My complete CV is also available in English (PDF) and in Spanish (CVN).

Education

2020–2024
PhD, Telecommunications & Information Technology
Universidade de Vigo
Cum Laude, International Mention & Industrial Doctorate distinction. Pre-doctoral research stay at Roma Sapienza (2023, 3 months).
2017 - 2018
MSc, Cybersecurity
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
2012 - 2017
BSc, Computer Science
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

Work Experience

2026–present
Research Fellow, at Machine Alignment, Transparency & Security (MATS)
AI Security research fellowship, advised by Keri Warr (Anthropic). Working on inference verification mechanisms.
2022-2026
Technical Manager of Data Analytics & AI
Security and Privacy Department, GRADIANT.
2024 & 2026
Associate Lecturer
Statistics & Operations Research Department, Universidade de Vigo
2021–2022
Senior Researcher / Engineer
Security and Privacy Department, GRADIANT
2020–2021
Researcher / Engineer
Security and Privacy Department, GRADIANT
2018–2020
Software Engineer
Microsoft Canada Development Centre — Core Data Engineering

Publications

On the Practical Viability of Local Agentic Language Models for Android Security Analysis
Padín-Torrente, H., & Ortega-Fernandez, I. (2026). On the Practical Viability of Local Agentic Language Models for Android Security Analysis. Poster presentation at Jornadas Nacionales de Investigación en Ciberseguridad (JNIC 2026).
neuralGAM: An R Package for fitting Generalized Additive Neural Networks
Ortega-Fernandez, I., & Sestelo, M. (2026). neuralGAM: An R Package for fitting Generalized Additive Neural Networks. The R Journal. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10964608
Toward human-centered explainability: Natural language explanations for anomaly detection
Padín-Torrente, H., Carneiro-Diaz, V., & Ortega-Fernandez, I. (2026). Toward human-centered explainability: Natural language explanations for anomaly detection. Information Systems Frontiers, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-026-10717-3
Towards Explainable AI: Neural Network-Based Training of Generalized Additive Models
Ortega-Fernández, I., Sestelo, M., & Villanueva, N. M. (2025). Towards Explainable AI: Neural Network-Based Training of Generalized Additive Models. Reviewed contribution accepted for conference presentation at RSS 2025.
An efficient gradient-based inference attack for federated learning
Montaña-Fernández, P., & Ortega-Fernandez, I. (2025). An efficient gradient-based inference attack for federated learning. arXiv preprint arXiv:2512.15143.
Advanced Detection of Suspicious Activity within UEBA Framework using Deep Autoencoders
Fuentes Rodríguez, J., Ortega-Fernandez, I., Villanueva, N. M., & Sestelo, M. (2025). Advanced Detection of Suspicious Activity within UEBA Framework using Deep Autoencoders. Oral communication at XVII Congreso Galego de Estatística e Investigación de Operacións.
Combining Neural Networks and Generalized Additive Models for Explainable AI
Ortega-Fernandez, I., Sestelo, M., & Villanueva, N. M. (2025). Combining Neural Networks and Generalized Additive Models for Explainable AI. Poster presentation at XVII Congreso Galego de Estatística e Investigación de Operacións.
The future of law enforcement: How PRESERVE’s AI and big data solutions benefit public safety
Makri, F., Spantideas, S., Kokkinis, G., Ortega-Fernandez, I., Alonso Doval, P., & Varveris, M. (2025). The future of law enforcement: How PRESERVE’s AI and big data solutions benefit public safety. Poster presentation at the 6th International Conference in Electronic Engineering & Information Technology (EEITE).
Cybersecurity threat detection based on a UEBA framework using deep autoencoders
Fuentes, J., Ortega-Fernandez, I., Villanueva, N. M., & Sestelo, M. (2025). Cybersecurity threat detection based on a UEBA framework using deep autoencoders. AIMS Mathematics, 10(10), 23496–23517. https://doi.org/10.3934/math.20251043
Machine Learning Approaches and Explainability for Real-Time Cyberattack Detection
I. Ortega-Fernandez (2024). Machine Learning Approaches and Explainability for Real-Time Cyberattack Detection. Doctoral thesis, University of Vigo.
Enhancing Privacy in Federated Learning: A Practical Assessment of Combined PETs in a Cross-Silo Setting
