Researchers from Stony Brook University's Department of Computer Science secured an impressive second place in the Social Impact category at NYU's Cyber Security Awareness Week (CSAW) 2024 Applied Research Competition.

The paper, “The Times They Are A-Changin': Characterizing Post-Publication Changes to Online News,” explores how online news articles are modified after publication. The authors Chris Tsoukaladelis, Brian Kondracki, Niranjan Balasubramanian, and Nick Nikiforakis analyzed over 600,000 articles from U.S. publishers and discovered that 27% of articles undergo post-publication changes, with some edits potentially altering their original intent. 

“It’s critical to understand how digital news evolves after publication,” said Tsoukaladelis. “In an era where online information shapes public opinion, tracking these changes becomes crucial for maintaining media transparency.”

Another paper from Nikiforakis’ lab, “Like, Comment, Get Scammed: Characterizing Comment Scams on Media Platforms,” by Xigao Li, Amir Rahmati, and Nick Nikiforakis, was among the 15 finalists in the competition. This study examines scams conducted through user comments on media platforms and was presented at the Network and Distributed System Security Symposium.

“I am incredibly proud of our students for achieving this remarkable recognition at CSAW,” said Samir Das, professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science. “Placing second among nearly 200 submissions demonstrates the innovative and impactful nature of their research on digital news integrity.  Our students are tackling critical challenges in today’s online information landscape.”

The CSAW Applied Research Competition, judged by experts from organizations such as Google and TIAA, highlights academic work addressing real-world security challenges. 

-Yuganshu Jain