New adjunct professor for Secure Communication Systems

17 February 2026

With the appointment of PD Dr. Corinna Schmitt as adjunct professor, the University of the Bundeswehr Munich is placing an important emphasis on the connection between research, teaching, and practical application in the field of cybersecurity and networked communication systems. She has been active in research and teaching on secure communication in heterogeneous multi-domain networks and trustworthy digital infrastructure for many years and heads the Secure Communication Systems (SeCoSys) research group at the Research Institute CODE.

The SeCoSys research group is dedicated to the multifaceted challenges of secure communication in complex networked systems in a wide variety of application areas on the ground and in the air. A core element of the research is the systematic investigation of secure architectures and protocols, as well as the development of concepts that secure networks and data management across heterogeneous domains. This integrative perspective takes into account transparent identity, access, and trust models and develops solutions that meet both efficiency and regulatory and user-related requirements.

In her teaching, Prof. Dr. Schmitt consistently pursues the goal of introducing students to current research topics and real-world challenges in cybersecurity. She teaches the fundamentals, methods, and practical aspects of secure communication and networked systems in various bachelor's and master's degree courses. These teaching activities are deliberately very practice-oriented, include experimental exercises and case studies, and prepare students for research-related tasks and specific challenges in IT security. Various theses build strong bridges between academic theory and practical application—whether through industry-cooperative projects, national research collaborations, or interdisciplinary tasks. The diversity of topics reflects the breadth of research at SeCoSys and ideally prepares students for future careers in research, industry, and security.

Prof. Dr. Schmitt and her team are involved in numerous national and international projects that go far beyond traditional scientific boundaries, such as:

• NEWSROOM – a project to develop integrated concepts for cyber situational awareness in joint European defense research.
• Capacity Building for NCC-DE – strengthening the capabilities of the National Coordination Center for Cybersecurity in industry, research, and technology.
• Air Mobility Integration U-Space (AMIUS) – projects for the safe integration of digital services in the context of urban air mobility.

These initiatives combine research with application-oriented goals, promote networks between science and industry, and create practical results that are both academically and practically useful.

Furthermore, as part of her work at the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre Germany (NCC-DE), Prof. Dr. Schmitt is heavily involved in the strategic interface between national and European cybersecurity architecture. Specifically, this support is provided on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Defense, in particular through the analysis of military research needs in the field of cybersecurity, the identification of synergies with civilian security research, and the targeted networking of the cybersecurity community. In this way, she makes an important contribution to the strategic integration of defense, research, and innovation activities at the national and European level.

^{Teaser: The Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science and Executive Director of the Research Institute CODE, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Hommel (left), presented the certificate of appointment to apl. Prof. Dr. Corinna Schmitt on February 11, 2026. (Photo: UniBw M / U. Borghoff)}