Security and Privacy Research Group (SPRIG)

Our Research

SPRIG research activities are organised around three interconnected thematic clusters:

Governance, regulation, ethics, and societal impact
Smart environments, secure systems development, threat intelligence, AI/ML/LLM security, social networks, and technology-facilitated abuse
Privacy-preserving data processing, trustworthy intelligent systems, and federated learning.

The group functions as a long-term platform for collaborative research in security and privacy. Through inclusive participation across different domains related to the established thematic areas, SPRIG aims to strengthen research and education culture, mentorship, and international visibility while contributing to DVMT’s strategic goal of producing impactful, responsible, and externally funded projects.

SPRIG's main objectives

establishing a research strategy on security and privacy through cross-unit collaboration, publications, and grant applications;
creating a strategy in education development at DVMT with a focus on identifying new courses in security and privacy at different program levels;
mentoring early-career researchers in security and privacy research and teaching practices;
re-assuring security and privacy in doctoral studies at DVMT; and
enhancing external collaboration and also strengthening visibility in security and privacy research and education at Malmö University. These objectives shall be achieved through a series of activities.

Activities

Cross-Unit Collaboration

SPRIG brings together researchers across DVMT units DM1, DM2, and DM3 to address security and privacy challenges that require integrated technical, human, organisational, and regulatory expertise. This enables cross-fertilisation of research ideas across different units and disciplines.

External collaborators from academia, public authorities, and industry are also strategically engaged, building on SPRIG members' established national and international networks while also developing new partnerships with academia and industry that align with targeted funding calls and research priorities.

Scientific Coordination and Quality Assurance

The research group organises monthly hybrid meetings to ensure continuous communication, coordinated progress monitoring, and effective collaboration among members. These meetings provide a structured forum for discussing ongoing research activities, identifying emerging opportunities for joint projects, aligning thematic priorities, and addressing practical challenges related to the core themes of the research group. The meetings also facilitate knowledge exchange between senior and early-career researchers, strengthen interdisciplinary dialogue, and promote an inclusive research culture where all members can actively contribute to strategic and scientific discussions around security and privacy research.

Early-career Researcher Support

Senior researchers organise collegial seminars for early-career researchers to support a structured mentorship scheme aimed at promoting academic development and career progression. Early-career researchers are also encouraged to develop grant proposals that can lead to independent pilot studies under the supervision of the senior colleagues. This is to support their development towards independent research, education, and leadership.

In addition, SPRIG’s senior members also organise dedicated capacity-building sessions focusing on academic writing, competitive grant proposal development, and responsible research and education practices with a focus on security and privacy.

Workshops and Seminars

SPRIG organises two annual internal workshops that focus on

Security, Privacy, AI, and Societal Impact
Course development in security and privacy.

Joint Publications and Grant Development

SPRIG members engage in writing research papers for submission to high-impact journals and conferences as well as target external funding applications.