Loureiro-Acuña, J., Martínez-Luaña, X., Padín-Torrente, H., Jiménez-Balsa, G., García-Pagán, C., & Ortega-Fernandez, I. (2024). Enhancing Privacy in Federated Learning: A Practical Assessment of Combined PETs in a Cross-Silo Setting. Proceedings of the 2024 ACM Workshop on Information Hiding and Multimedia Security, 265–270. doi:10.1145/3658664.3659661
Explainable deep learning: A methodology to train Generalized Additive Models with deep neural networks
Ortega-Fernandez, I., & Sestelo, M. (2024). Explainable deep learning: A methodology to train Generalized Additive Models with deep neural networks. Poster presentation at ISNPS 2024.
WhatTheFile, análisis forense basado en Inteligencia Artificial
Pintos, B., & Ortega-Fernandez, I. (2024). WhatTheFile, análisis forense basado en Inteligencia Artificial. In IX Jornadas Nacionales de Investigación En Ciberseguridad (pp. 600-605). Antonia M. Reina Quintero.
Development of a modular virtual Industrial Control System prototype for cybersecurity research
Carnero Ortega, D., Piñón Blanco, C., Pintos Castro, B., & Ortega Fernández, I. (2024). Development of a modular virtual Industrial Control System prototype for cybersecurity research. IX Jornadas Nacionales de Investigación En Ciberseguridad, 534-539.
Explainable Generalized Additive Neural Networks with Independent Neural Network Training
Ortega-Fernández, I., & Sestelo, M. (2023). Explainable Generalized Additive Neural Networks with Independent Neural Network Training. Poster presentation at CFE-CMStatistics 2023.
Explainable generalized additive neural networks with independent neural network training
Ortega-Fernandez, I., Sestelo, M. & Villanueva, N.M. Explainable generalized additive neural networks with independent neural network training. Stat Comput 34, 6 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11222-023-10320-5
Hexanonymity: a scalable geo-positioned data clustering algorithm for anonymisation purposes
J. Rodriguez-Viñas, I. Ortega-Fernandez and E. S. Martínez, "Hexanonymity: a scalable geo-positioned data clustering algorithm for anonymisation purposes," 2023 IEEE European Symposium on Security and Privacy Workshops (EuroS&PW), Delft, Netherlands, 2023, pp. 396-404, doi: 10.1109/EuroSPW59978.2023.00050.
Detección de bots avanzados en comercio electrónico: un caso de uso real
Mauro Saavedra-Golán, Ines Ortega-Fernandez (2023, 22 de junio). Detección de bots avanzados en comercio electrónico: un caso de uso real. Jornadas Nacionales de Investigación en Ciberseguridad [Conferencia]. Vigo, España. ISBN 978-84-8158-970-2, págs. 229-235
Detecting Anomalies in Industrial Control Systems with LSTM Neural Networks and UEBA
C. Piñón-Blanco, F. Otero-Vázquez, I. Ortega-Fernandez and M. Sestelo, "Detecting Anomalies in Industrial Control Systems with LSTM Neural Networks and UEBA," 2023 JNIC Cybersecurity Conference (JNIC), Vigo, Spain, 2023, pp. 1-8, doi: 10.23919/JNIC58574.2023.10205609.
Network intrusion detection system for DDoS attacks in ICS using deep autoencoders
Ortega-Fernandez, I., Sestelo, M., Burguillo, J.C. et al. Network intrusion detection system for DDoS attacks in ICS using deep autoencoders. Wireless Netw (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11276-022-03214-3
A Review of Denial of Service Attack and Mitigation in the Smart Grid Using Reinforcement Learning
Ortega-Fernandez, Ines, and Francesco Liberati. 2023. "A Review of Denial of Service Attack and Mitigation in the Smart Grid Using Reinforcement Learning" Energies 16, no. 2: 635. https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/2/635
Large Scale Data Anonymisation for GDPR Compliance
Ortega-Fernandez, I., Martinez, S.E.K., Orellana, L.A. (2022). Large Scale Data Anonymisation for GDPR Compliance. In: Soldatos, J., Kyriazis, D. (eds) Big Data and Artificial Intelligence in Digital Finance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-94590-9_19
How to implement EU data protection regulation for R&D in biometrics
R. Sanchez-Reillo, I. Ortega-Fernandez, W. Ponce-Hernandez, and H. C. Quiros-Sandoval, “How to implement EU data protection regulation for R&D in biometrics,” Comput. Stand. Interfaces, vol. 61, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.csi.2018.01.007.
How to implement EU data protection regulation for R&D on personal data
R. Sanchez-Reillo, I. Ortega-Fernandez, W. Ponce-Hernandez, and H. C. Quiros-Sandoval, “How to implement EU data protection regulation for R&D on personal data,” in Proceedings - International Carnahan Conference on Security Technology, 2017, vol. 2017-Octob, doi: 10.1109/CCST.2017.8167797.

