Professor John Clark

Department of Computer Science

Professor of Computer and Information Security

Director of Siemens Digital MINE

Head of the Security of Advanced Systems research group

John Clark profile photo
Profile picture of John Clark profile photo
john.clark@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 1802

Full contact details

Professor John Clark
Department of Computer Science
Regent Court (DCS)
211 Portobello
Sheffield
S1 4DP
Profile

John Clark is a Professor of Computer and Information Security at the University of Sheffield since April 2017 and leads the Security of Advanced Systems Research Group. Previously he was Professor of Critical Systems at the University of York, having joined academia in 1992 as a Lecturer in Safety Critical Systems.

He studied Maths and then Applied Statistics at Oxford, before joining the security division of the software and systems house Logica (where he worked on security evaluation and security R&D).

Research interests

His major research interests lie in cybersecurity and software engineering, most notably the use of Artificial Intelligence to these areas. Publications have included work on: threat modelling, security policies, covert channel analysis, cryptographic building blocks, intrusion detection, insider detection, and automated synthesis of security protocols.

Current work addresses the automated discovery of classical cryptanalytic strategies, intrusion detection, and the search for quantum approaches to cryptanalysis via evolutionary computation.

He is particularly interested right now in building up research in the security of robotic and autonomous systems and in the security of advanced manufacturing systems.

Publications

Books

  • Clark JA, Paige RF, Polack FAC & Brooke PJ (2006) Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics): Preface. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Wright J, Stepney S, Clark JA & Jacob JL (2005) Formalizing anonymity: A review. Department of Computer Science, University of York. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Srivratanakul T, Clark JA & Polack F (2004) Writing Effective Security Abuse Cases. Department of Computer Science, University of York. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Srivratanakul T, Clark JA & Polack F (2004) Security Zonal Analysis. Department of Computer Science, University of York. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Zhan Y & Clark JA (2004) Automatic test-data generation for testing simulink models. Department of Computer Science, University of York. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Stepney S, Clark JA & Chivers H (2004) Breaking the Model: finalisation and a taxonomy of security attack. Department of Computer Science, University of York. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Hao C, Clark JA & Jacob JL (2004) A search-based approach to the automated design of security protocols. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Smith A, Clark JA & Burke EK (1997) Four methods for maintenance scheduling. Citeseer. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Clark JA & Jacob JL (1997) A survey of authentication protocol literature: Version 1.0. Citeseer. RIS download Bibtex download

