Ikjot Saini , PhD — Co-Founder

I am a cybersecurity leader with over a decade of experience designing, securing, and future-proofing complex vehicular and automotive systems. My career spans deep technical work in network security and privacy-preserving communication protocols (VANETs, V2X), leadership in academic research, and high-impact collaboration with government agencies and industry partners. With expertise anchored in standards like ISO/SAE 21434 and UN R155/156, I have led the design of secure-by-design frameworks for connected and autonomous vehicles—covering secure OTA updates, intrusion detection systems, and privacy scoring models. My work has not only resulted in deployable prototypes and scalable solutions but also helped shape national policy conversations on automotive cybersecurity. What sets me apart is the ability to bridge technical depth with strategic execution. I excel at translating cutting-edge research into systems that meet real-world constraints—across embedded platforms, cloud infrastructures, and AI-driven autonomy stacks. I mentor teams, guide security architectures, and drive regulatory alignment, all while maintaining a clear focus on innovation, safety, and long-term resilience. My research interests include wireless communication networks, V2X network security, privacy-preserving techniques, simulation modelling, intrusion detection systems and securing electric vehicle charging communication. I have published many research papers and journal articles, including V2X privacy schemes, misbehaviour detection in vehicular networks, and blockchain applications in connected and autonomous vehicles.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a leader in Automotive Cybersecurity with a focus on privacy and secure communication protocols.

Location: Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Experience: 9 yrs 9 mos

Skills

Automotive Cybersecurity
Secure Communication Protocols
Cybersecurity In Connected Vehicles
Privacy-preserving Communication
Academic Leadership In Cybersecurity
Collaboration Between Sectors
Vehicular Communication Privacy

Career Highlights

Over a decade of experience in automotive cybersecurity.
Expert in privacy-preserving communication protocols.
Leader in shaping national policy on automotive cybersecurity.

Work Experience

Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS)

Affiliate Advisor- WiCyS Ontario (3 yrs 9 mos)

Academic Chair of Ontario Affiliate (2 yrs 4 mos)

Founder of Student Chapter (2 yrs)

SHIELD Automotive Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence @ the University of Windsor

Co Director and Co Founder (5 yrs 5 mos)

University of Windsor

Assistant Professor (5 yrs 11 mos)

ASRG - Automotive Security Research Group

Academic Director (6 yrs)

Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association

Cyber Security Committee Member (2 yrs 10 mos)

University of Windsor

Ph.D. Student Representative (11 mos)

Sessional Instructor (1 yr 11 mos)

Research Assistant (3 yrs 8 mos)

Graduate Assistant (3 yrs 7 mos)

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) at University of Windsor

Ikjot Saini , PhD

Co-Founder

Windsor, Ontario, Canada9 yrs 9 mos experience

Key Highlights

Over a decade of experience in automotive cybersecurity.
Expert in privacy-preserving communication protocols.
Leader in shaping national policy on automotive cybersecurity.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a leader in Automotive Cybersecurity with a focus on privacy and secure communication protocols.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Automotive CybersecuritySecure Communication ProtocolsCybersecurity In Connected VehiclesPrivacy-preserving CommunicationAcademic Leadership In CybersecurityCollaboration Between SectorsVehicular Communication Privacy

Other Skills

privacy-preserving communication protocolsautomotive cybersecurity standardssecure OTA updatesintrusion detection systemsstrategic partnershipsvehicular communication protocolsprivacy-preserving communication architecturesfunding managementreal-time anomaly detectioneducational initiativescollaborative research forumsvehicle security challengesprivacy assessment frameworksimulation toolsC++

About

Experience

9 yrs 9 mos

Total Experience

Average Tenure

Current Experience

Women in cybersecurity (wicys)

3 roles

Affiliate Advisor- WiCyS Ontario

Sep 2022 – Present · 3 yrs 9 mos

Academic Chair of Ontario Affiliate

May 2020 – Sep 2022 · 2 yrs 4 mos

Interface with the various universities and colleges to actively promote the interests of Cybersecurity among students and vision of the WiCyS.
Responsible for increasing awareness of WiCyS by building connections and relationships with faculty members, as well as students of the universities and colleges.
Support students' efforts to form and operate their Cybersecurity clubs or student chapters of WiCyS when asked.
Works with the Board to establish programs or activities for university students.
Maintain and manage a list of speaker profiles, assigns speakers to various universities when asked for their events.
https://sites.google.com/wicys.org/wicysontario/

