Dr. Altaf Shaik

Technische Universität Berlin, Germany

Senior Research Scientist

Dr. Altaf Shaik, is a renowned security expert in the field of mobile networks and is currently working as a senior research scientist at the Technische Universität Berlin in Germany. He conducts advanced research in telecommunications, esp., security of 6G networks, and OpenRAN systems in collaboration with the operator Deutsche Telekom also in Germany. He combines a professional background in programming, wireless communications and a 12 years of experience in offensive mobile network security.

Dr. Shaik recently unveiled critical weaknesses in the latest telecom APIs that tend to integrate industries and organizations with 5G mobile networks. His renowned research on IMSI catchers exposed several vulnerabilities in the commercial 4G and 5G specifications and commercial networks that allow attackers to perform powerful attacks compromising millions of base stations, handsets, M2M and IoT devices. Having said that he is also a strong contributor in shaping the cellular security standards over the 5G radio access and core networks.

Altaf is a frequent speaker and trainer at various prestigious international security conferences such as Black Hat USA & Europe, T2, SECT, Nullcon, Hardware.io and HITB and many others. His accomplishments landed him in the hall of fame of many organizations including Google, Qualcomm, Huawei and GSMA. He also trains various companies, telecom engineers and organizations (including governments) in exploit development, solving cybercrimes, testing and security evaluation of telecom equipment, and also building secure and custom mobile networks for private entities and law enforcement bodies.