Dr Lynsay Shepherd is a Reader in Cybersecurity and Human-Computer Interaction at Abertay University and works within the School of Design and Informatics. Lynsay holds a Ph.D. in Usable Security (a combination of HCI and security research), an M.Sc. in Internet Computing, and a B.Sc. (Hons) in Computing.

Lynsay focuses on applied research in the human aspects of cybersecurity, investigating how people interact with emerging technologies, and their behaviour in the context of secure interactions.

Lynsay is particularly interested in the use of eye-tracking measures, serious games, embodied agents, extended reality (XR), safety and accessibility in the metaverse, and romance fraud detection and prevention techniques using machine learning.

If you are interested in collaboration or pursing a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction with games technologies or cybersecurity, please get in touch: [email protected]

Modules for 2025/26:

• CMP204 Secure Web Development (module leader)
• CMP206 Designing For The User (co-deliverer)
• CMP410 Human-Centred Security (module leader)
• GRS501 Research Methods (module leader, and MSc Ethical Hacking specialist)
• Project supervisor across MSc Ethical Hacking, MSc Computer Games Technology, MSc Applied Artificial Intelligence and User Experience.

Previous modules taught include: CMP308 Professional Project Planning and Prototyping (computing programme specialist), CMP311 Professional Project Development and Delivery (computing programme specialist), CMP319 Ethical Hacking 2, CMP401 Honours Project Scoping and Proposal (co-deliverer), CMP412 Mobile Forensics (module leader), CMP414 Web Futures (co-deliverer), CMP416 Digital Forensics 2 (module leader, mobile forensics specialist), ELE005 Defence Against the Dark Arts (co-deliverer).

Selected Funding

• 2022 - NCSC - Gone Phishing, Serious Games (PI)
• 2021 - Abertay RLINCS-2 PhD Studentship - Broken Hearts, Empty Accounts: Preventing Romance Fraud (PI)
• 2019 - European Commission – Horizon 2020 FORESIGHT (Co-PI for Abertay University).
• 2019 - Police Scotland - Validity of Health App Data from iPhones (PI)
• 2018 - SICSA Cyber Nexus - Research Exchange with OTH Regensburg's Eye-tracking Laboratory (PI)
• 2018 - Carnegie Trust - Exploring the impact of embodied agents on phishing awareness (PI)

Memberships
ACM, SIGCHI, SFHEA, SPRITE+ Expert Fellow.

Invited talks include:

Scot-Secure 2022 - "The “New Normal” – Cybersecurity, COVID, and Future Challenges" (2022), IEEE UK & Ireland - "The Impact of Covid-19 on Cybersecurity and Cybercrime A Brave New World" (2021), SIPR International Policing Conference  - "Improving Security Awareness Through Gamification Techniques" (Edinburgh, 2019), NERD.nrw Summer School on Human-Centered System Security (Aachen, Germany, 2019), Workshop on Serious Games for Cyber Security - "Promoting Cyber Security Awareness via Gamification" (Edinburgh, 2019), Dagstuhl Seminar 18321 Web Application Security (Germany, 2019), Social Market Foundation event, SNP Conference, Glasgow, Scotland. Panel title: "Digital security: how do we keep our money – and ourselves – safe online?"  (October 2017).

Editorial and reviewer roles:

• Grant Reviewer – Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, SICSA Cyber Nexus
• Guest Editor - Special issue of Frontiers - Technology For the Greater Good? The Influence of (Ir)responsible Systems on Human Emotions, Thinking and Behavior.
• Programme Committee - International Conference On Cyber Situational Awareness (IEEE Cyber SA), International Conference On Cyber Security and Protection (IEEE Cyber Security), CyberLab 2022, European Interdisciplinary Cybersecurity Conference.
• Journal Reviewer - Computers & Security (Elsevier), International Journal of Human Computer Studies (Elsevier), Expert Systems With Applications (Elsevier), PLoS One, Frontiers in Psychology (Frontiers), Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency (SAGE), Journal of Information Security and Applications (Elsevier), Electronics (MDPI), Applied Sciences (MDPI).
• Conference Reviewer - ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), International Conference on Cyber-Technologies and Cyber-Systems (IARIA CYBER).
• Chairing roles - Conference chair, Cyber Science 2018 conference, Glasgow, UK, 2018, Publicity chair, Cyber Science 2018 conference, Glasgow, UK, 2018, Session chair, Human Behaviour in Security and Privacy, HCII 2017, Vancouver, Canada.

Outreach activities include Meet the Expert talk, Skills Development Scotland (SDS) (2019), presenter at the SICSA Cybersecurity Christmas Lectures from 2012-2018, Invited keynote speaker at the Aberdeenshire GamesCon 2018 Final, "Women in Security: protecting ourselves, protecting our world" event at Abertay University (2013).

Lynsay's work has been covered by various press outlets including: The Herald, Police Professional, Evening Express, The Courier, The Scotsman, Manchester Evening News, Scottish Daily Mail, Evening Telegraph, Press and Journal, The Sunday Post.