Nigerian Researchers Secure Best Paper Award at International Computing Conference in India

Key Takeaways

A Nigerian research team won the Best Paper Award at ACSCON-2026 for their innovative paper on IoT cybersecurity.
The study successfully reduces data poisoning attack success rates while preserving privacy in IoT devices.
This achievement highlights the increased contribution of Nigerian scholars to global research in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

Acknowledging a Significant Achievement

A team of six Nigerian researchers received the Best Paper Award at the International Conference on Advances in Computing Systems, Communication and Networking (ACSCON-2026) held on May 29-30, 2026, at Dr. ACS College of Engineering in Bengaluru, India. The award-winning paper, titled “Federated Learning with Differential Privacy for Adversarial Robustness in IoT Cybersecurity: Defending Against Data Poisoning Attacks,” was authored by a group which includes researchers from the University of Greater Manchester and Babcock University.

The research addresses a crucial issue in cybersecurity: the protection of billions of Internet of Things (IoT) devices—from home appliances to healthcare sensors—against cyberattacks, while maintaining user data privacy. The team’s approach integrates federated learning, enabling devices to collaboratively develop an artificial intelligence security model without exposing their raw data, and differential privacy, which provides guarantees that individual data cannot be traced back to any one user.

Furthermore, the researchers rigorously tested their system against sophisticated data poisoning attacks, where adversaries sabotage the training process of the AI model. The results were compelling; their framework reduced the success rate of poisoning attacks from 34.8% in unprotected systems to just 3.9%, without compromising detection abilities. This underscores a groundbreaking development showing that security and privacy can indeed coexist in real-world applications, particularly in sensitive fields like healthcare and smart city infrastructure.

The team was honored with a certificate of appreciation by conference organizers, including Dr. B. S. Shylaja, the college Principal, and other distinguished panel members. Their full paper has been published in the International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology (IJERT) and is available for public access.

In reflecting on their achievement, the researchers expressed pride in the collaboration and hope this recognition will motivate young Nigerians to pursue careers in vital fields such as artificial intelligence, data privacy, and cybersecurity. This accolade adds to a growing list of international honors for Nigerian researchers, bolstering the nation’s status in the global technology research landscape.

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