Irfan Ahmed is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), where he runs the Security and Forensics Engineering (SAFE) Lab in the College of Engineering, focusing on the cybersecurity of cyber-physical systems, such as industrial control systems, additive manufacturing and CNC machines, and medical devices. He has an extensive track record of offensive and defensive research in cyber-physical systems, including seventeen ICS-CERT CVEs for the controllers of six vendors, i.e., Schneider Electric, Siemens, SEL, Rockwell Automation, Tormach, and Automation Direct.

Ahmed is a faculty fellow of VCU Cybersecurity Center, a researcher at Virginia Commonwealth of Cyber Initiative (CCI), a VCU liaison with U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM)'s Academic Engagement Network, and leading the VCU to obtain and maintain the designation of the DHS/NSA Center for Academic Excellence in Research (CAE-R). He is also the steering team member of the DHS Industrial Control Systems Joint Working Group (ICSJWG). Before VCU, Ahmed was a Canizaro-Livingston Endowed Assistant Professor in Cybersecurity at the University of New Orleans (UNO), New Orleans, LA.

Ahmed's research work has been supported in part by the NSF, NSA, DHS, ONR, ARO, ORAU and VA CCI, and has received three Best Paper Awards at DFRWS'22, ISC'13 and ICRC'11, three Best Student Paper Awards at DFRWS'23, DFRWS'22 and DFRWS'20, and two Outstanding Poster Awards at CODASPY'16 and ACSAC'23. Ahmed is a recipient of the ORAU Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, an Outstanding Research Award from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), a CCI Innovation Award, a VCU NIRA Scholar Award, and a UNO Early Career Research Prize.

Ahmed is a faculty advisor of the VCU cybersecurity club. He established the Cyber4n6 experiential learning program in digital forensics for undergraduates with the Computer Evidence Recovery Section (CERS) at Virginia State Police. He also created an annual GenCyber summer boot camp in cybersecurity for middle and high school students.