Research award for Dr. Sergej Schultenkämper
The University of the Bundeswehr Munich has recognised Sergej Schultenkämper's dissertation on information disclosure on the web and digital twins with the ITIS e.V. research award.
Our colleague Dr. Sergej Schultenkämper has received the research award of the Institute for Technology of Intelligent Systems, ITIS e.V. The award recognises his dissertation "Information disclosure on the web: developing a threat model for the digital twin".
The award was presented on 23 October 2026 during the Dies academicus at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich. The university uses its research awards to honour dissertations that stand out for their academic quality and their particular contribution to the respective field.
Making risks from public information measurable
Sergej's work investigates the risks that arise when publicly available information from different sources is combined into a digital representation of a person.
These digital twins can be highly detailed. Information about work, interests, social contacts, or locations can be combined and used for targeted attacks. In spear phishing in particular, this information helps attackers tailor credible messages to individual people.
The dissertation goes beyond describing the problem. Sergej developed a threat model that allows risks to be captured and assessed systematically. The work therefore combines methods from artificial intelligence and data analysis with a concrete question in digital security: How can we recognise when the sum of publicly shared information becomes a personal attack surface?
Research with a direct link to practice
The dissertation was written within the research project ADRIAN, Authority-Dependent Risk Identification and Analysis in Online Networks. The project investigated the risks of and safeguards against profiling on the web and formed part of the MuQuaNet joint project funded by dtec.bw.
The work was supervised by Prof. Dr. Frederik Bäumer at Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences and Prof. Dr. Michaela Geierhos at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich. Sergej completed his doctorate with the distinction summa cum laude.
This combination is central to our work at wonk.ai: sound research, careful handling of data, and the translation of complex methods into systems that work reliably in everyday use. Sergej brings this perspective to our client projects as Lead Engineer.
A second recognition within a few weeks
Sergej's academic achievement had already been honoured at the dtec.bw annual conference in September. The ITIS e.V. research award now presented during Dies academicus expressly recognises the dissertation once again for its academic quality and contribution to research.
We are delighted by this recognition and warmly congratulate Sergej.
More about his work is in our article on the dissertation and its research topic. Sergej's role at wonk.ai is presented on his team profile.
Source: University of the Bundeswehr Munich: Dies academicus 2026, awards for research and engagement