Konstantinos Rantos
Cybersecurity · Information Security · Privacy

Prof. Konstantinos Rantos

Professor at the Department of Informatics, Democritus University of Thrace, and Director of the Web Services and Information Security — WeSIS — Research Lab. His work spans cybersecurity, cryptography, risk management, cyber threat intelligence, blockchain security, IoT security, and secure e-government services.

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Profile

Professor Konstantinos Rantos is an academic and cybersecurity researcher specializing in information security, cyber risk, cryptography, cyber threat intelligence, blockchain-enabled security, IoT security, and secure digital services.

Academic Leadership

Professor at the Department of Informatics, Democritus University of Thrace, and Director of the Web Services and Information Security — WeSIS — Research Lab.

Public Sector & European Cybersecurity Work

Extensive experience in secure e-government, PKI, digital authentication, interoperability frameworks, cybersecurity training, ESDC and ENISA-related activities.

Research Areas

The research profile emphasizes secure, resilient, and privacy-preserving digital systems, with applications across public administration, critical infrastructures, IoT, smart grids, cyber-physical systems, and emerging technologies.

Cyber Risk & Resilience

Dynamic and proactive cyber risk assessment, vulnerability severity, resilience models, and adaptive security decision support.

Cyber Threat Intelligence

Threat intelligence quality, sharing models, interoperability, blockchain-based CTI exchange, and security operations support.

Blockchain & Privacy

Blockchain-based consent management, privacy-preserving systems, data protection, and trust mechanisms for distributed environments.

IoT & Cyber-Physical Security

Security for IoT ecosystems, smart grids, industrial systems, smart farming, drones, embedded devices, and low-power networks.

Cryptography & PKI

Applied cryptography, key recovery, digital signatures, PKI design, secure authentication, and trusted services.

Secure e-Government

Secure public digital services, interoperability frameworks, digital authentication, e-procedures, and cross-border trusted services.

Selected Projects

Selected research and development activity involving European, national, academic, and public-sector cybersecurity initiatives.

R2D2 — Reliability, Resilience and Defense Technology for the Grid
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, Senior Research Fellow.
ENISA Cybersecurity Governance Training Based on ECSF
Scientific Coordinator.
ENISA Technical Guidelines on Security Measures for Blockchain Wallet Providers
Scientific Coordinator.
Zero-Trust Architectures Course
Development and delivery for ENISA, Senior Consultant.
Greek eGovernment Interoperability Framework
Scientific Coordinator for the new framework.
ELECTRON — Resilient and Self-Healed Electrical Power Nanogrid
Horizon 2020, Senior Research Fellow.
CS-AWARE
Cybersecurity situational awareness and information sharing for local public administrations.
Hellenic Public Administration Certification Services
Information Security Advisor, digital authentication and PKI leadership.

Selected Publications

Recent and representative publications, with emphasis on cybersecurity, cyber risk, cyber threat intelligence, blockchain security, phishing detection, IoT security, privacy-preserving systems, and secure digital services.

