Vitaly Ford received an Information Systems and Technology Engineer degree at the Ural Federal University in 2012. He continued his education and pursued Master's and PhD in Computer Science (Cybersecurity) at Tennessee Tech University, graduating in 2017. He joined the faculty of Arcadia University in Fall 2017 as an Assistant Professor of Computer Science.

Dr. Ford's primary research areas include the Internet of Things security and privacy, cybersecurity education, machine learning/data science, network security and assurance, fraud detection, and cloud computing. He is highly interested in anything that is tech related. Some of his most recent projects are:

• Configuration of a Data Transfer Node that allows for secure and fast data transfer and storage - Science DMZ.
• Secure coding exercises and competitions.
• GenCyberCoin – a gamified platform for teaching cybersecurity.
• A simulation framework for analyzing and comparing the performance of different privacy-preserving advanced metering infrastructure protocols.
• CTF Unplugged – the Capture the Flag cybersecurity competition for K-12 students that does not require any technology for participation.
• Curriculum and learning modules for GenCyber cybersecurity summer camp for K-12 students.
• Penetration testing exercises for K-12 and college students.
• Privacy-preserving advanced metering infrastructure protocol that supports fine-grained data analysis; it secures data and provides a way to access the data without violating consumer privacy.

He has been also serving as the Director of Cybersecurity R&D for the National Cybersecurity Student Association and the Chapter Coordinator for the Women in Cybersecurity organization. Dr. Ford worked on multiple grants including NSA/NSF GenCyber Subaward (PI) and NSF CC* Network Design: Transforming Arcadia’s Networking Capability, Enhancing for Innovation to Grow Research Leaders in a Technology-driven World (Co-PI). In his spare time, he enjoys playing chess, table tennis, and CTF { watching Netflix too! ;-D }.