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Researchers unveil first defense against cryptanalytic attacks on AI
“AI systems are valuable intellectual property, and cryptanalytic parameter-extraction attacks are the most efficient, effective, and accurate way to steal that intellectual property,” says Ashley Kurian, first author of the study and Ph.D. student in electrical and computer engineering at NC State.
NC State ECE researchers have developed the first functional defense capable of protecting AI models from cryptanalytic attacks that attempt to extract and reconstruct model parameters. The new approach trains neural networks to reduce differences between neurons in the same layer, forming a barrier that prevents extraction while maintaining accuracy with less than 1 percent change.
The paper, Train to Defend: First Defense Against Cryptanalytic Neural Network Parameter Extraction Attacks, will be presented at NeurIPS 2025 in San Diego.
Read the full story:
http://ncst.at/18zO50XvTbV
Researchers unveil first defense against cryptanalytic attacks on AI
“AI systems are valuable intellectual property, and cryptanalytic parameter-extraction attacks are the most efficient, effective, and accurate way to steal that intellectual property,” says Ashley Kurian, first author of the study and Ph.D. student in electrical and computer engineering at NC State.
NC State ECE researchers have developed the first functional defense capable of protecting AI models from cryptanalytic attacks that attempt to extract and reconstruct model parameters. The new approach trains neural networks to reduce differences between neurons in the same layer, forming a barrier that prevents extraction while maintaining accuracy with less than 1 percent change.
The paper, Train to Defend: First Defense Against Cryptanalytic Neural Network Parameter Extraction Attacks, will be presented at NeurIPS 2025 in San Diego.
Read the full story:
http://ncst.at/18zO50XvTbV
The Department of Energy has renewed funding through 2030 for the Quantum Science Center, allocating $125 million to establish a fault-tolerant, quantum-accelerated high-performance computing ecosystem.
NC State is a key partner in this initiative. In 2024, the university received up to $10 million for a five-year project advancing hybrid quantum computing architectures. Researchers from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science and Physics are collaborating to explore quantum harmonic oscillators and qubits at NC State’s IBM Quantum Innovation Center.
This investment underscores NC State’s commitment to advancing quantum science and compounding its national leadership in transformative computing systems.
Read more: http://ncst.at/hr0O50XrSO0
The Department of Energy has renewed funding through 2030 for the Quantum Science Center, allocating $125 million to establish a fault-tolerant, quantum-accelerated high-performance computing ecosystem.
NC State is a key partner in this initiative. In 2024, the university received up to $10 million for a five-year project advancing hybrid quantum computing architectures. Researchers from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science and Physics are collaborating to explore quantum harmonic oscillators and qubits at NC State’s IBM Quantum Innovation Center.
This investment underscores NC State’s commitment to advancing quantum science and compounding its national leadership in transformative computing systems.
Read more: http://ncst.at/hr0O50XrSO0
The NC State Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering proudly celebrated the 2025 ECE Alumni Hall of Fame inductees and the recipient of the Outstanding Early Career Award during a ceremony held at Hunt Library on November 7. Faculty, staff and members of the ECE Advisory Board gathered to honor the achievements of this exceptional group whose leadership and innovation reflect the profound impact of NC State ECE.
Since 2015, the department has recognized 110 alumni whose contributions exemplify excellence in engineering, research and service. We extend our gratitude to the ECE Alumni Hall of Fame Committee for their dedication to advancing and recognizing our alumni community.
Learn more about this year’s honorees and award recipients:
http://ncst.at/b7lR50XrRYc
The NC State Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering proudly celebrated the 2025 ECE Alumni Hall of Fame inductees and the recipient of the Outstanding Early Career Award during a ceremony held at Hunt Library on November 7. Faculty, staff and members of the ECE Advisory Board gathered to honor the achievements of this exceptional group whose leadership and innovation reflect the profound impact of NC State ECE.
Since 2015, the department has recognized 110 alumni whose contributions exemplify excellence in engineering, research and service. We extend our gratitude to the ECE Alumni Hall of Fame Committee for their dedication to advancing and recognizing our alumni community.
Learn more about this year’s honorees and award recipients:
http://ncst.at/b7lR50XrRYc
Congratulations to Ph.D. student Mohammad Riahi on receiving the Graduate Diversity Enrichment Program award sponsored by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. The award provides $5,000 over two years to support Ph.D. students through enhanced research enrichment opportunities.
Riahi’s research focuses on developing battery-free biomedical devices, including an implantable optical stimulation device that operates using radio waves with only a few milliwatts of energy. His work demonstrates how NC State engineers drive innovation through curiosity, creativity and a commitment to impact. ⚡
Congratulations to Ph.D. student Mohammad Riahi on receiving the Graduate Diversity Enrichment Program award sponsored by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. The award provides $5,000 over two years to support Ph.D. students through enhanced research enrichment opportunities.
Riahi’s research focuses on developing battery-free biomedical devices, including an implantable optical stimulation device that operates using radio waves with only a few milliwatts of energy. His work demonstrates how NC State engineers drive innovation through curiosity, creativity and a commitment to impact. ⚡
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As one of only two institutions to be home to two concurrent NSF Engineering Research Centers, one of three NSF Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research Initiatives, the home of the Department of Energy’s PowerAmerica Institute, leads the only North America IBM Quantum Hub, and home to one of The Microelectronics Commons' Hubs, we are ranked among the top academic units engaged in scientific research in the United States.