Recent Journal Articles

  1. D. Chatziamanetoglou and K. Rantos, “Weighted quality criteria for cyber threat intelligence: assessment and prioritisation in the MISP data model,” International Journal of Information Security, 2025. doi: 10.1007/s10207-025-01080-6
  2. P. Cheimonidis and K. Rantos, “A dynamic risk assessment and mitigation model,” Applied Sciences, 2025. doi: 10.3390/app15042171
  3. P. Cheimonidis and K. Rantos, “A novel proactive and dynamic cyber risk assessment methodology,” Computers & Security, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.cose.2025.104439
  4. P. Cheimonidis and K. Rantos, “A Proactive and Time-Sensitive Cyber Risk Assessment Model Integrating Markov Chains and Bayesian Networks,” IEEE Access, 2025. doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2025.3575070
  5. E. Kytidou, T. Tsikriki, G. Drosatos, and K. Rantos, “Machine learning techniques for phishing detection: A review of methods, challenges, and future directions,” Intelligent Decision Technologies, 2025.
  6. K. A. Tychola and K. Rantos, “Cyberthreats and security measures in drone-assisted agriculture,” Electronics, 2025.
  7. D. Chatziamanetoglou and K. Rantos, “Cyber Threat Intelligence on Blockchain: A Systematic Literature Review,” Computers, 2024.
  8. P. Cheimonidis and K. Rantos, “Dynamic vulnerability severity calculator for industrial control systems,” International Journal of Information Security, 2024.
  9. A. Dimakopoulou and K. Rantos, “Comprehensive analysis of maritime cybersecurity landscape based on the NIST CSF v2.0,” Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 2024.
  10. I. Anastasaki, G. Drosatos, G. Pavlidis, and K. Rantos, “User Authentication Mechanisms Based on Immersive Technologies: A Systematic Review,” Information, 2023.
  11. D. Chatziamanetoglou and K. Rantos, “Blockchain-based security configuration management for ICT systems,” Electronics, 2023.
  12. D. Chatziamanetoglou, K. Rantos, and A. Michienzi, “Blockchain-based cyber threat intelligence sharing using proof-of-quality consensus,” Security and Communication Networks, 2023.
  13. P. Cheimonidis and K. Rantos, “Dynamic risk assessment in cybersecurity: A systematic literature review,” Future Internet, 2023.
  14. K. Demertzis, P. Kikiras, C. Skianis, K. Rantos, L. Iliadis, and G. Stamoulis, “Federated auto-meta-ensemble learning framework for AI-enabled military operations,” Electronics, 2023.
  15. K. Demertzis, K. Rantos, L. Magafas, and L. Iliadis, “A cross-modal dynamic attention neural architecture to detect anomalies in data streams from smart communication environments,” Applied Sciences, 2023.
  16. K. Demertzis, K. Rantos, L. Magafas, C. Skianis, and L. Iliadis, “A secure and privacy-preserving blockchain-based XAI-justice system,” Information, 2023.
  17. A. Papanikolaou, A. Alevizopoulos, C. Ilioudis, K. Demertzis, and K. Rantos, “An autoML network traffic analyzer for cyber threat detection,” International Journal of Information Security, 2023.

Selected Conference Papers

  1. Batzolis, E., Drosatos, G., Katsouros, V., Rantos, K. (2026). “A Security-Oriented Lifecycle Model for Large Language Model Systems”. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Availability, Reliability and Security (ARES 2026), Linköping, Sweden, August 24–27, 2026. Springer, Lecture Notes in Computer Science. To appear.
  2. D. L. Antunes, P. Cheimonidis, E. Batzolis, K. Ovaliadis, S. L. Sanchez, and K. Rantos, “Risk-Aware Adaptive Cyber Deception Guided by Large Language Models,” in International Conference on Availability, Reliability and Security, 2025.
  3. P. Cheimonidis and K. Rantos, “A Bayesian–Markov Framework for Proactive and Dynamic Cyber Risk Assessment Driven by EPSS,” in 2025 IEEE International Conference on Cyber Security and Resilience, 2025.
  4. G. Kavallieratos, A. Amro, V. Gkioulos, et al., “Best-practices-based training for improving cybersecurity in power grids,” in European Symposium on Research in Computer Security, 2024.
  5. A. P. Filippidis, C. S. Hilas, A. Politis, K. Rantos, and H. Mouratidis, “A simulation-based education platform for security investments through culture and knowledge convergence,” in European Conference on Games Based Learning, 2024.
  6. C. Bampalas and K. Rantos, “Blockchain-based vaccination certificates management,” in Proceedings of the 26th Pan-Hellenic Conference on Informatics, 2022.
  7. D. Chatziamanetoglou and K. Rantos, “CTI Blockchain-Based Sharing using Proof-of-Quality Consensus Algorithm,” in 2021 IEEE International Conference on Cyber Security and Resilience, 2021.
  8. T. Schaberreiter, V. Kupfersberger, K. Rantos, et al., “A Quantitative Evaluation of Trust in the Quality of Cyber Threat Intelligence Sources,” in Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Availability, Reliability and Security, 2019.
  9. K. Rantos, G. Drosatos, K. Demertzis, C. Ilioudis, A. Papanikolaou, and A. Kritsas, “ADvoCATE: A Consent Management Platform for Personal Data Processing in the IoT Using Blockchain Technology,” in Innovative Security Solutions for Information Technology and Communications, 2019.

