Dr. Abhishta Abhishta, MBA

I am an Associate Professor in the Financial Engineering and Business Information Systems group at the University of Twente. My research focuses on understanding the economic and financial impact of cyber attacks through empirical, data-driven approaches. By developing and applying measurement techniques, I aim to provide organisations with clearer insights into how security risks translate into real-world consequences.

A central motivation in my work is to support better decision-making in cybersecurity. Rather than treating security as a purely technical problem, I look at how organisations can make well-informed investments that balance risk, cost, and operational priorities. This perspective has led me to study phenomena such as DDoS attacks, ransomware economics, cloud security risks, and the behaviour of cybercriminal ecosystems, often using large-scale Internet measurement data.

Over time, I have contributed to several collaborative research initiatives that aim to strengthen digital resilience at both organisational and societal levels. For example, I am involved in projects such as MASCOT – Measuring Security in Cloud Outsourcing and NWA CATRIN – Controllable, Accountable, and Transparent Internet, which bring together academic and industry partners to better understand and improve security in complex digital infrastructures. More recently, I have been leading and contributing to initiatives focused on supply chain resilience and AI-driven threat management, including projects such as CS4NL DReSC and CYGENT, which aim to support organisations in navigating increasingly interconnected and evolving cyber risks.

At the University of Twente, I am also part of the Twente University Centre for Cybersecurity Research (TUCCR), where I lead work on socio-economic aspects of cybersecurity. In this role, I collaborate with researchers, industry partners, and public organisations to translate academic insights into practical strategies for improving resilience.

My doctoral research was conducted within the NWO-funded project D3 – Distributed Denial-of-Service Defense, which focused on protecting schools and other public organisations against DDoS attacks. This work laid the foundation for my continued interest in measuring the real-world impact of cyber incidents and understanding how different stakeholders are affected.