Donna O'Shea

My research is centred on the secure convergence of the digital world with the physical world, building modelling tools with physical processes with the aim of making systems more resilient to cyber security attacks.

I have extensive research leadership experience in contributing to the research of Research Ireland (RI) research centres such as CONNECT, and previously CONFIRM and ENABLE where my contributions primarily focus of privacy, trust and network security, leveraging technologies such as CPS, IoT, blockchain and AI, in application areas such as smart manufacturing and telecommunications. 

Prof Donna O’Shea (PhD-07, MEng-04, BSc-02) is a leading national figure in cybersecurity research and innovation. She holds the position of Chair (Full Professor) of Digital Engineering at UL specialising in cybersecurity. She has extensive experience in winning funding and leading large-scale national cybersecurity initiatives including the ‘Cyber-Ireland’ Industry Cluster/EI Innovator’s Initiative ‘Cyber-Innovate’ focused in increasing the number of SMEs/HPSUs in cybersecurity/HEA-HCI3 ‘Cyber-Skills’ project on responding to the critical shortage of cybersecurity professionals and Research Ireland(RI) ‘Cyber-Futures’ EPE project in cybersecurity. She is involved with government and the National Cyber Security Centre(NCSC) on policy development and collaborates extensively with industry. She is an FI, in RI CONNECT Centre for Future Networks with a strong track record in doctoral supervision. Prior to joining UL she was Chair of Cybersecurity (2020-2025), Head of Department and Lecturer in Computer Science(2013-2020) at MTU, and worked in IBM as a Software Developer(2008-2013).

My teaching interests lie at  the intersection of digital engineering, cybersecurity, and regulatory frameworks, with a particular interest in how technical systems are shaped—and constrained—by emerging digital policies and legal instruments.

My interests also include the security and privacy challenges at the intersection of artificial intelligence and personal data governance. This includes applied research into explainability, privacy-preserving AI, and attacks such as model poisoning and data leakage. I explore both regulatory obligations (e.g. GDPR, AI Act) and technical countermeasures, including differential privacy, encryption, and privacy toolkits.

A key strand of my work examines the strategic role of digital sovereignty in shaping secure and resilient digital infrastructures, particularly in the context of EU-led regulatory initiatives such as the Cyber Resilience Act, Digital Services Act (DSA), Digital Markets Act (DMA), Chips Act, and the AI Act. I am especially interested in how these frameworks reflect geopolitical tensions and the drive for technological autonomy among major global powers (EU, US, China), and how engineers can be equipped to navigate and implement compliance through design