Under the patronage of the President of the University of Ninevah, Prof. Dr. Osama Al-Mashhadani, and under the supervision of the Dean of the College of Information Technology, Prof. Dr. Manar Younis Kashmoula,
the Software Department at the College of Information Technology held a workshop on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, titled:
“The Use of Social Engineering in Targeting Researchers and Academics.”
The workshop was delivered by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohammed Salem Al-Atoom, Head of the Computer Science Department at the University of Jordan, and Dr. Ali Mohsen Ahmed, Head of the Software Department at the College of Information Technology.
The workshop aimed to introduce participants to the concept of social engineering and distinguish it from traditional technical attacks. It included real-world examples from academic environments, as well as a classification of common attack methods and types. The speakers also highlighted the scale and trends of the issue using updated data and statistics from 2025.
Additionally, the workshop addressed the basics of email authentication and its role in reducing impersonation attempts. It aimed to instill a culture of cybersecurity awareness among researchers and measure its impact through targeted awareness programs.
Key topics covered in the workshop included an introduction to social engineering, cybersecurity challenges in academic environments, statistics on cyberattacks targeting researchers, types and mechanisms of social engineering attacks, and prevention methods and mitigation strategies.
The workshop specifically targeted researchers and academics to enhance their ability to confront growing cyber threats and to protect their academic and research environments.
