University of Jyväskylä's cybersecurity research showcased at Secure Systems Demo Day

Research provides new expertise for identifying and mitigating threats related to the implementation of artificial intelligence tools.

The University of Jyväskylä participated for the first time in the Secure Systems Demo Day event at Aalto University on Friday, June 5, 2026. The event was organized by the Helsinki–Aalto Institute for Cybersecurity (HAIC), a joint initiative of Aalto University and the University of Helsinki. It brought together over 200 information security experts, students and business representatives. A total of 40 research-related posters were presented. The event has been organized since 2015.

One of the speakers at the event was Eeli Mäkinen, research assistant for the Data for Efficiency, Productivity and Competitiveness project. The presented research is part of Mäkinen's master's thesis at the University of Jyväskylä.
When organizations are offered new AI tools to improve efficiency, understanding the cybersecurity of systems is essential. The research produces the kind of expertise that organizations need to identify and protect AI systems from vulnerabilities.
- The event was a great preparation for the upcoming international conference, which is my first. I got good questions that strengthened my understanding and taught me how to communicate my research better, Mäkinen says.

Security themes on the agenda

The research topics at the University of Jyväskylä focused on security threats to AI agents and IoT systems:

• Eeli Mäkinen, Markus Miettinen: Social engineering of AI agents
• Dinusha Dissanayaka, Markus Miettinen: Threats and challenges of agentic AI security
• Negin Hamian, Markus Miettinen: Resilience against contextual attacks in intelligent edge IoT systems

Overall, the Secure Systems Demo Day provided an overview of current information security research and its future directions. The participation of the University of Jyväskylä highlighted regional cybersecurity expertise as part of a broader research community. The event created new networks between universities, students and companies.