Tony · Ph.D. in Cybersecurity
VinUniversity · Hanoi, Vietnam
From a network engineer in Ho Chi Minh City to a cybersecurity professor — a journey across AI, cryptography and the post-quantum frontier.
I am an Assistant Professor of Computer Science (Cybersecurity) at VinUniversity and Director of the Innovation & Technology Transfer Center at the National Barcode Center (NBC). I am also the Founder of VCyber Lab at VinUniversity, a research group focused on AI and Cybersecurity. I received my PhD and completed my postdoctoral research at Deakin University (Australia), and hold a Master's degree from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
My research centers on Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), AI for Cybersecurity, IoT Security and Robotics Security. I have published across leading Q1 journals such as IEEE TDSC and IEEE TIFS, alongside numerous international papers, research projects, awards and industry collaborations.
Beyond academia, I work at the intersection of government, academia and industry — particularly in cybersecurity, digital transformation and national digital infrastructure. I support regulators and enterprises in implementing Vietnamese technical standards including QCVN 135, QCVN 11, QCVN 06 and QCVN 134, providing technical consulting for regulatory bodies, testing laboratories and camera manufacturers as they meet the required technical criteria.
Selected leadership and advisory roles:
I hold professional certifications in cybersecurity (Certified Ethical Hacker), machine learning (IBM), IoT, quantum computing, cryptography, and blockchain. My core expertise spans cybersecurity, AI, network security, and quantum technology, with a strong interdisciplinary focus on machine learning and data science.
Knowledge built layer by layer — from electronics to a doctorate in cybersecurity.
Recognition earned on the world stage.
A series of international CTF competitions organised by the International Cyber Security — Center of Excellence (INCS-CoE) with leading universities. The 2022 edition was hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Awarded to the School of Information Technology HDR student who demonstrated the highest research and academic merit.
Placed on the Dean's List for excellent academic performance in Semester 2, 2019 and Semester 1, 2020 at Queensland University of Technology.
Seven research frontiers, one mission: securing the intelligent future.
Knowledge engineered to be mastered — and measured.
An updated cybersecurity course for 2026 at VinUniversity, building on adversarial thinking, secure system design, user authentication, cryptography and real-world threat analysis.
An updated cryptography course for 2026, covering one-way functions, encryption, digital signatures, pseudo-random generation, zero-knowledge and secure protocols with rigorous proofs of security.
Teaches computer networking with an emphasis on the Internet — the Web, email and peer-to-peer networking; data transmission and encoding; circuit and packet switching; LAN technologies; routing, switching and congestion control; network security; and wireless and multimedia networking including 4G/5G, WiFi and Bluetooth.
Covers systems programming and operating systems — concurrency, scheduling and synchronization; memory management; file systems; security; networking; and parallel and distributed computing.
Covers the technical and social understanding of why security and privacy matter, how to think adversarially, and how (and how not) to design systems and products — user authentication, cryptography, malware, behavioural economics in security, human factors, privacy and anonymity, side channels, decoys and deception, and adversarial modelling, grounded in real-world systems and attacks (Bitcoin, Stuxnet, retailer breaches, implantable medical devices, health apps).
An introductory course in cryptography — one-way functions, encryption, digital signatures, pseudo-random number generation, zero-knowledge and basic protocols, with emphasis on fundamental notions and constructions with proofs of security based on precise definitions and assumptions.
Foundations of cyber security management for organisations: security assessment, policy development and risk management through methodological and procedural techniques — contingency planning, risk assessment, compliance standards, legal and ethical issues, SETA, incident response and auditing.
Tutor for the subject. Students learn the data-analytical methodologies used to investigate cyber security problems — processing and analysing data relevant to security systems and applications, and the scripting techniques and solutions required for data analytics in a cyber security context.
Tutor for the subject. Gives network-security-minor students the advanced understanding of networks needed for success, covering advanced and emerging technologies such as Software-Defined Networks, IoT, and AI-based networking.
Extensive experience spanning research, industry and national digital infrastructure.
Research and develop advanced technologies for national digital infrastructure — barcode, national traceability, electronic label, digital product passport and related national digital platforms.
Teaching — Develop and deliver accredited curricula in cryptography, cybersecurity and networks with active-learning pedagogy; supervise undergraduate and graduate students.
Research — Produce high-quality publications in cybersecurity and network security, secure external funding, and engage interdisciplinary communities; targeting annual Q1 articles and funded projects.
Service — Advise and support students, contribute to college-wide initiatives, and serve on faculty and recruitment committees.
SOCRATES project (PQC & VPN) — Designed and implemented an automatic hybrid Post-Quantum Cryptography system mitigating both classical and quantum attacks, deployed on cloud servers and evaluated under varied network conditions.
Publication submitted to IEEE TIFS (under review).
Designed test plans, cases, scripts and supporting data; analysed and reported test activities; provided security, platform, service and infrastructure expertise.
Achievement — Delivered the V-Key platform; led the EJBCA migration to WebLogic 12c, saving €98K for Product Engineering.
Designed and executed test scenarios, cases and automated scripts; built scalable, robust automation frameworks; configured lab network topologies.
Achievements — Excellent CC network support (2016); Fast-Track program for top 5% (2015); PA5 highest appraisal, promoted 2 levels (2014).
Set up and configured the topology for Vietnam's network backbone; troubleshooting 24/7; planned, designed and managed all LAN/WAN projects.
A growing library of peer-reviewed research in the world's top venues.
Visit my Google Scholar and ORCID profiles for the complete list. To date: 11 journal papers (7 Q1) in IEEE venues and one IEEE conference (rank B).
As a regular reviewer for journals including IEEE TDSC, IEEE Networking Letters, IEEE Internet of Things Journal, IEEE Open Journal of the Computer Society, IET Networks, and EAI TRIDENTCOM 2021, I actively evaluate cutting-edge research across network technologies and IoT security.
Influence that bridges academia, industry and government.
Growing the next generation of researchers, one breakthrough at a time.
Mentoring higher-degree research students has been one of the most fulfilling parts of my academic career. I am actively mentoring students at VCyber Lab and VinUniversity.
A research network without borders.
At VinUni I collaborate with Prof. Andrew on cybersecurity and AI, and with Prof. Dinh and Prof. Long on IoT. For robotics I work with Prof. Long, Prof. Thanh and Prof. Truong, and with Dr. Syed on post-quantum cryptography. Beyond VinUni, I am working closely with Dr. Keshav Sood as co-lead on an external grant application to the Department of Defence.
These experiences have given me valuable insight into securing research funding for high-impact, critical technologies. With a strong foundation in research collaboration and funding, I am well-positioned to pursue future grants and industry partnerships in cybersecurity, AI, and post-quantum cryptography.
Let's build the secure, intelligent future — together.
We are recruiting Research Assistants, Ph.D. students, Master's students, and Postdoctoral researchers to join cutting-edge projects in cybersecurity, AI, and smart-sensing. Current research directions:
If you're passionate about deep-tech research and real-world impact, we welcome driven individuals with strong technical backgrounds to apply.
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