combatting cybercrime. He also had the opportunity to learn about how the University is preparing students to be the next generation of leaders in addressing these critical issues.

In the Media

CNN: Russia Keeps Up Attacks Despite Pledge to Scale Back

Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of cybersecurity, computer and electrical engineering; Declan Hill, associate professor of investigations; Olena Lennon, an adjunct professor of political science and international affairs; David Sacco, a practitioner in residence of finance; and Howard Stoffer, professor of national security and international affairs, took part in a panel discussion on the war in Ukraine and it’s impact. The special program was part of collaboration with WFSB, with the show airing on WFSB+ and WFSB’s Facebook page.

In the Media

Eyewitness News 3: ANSWER DESK SPECIAL REPORT TONIGHT: Crisis in Ukraine

Vahid Behzadan, assistant professor of cybersecurity, computer and electrical engineering; Declan Hill, associate professor of investigations; Olena Lennon, an adjunct professor of political science and international affairs; David Sacco, a practitioner in residence of finance; and Howard Stoffer, professor of national security and international affairs, took part in a panel discussion on the war in Ukraine and its impact. The special program was part of collaboration with WFSB, with the show airing on WFSB+ and WFSB’s Facebook page.

In the Media

Soundcloud: ABC News Interview

Listen to the ABC News Interview Recording with Vahid Behzadan, Ph.D., assistant professor of computer science, about the future need of AI psychologists.