About Me

True hackers scientists
break contexts…

My name is Oleksii Starov (or Alex Starov), and I’m a security researcher, scientist and philosopher. My research focuses on proactive and data-driven Web security and malicious URL detection.

Currently, I’m proud to manage innovative Web Security Research team at Palo Alto Networks, where I have an honor to work with the brightest researchers and engineers on protecting Web users against sophisticated cyberattacks.

Before joining PAN in 2018, I received my PhD in Computer Science from Stony Brook University, New York. I was working in the PragSec Lab, advised by Professor Nick Nikiforakis.

Earlier, in 2013 I got my MS degree in Software Engineering from East Carolina University, USA, and MS in Computer Engineering from National Aerospace University β€˜KhAI’, Ukraine. Both with university honors.

Recently, I joined πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦ No Name Podcast, where we run a series of international interviews to support Ukraine and discuss urgent cybersecurity topics. We #StandWithUkraine

Please find below my selected academic publications and community service. You can also search for “Starov” among Unit42 blogs for some of research my team worked on or participated in.


RECENT PUBLICATIONS


COMMUNITY SERVICE

  • ACM CCS 2023: Program Committee Member
  • ACSAC 2023: Program Committee Member
  • WTMC 2023: Program Committee Member
  • ACSAC 2022: Program Committee Member
  • WTMC 2022: Program Committee Member
  • NoNameCon 2021: Program Committee Member
  • MADWeb 2021: Program Committee Chair
  • WTMC 2021: Program Committee Member
  • PETS 2021: External Reviewer
  • NoNameCon 2020: Program Committee Member
  • PETS 2020: External Reviewer
  • MADWeb 2020: Program Committee Chair
  • LEMINCS 2019: Program Committee Member
  • NoNameCon 2019: Program Committee Member
  • PETS 2019: External Reviewer
  • UA-CTF 2018: Co-creator & Organizer
  • CSAW 2018: One of the Final Judges for Applied Research Competition
  • UISGCON 2018: Organizing Committee Member / CTF Master
  • NoNameCon 2018: Program Committee Member
  • PETS 2018: External Reviewer
  • IET Information Security: Several reviews in 2017-2018

CONTACTS

  • Email: ostarov[at]paloaltonetworks[dot]com or ostarov[at]cs[dot]stonybrook[dot]edu
  • Twitter: @o_starov