R&D Projects

2025–2027
2025–2026
2024–2027
2023–2025
2023–2026
Compra Pública Precomercial CPP001/23. (CPP001-23-R006_SAFENET_UEBA)
2022–2026
Programa de Misiones de Ciencia e Innovación (MIG-20221051)
2022–2025
HORIZON-CL3-2021-CS-01-04 - Scalable privacy-preserving technologies for cross-border federated computation in Europe involving personal data
2021–2022
Red.es del Centro de Desarrollo Tecnologico e Industrial (2020/0720/000100025)
2021–2024
Programa Estratégico de Consorcios de Investigación Empresarial Nacional (CIEN) (IDI-20210861)
2020–2023
2019–2023
SC1-DTH-01-2019 - Big data and Artificial Intelligence for monitoring health status and quality of life after the cancer treatment
2019–2023
2019–2022
2019–2022

Software

neuralGAM: Interpretable Neural Network Based on Generalized Additive Models
neuralGAM is a neural network framework based on Generalized Additive Models, which trains a different neural network to estimate the contribution of each feature to the response variable.
Hexanonymity: a scalable geo-positioned data clustering algorithm for anonymisation purposes
Hexanonymity is a new algorithm for the anonymisation of geo-positioned data which introduces a limited amount of information loss while providing k-anonymity. Hexanonymity leverages the Uber H3 geo-indexing system, which subdivides the ...

Personal Projects

Travel sound mapping
Sound mapping project · 2024
This is a sound-mapping project that aims to create a sensory and cultural immersion through a collection of soundscapes recorded during different journeys.
pelletMap — tracking the Galician pellet crisis in real time
Citizen-science platform · 2023
On December 8th, 2023, the merchant ship CSAV Toconao lost half a dozen containers off the coast of Portugal, containing millions of plastic pellets. Weeks later, the spill reached the shores of Galicia, causing one of the largest enviro...

Teaching & Supervision

2026
2026
University of Vigo, Department of Statistics and Operations Research
Vigo, Spain
2025
Universidade da Coruña, PhD Programme in Information and Communication Technologies (In progress)
A Coruña, Spain
2024
University of Vigo, Department of Statistics and Operative Research
Vigo, Spain
2024
2022
Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, MSc in Big Data Analytics
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
2022
Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, BSc in Computer Engineering
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
2021
University of Santiago de Compostela, BSc in Computer Science
Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Talks

Feb 2026
AI & Humanity Research Hub Workshop on “Securing the Future of AI: From Regulations to Neuromorphic Frontiers”
Loughborough University, London, UK
May 2025
4th Privacy Symposium — Session “Privacy Preserving Technologies (PPT) in Sharing of Personal Data for AI Development and Regulatory Compliance”
Venice, Italy
Feb 2023
H2020 INFINITECH Stakeholders’ Webinar (Online)
Online
Dec 2022
XVI Jornadas STIC CCN-CERT | IV Jornadas de Ciberdefensa: ESPDEF-CERT
Madrid, Spain
May 2022
“Women in technology behind data-sharing, privacy preservation and Self-Sovereign identity” — KRAKEN EU Project
Online

Skills

Programming: Python, R, C, C++, Java
Project management: task & work-package leader; funding acquisition; H2020 and Horizon Europe proposal preparation
Tools & DevOps: Git, Docker, Jenkins, CI/CD methodologies, software design patterns, ELK stack, bash scripting
Data: SQL databases, data processing and management