Journal articles

Chapters

  • Alshahrani A & Clark JA (2023) On Optimal Configuration of IDS for RPL Resource-Constrained Networks Using Evolutionary Algorithm, Proceedings of the Future Technologies Conference (FTC) 2022, Volume 2 (pp. 514-535). Springer International Publishing RIS download Bibtex download
  • Albatati HA, Clark JA & Abulkhair MF (2023) Privacy Awareness Among Users of Digital Healthcare Services in Saudi Arabia, HCI for Cybersecurity, Privacy and Trust (pp. 247-261). Springer Nature Switzerland RIS download Bibtex download
  • Alromih A, Clark JA & Gope P (2022) Privacy-Aware Split Learning Based Energy Theft Detection for Smart Grids, Information and Communications Security (pp. 281-300). Springer International Publishing RIS download Bibtex download
  • Gleirscher M, Johnson N, Karachristou P, Calinescu R, Law J & Clark J (2022) Challenges in the Safety-Security Co-Assurance of Collaborative Industrial Robots, The 21st Century Industrial Robot: When Tools Become Collaborators (pp. 191-214). Springer International Publishing RIS download Bibtex download
  • Czekster RM, Morisset C, Moorsel AV, Mace JC, Bassage WA & Clark JA (2021) Cybersecurity Roadmap for Active Buildings, Active Building Energy Systems (pp. 219-249). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Almohamade SS, Clark JA & Law J (2021) Behaviour-Based Biometrics for Continuous User Authentication to Industrial Collaborative Robots, Innovative Security Solutions for Information Technology and Communications (pp. 185-197). Springer International Publishing RIS download Bibtex download
  • Almohamade SS, Clark JA & Law J (2021) Mimicry Attacks Against Behavioural-Based User Authentication for Human-Robot Interaction, Lecture Notes in Computer Science (pp. 111-126). Springer International Publishing RIS download Bibtex download
  • (2016) Security Threats in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks, Security of Self-Organizing Networks (pp. 145-164). Auerbach Publications RIS download Bibtex download
  • El-Din RS, Cairns P & Clark J (2015) The Human Factor in Mobile Phishing, New Threats and Countermeasures in Digital Crime and Cyber Terrorism (pp. 53-65). IGI Global RIS download Bibtex download
  • Patrick M, Alexander R, Oriol M & Clark JA (2013) Selecting Highly Efficient Sets of Subdomains for Mutation Adequacy IEEE RIS download Bibtex download
  • Clark JA, Tapiador JE, McDermid JA, Cheng P-C, Agrawal D, Ivanic N & Slogget D (2010) Risk Based Access Control with Uncertain and Time-dependent Sensitivity In Katsikas S & Samarati P (Ed.), Proceedings of the 2010 International Conference on Security and Cryptography (pp. 1-9). SciTePress RIS download Bibtex download
  • Hernandez-Castro JC, Tapiador JE, Peris-Lopez P, Clark JA & Talbi E-G (2009) Metaheuristic traceability attack against SLMAP, an RFID lightweight authentication protocol, 23rd IEEE International Symposium on Parallel and Distributed Processing, IPDPS 2009, Rome, Italy, May 23-29, 2009 (pp. 1-5). IEEE RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sen S, Clark JA, Tapiador JE, Zheng J, Mao S, Midkiff SF & Zhu H (2009) Power-Aware Intrusion Detection in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks, Ad Hoc Networks, First International Conference, ADHOCNETS 2009, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, September 22-25, 2009. Revised Selected Papers (pp. 224-239). Springer RIS download Bibtex download
  • Dong X, Clark JA & Jacob JL (2008) User Behaviour Based Phishing Websites Detection In Ganzha M, Paprzycki M & PelechPilichowski T (Ed.), 2008 INTERNATIONAL MULTICONFERENCE ON COMPUTER SCIENCE AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IMCSIT), VOLS 1 AND 2 (pp. 728-735). IEEE RIS download Bibtex download
  • Dong X, Clark JA & Jacob J (2008) Modelling User-Phishing Interaction, 2008 CONFERENCE ON HUMAN SYSTEM INTERACTIONS, VOLS 1 AND 2 (pp. 633-638). IEEE RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sen S & Clark JA (2008) Evolving Intrusion Detection Rules on Mobile Ad Hoc Networks In Ho TB & Zhou ZH (Ed.), PRICAI 2008: TRENDS IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (pp. 1053-1058). SPRINGER-VERLAG BERLIN RIS download Bibtex download
  • Bechmann MW, Clark JA, Sebald AA-M & Stepney S (2007) Unentangling nuclear magnetic resonance computing, Unconventional Computing 2007 (pp. 1-18). Luniver Press RIS download Bibtex download
  • Srivatanakul T, Clark JA, Stepney S & Polack F (2003) Challenging formal specifications by mutation: A CSP security example (pp. 340-350). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Clark JA (2003) Invited paper. Nature-inspired cryptography: Past, present and future, CEC: 2003 CONGRESS ON EVOLUTIONARY COMPUTATION, VOLS 1-4, PROCEEDINGS (pp. 1647-1654). IEEE RIS download Bibtex download
  • Buttle DL, Clark JA, McDermid JA, Stephenson ZR & Henderson P (2002) CONVERSE: A Family Oriented Software Development Process for Engine Controllers, Systems Engineering for Business Process Change (pp. 38-73). Springer-verlag RIS download Bibtex download
  • Clark JA, Jacob JL, Stepney S, Maitra S & Millan W (2002) Evolving Boolean Functions Satisfying Multiple Criteria, Progress in Cryptology — INDOCRYPT 2002 (pp. 246-259). Springer Berlin Heidelberg RIS download Bibtex download
  • Tracey NJ, Clark JA, McDermid JA, Mander KC & Henderson P (2002) A Search-Based Automated Test-Data Generation Framework for Safety-Critical Systems, Systems Engineering for Business Process Change (pp. 174-213). Springer-verlag RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kim S, Clark JA & McDermid JA (2001) Investigating the Effectiveness of Object-Oriented Strategies with the Mutation Method, Mutation Testing for the New Century (pp. 4-4). Springer US RIS download Bibtex download
  • Burton S, Clark JA, Galloway A & McDermid JA (2000) Automated Verification and Validation for High Integrity Systems: A Targeted Formal Methods Approach, Proceedings of the NASA Langley Formal Methods Workshop RIS download Bibtex download
  • Clark JA & Jacob JL () Searching for a solution: engineering tradeoffs and the evolution of provably secure protocols IEEE Comput. Soc RIS download Bibtex download
  • Tracey N, Clark J, McDermid J & Mander K () Integrating Safety Analysis with Automatic Test-Data Generation for Software Safety Verification, Proceedings of 17th International System Safety Conference (pp. 128-137). RIS download Bibtex download
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Conference proceedings papers

Theses / Dissertations

  • Clark JA (2002) Metaheuristic Search as a Cryptological Tool. RIS download Bibtex download

Other

  • Chen H, Fuller R & Clark JA () Demonstration software for IDS Sensor Placement. RIS download Bibtex download

Preprints

Grants

Current grants

Previous grants

Professional activities and memberships

Professional activities and achievements

  • Member of the Security of Advanced Systems research group
  • Awarded Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award in 2013.
  • ACM/IEEE Automated Software Engineering. Most influential 15 year (-/+1) paper: ASE 1998 - An Automated Framework for Structural Test-Data Generation - Nigel Tracey, John Clark, Keith Mander and John McDermid.
  • Winner of Silver Medal and $1000 (Human-Competitive Quantum Fourier Transform Algorithm Using Genetic Programming. Paul Massey, John A Clark and Susan Stepney, 2005) and Bronze Medal and $2000 (Genetic algorithms and solid state NMR pulse sequences. Matthias Bechmann, John Clark, Angelika Sebald, 2013) in GEECO’s Human Competitive Awards open competitions.
  • Awarded 9 best paper prizes since 2004.
  • External Examiner for 4 undergraduate programmes: King's College London, Sheffield, Brunel, and Imperial College London.
  • External Examiner for 4 postgraduate programmes: Newcastle, Open University, Dublin and University College London.

Administrative and Community Roles

  • Joins Sheffield in April 2017 as the group leader for new Security of Advanced Systems Research Group
  • Previously: Secretary and Chair of various Boards of Examiners, Head of Research, Sciences Rep on Senate, and Head of Department.
  • Regular reviewer, panellist, and panel chair for the EPSRC.