Books & Chapters

  1. G. Drosatos, I. Mavridis, and K. Rantos, Foundations and Applications of Modern Cryptography, Kallipos Open Academic Editions, 2025.
  2. T. Schaberreiter, J. Röning, G. Quirchmayr, et al., A cybersecurity situational awareness and information-sharing solution for local public administrations based on advanced big data analysis: The CS-AWARE project. 2019, River Publishers. pp. 149–180.
  3. P. Azzoni, K. Rantos, L. Geretti, A. Abramo, and S. Gosetti, Biometric Security Domain, Taylor & Francis / CRC Press, 2017.
  4. K. Rantos and K. Markantonakis, Analysis of Potential Vulnerabilities in Payment Terminals, Springer, 2014.

Technical Reports

  1. C. Papadatos, K. Rantos, et al., Interoperable EU Risk Management Toolbox, European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, 2023. url: https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2824/68948
  2. C. Lambrinoudakis, S. Gritzalis, C. Xenakis, S. Katsikas, M. Karyda, A. Tsochou, K. Papadatos, K. Rantos, Y. Pavlosoglou, S. Gasparinatos and A. Pantazis, Compendium of risk management frameworks with potential interoperability: Supplement to the interoperable EU risk management framework report. European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (Publications Office), 2022. url: https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2824/75906
  3. C. Lambrinoudakis, S. Gritzalis, C. Xenakis, S. Katsikas, M. Karyda, A. Tsochou, K. Papadatos, K. Rantos, et al., Interoperable EU Risk Management Framework: Methodology for and assessment of interoperability among risk management frameworks and methodologies, ENISA, 2022. url: https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2824/07253
  4. V. Katos, S. Rostami, P. Bellonias, N. Davies, A. Kleszcz, S. Faily, A. Spyros, A. Papanikolaou, C. Ilioudis, and K. Rantos, State of Vulnerabilities 2018/2019, ENISA, 2020. url: https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2824/139301

For the complete and most current publication record, consult the linked Scopus, Google Scholar, and ORCID profiles.

Awards & Distinctions

Selected distinctions connected with cybersecurity, defence innovation, and AI hardware security competition activity.

CSAW AI Hardware Attack Contest 2024

2nd place, submission by El. Batzolis.

Greek Cyber Security Awards 2024 — Silver Award

WeSIS Lab and Cyber Noesis received the Silver Award at the Cyber Security Awards 2024 by BOUSSIAS for their work on AI-assisted dynamic risk management for context-aware access control in Zero Trust Architectures.

European Defence Agency — Defence Innovation Prize 2023

Awarded for work on innovative solutions and technologies for implementing Zero Trust Architecture in tactical defence communication and information systems, in collaboration with Cyber Noesis.

CSAW AI Hardware Attack Contest 2023

3rd place, submission by El. Batzolis.

Teaching & Supervision

Professor Rantos teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, with a focus on cybersecurity, information security, secure systems, applied cryptography, privacy, and cyber-physical systems security.

Undergraduate Teaching

Teaching activity in computer science and informatics, with emphasis on information security, secure systems, applied cybersecurity, network security, cryptography, and trustworthy digital services.

Postgraduate Teaching

Teaching in MSc and MPhil programmes includes courses on information systems security, secure systems, applied cryptography, privacy, and cyber-physical systems security. Current courses:

Professional & Public-Sector Training

Teaching and training activity also includes cybersecurity, e-government services, digital signatures, cyber threat management, zero-trust architectures, cryptography, and information security management.

Doctoral Supervision

Supervision of doctoral research in cybersecurity and information security, including work on cyber risk assessment, cyber threat intelligence, blockchain-enabled security, and secure digital infrastructures.

Former PhD Students

  • Dr. Pavlos Cheimonidis
  • Dr. Dimitrios Chatziamanetoglou

Current PhD Students

  • Anastasia Dimakopoulou
  • Eleftherios Batzolis
  • Vasileios Petropoulos

Contact & Academic Profiles

For academic collaboration, research communication, supervision enquiries, and professional correspondence, use the contact details and verified academic profiles below.

Academic Profiles

LinkedIn
Scopus
Google Scholar
ORCID