Founder of Student Chapter

May 2019 – May 2021 · 2 yrs

Established a student organization to create a community within the University of Windsor that aims to promote women’s education, participation, mentorship, and leadership in the field of cybersecurity
Website: wicyswindsor.wordpress.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/wicys-windsor-ab498218a

Shield automotive cybersecurity centre of excellence @ the university of windsor

Co Director and Co Founder

Jan 2021 – Present · 5 yrs 5 mos · Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Co-led SHIELD, a multidisciplinary initiative focused on advancing secure embedded systems and automotive cybersecurity, integrating expertise from academia, industry, and government stakeholders.
Spearheaded the development of innovative privacy-preserving and secure communication protocols for vehicular systems, emphasizing compliance with automotive cybersecurity standards including ISO/SAE 21434 and UN R155/156.
Directed collaborative projects targeting secure OTA update mechanisms, hardware-rooted trust architectures, and intrusion detection systems for connected vehicles.
Facilitated strategic partnerships with Tier 1 suppliers and regulatory bodies to align research outcomes with real-world compliance and deployment challenges.
Led knowledge translation efforts by organizing workshops, producing technical whitepapers, standards development and mentoring emerging security engineers and researchers.
Established SHIELD as a recognized thought leader in automotive security, contributing to national and international policy discussions and standards development.

privacy-preserving communication protocolsautomotive cybersecurity standardssecure OTA updatesintrusion detection systemsstrategic partnershipsautomotive cybersecurity+1

University of windsor

Assistant Professor

Jul 2020 – Present · 5 yrs 11 mos · Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Founded and led a research lab focused on cybersecurity and privacy in connected and autonomous vehicles, with a particular emphasis on vehicular communication protocols (VANETs, V2X), network security, and automotive privacy frameworks.
Designed and implemented privacy-preserving communication architectures for vehicular networks, integrating pseudonym rotation, context-aware privacy scoring, and secure beaconing protocols.
Led cross-functional research on secure OTA updates, including versioning, rollback prevention, secure boot, and cryptographic signature verification and aligning with UN R156.
Directed technical research and strategic guidance on TARA (Threat Analysis and Risk Assessment) processes per ISO/SAE 21434 Annex C.
Secured and managed funding from government and industry partners to develop intrusion detection systems for CAN, Ethernet, and V2X environments, including real-time anomaly detection prototypes.

vehicular communication protocolsprivacy-preserving communication architecturessecure OTA updatesfunding managementcybersecurity in connected vehiclesprivacy-preserving communication

Asrg - automotive security research group

Academic Director

Jun 2020 – Present · 6 yrs · Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Provided strategic academic leadership to one of the world’s largest automotive cybersecurity communities, fostering collaboration between industry, academia, and government.
Curated and led high-impact educational initiatives, including technical webinars, workshops, and collaborative research forums, reaching thousands of professionals and students globally.
Advised researchers and institutions on emerging challenges in vehicle security, including V2X privacy, ECU threat modeling, OTA update security, and secure AI/ML integration.
Drove alignment between academic research and industry needs by facilitating partnerships, mentoring student-led projects, and shaping research roadmaps for secure connected vehicle development.
Promoted regulation-aware research by integrating knowledge-sharing frameworks and technical roundtables.
Served as a key voice in bridging the gap between theory and practice.
Championed diversity, inclusion, and open knowledge-sharing in the cybersecurity and automotive systems research ecosystem.

educational initiativescollaborative research forumsvehicle security challengesacademic leadership in cybersecuritycollaboration between sectors

Automotive parts manufacturers' association

Cyber Security Committee Member

Feb 2020 – Dec 2022 · 2 yrs 10 mos

University of windsor

4 roles

Ph.D. Student Representative

Sep 2018 – Aug 2019 · 11 mos

Sessional Instructor

Jan 2018 – Dec 2019 · 1 yr 11 mos

COMP-3670 Computer Networks
COMP-2650 Computer Architecture I: Digital Design
COMP-2660 Computer Architecture II: Assembly Language

Research Assistant

Sep 2016 – May 2020 · 3 yrs 8 mos

Research- Towards a Framework for preserving privacy in VANET
Vehicular communication discloses critical information about the vehicle. Association of this information to the drivers put the privacy of the driver at risk. My research focus was on developing a framework for the privacy assessment in Vehicular Networks using the simulation tools OMNET++, SUMO and Veins.