SUBMIT ONLINE: https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=prai2026 (Please choose Special Session 18)

Overview: The rapid digital transformation of governments, enterprises, and critical infrastructure has significantly expanded the cyber threat landscape. Emerging attack vectors targeting authentication systems, One Time Password (OTP) mechanisms, CAPTCHA services, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, Operational Technology (OT) environments, and Security Operations Centers (SOCs) require advanced and intelligent defense mechanisms. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a key enabler in detecting, analyzing, predicting, and mitigating sophisticated cyberattacks while enhancing the efficiency of cybersecurity operations.

This special session focuses on the application of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Generative AI, and Intelligent Automation in addressing contemporary cybersecurity challenges. Particular emphasis will be given to AI-driven detection and mitigation of OTP fraud, OTP flooding and DDoS attacks, CAPTCHA bypass techniques, IoT botnets, attacks on critical OT infrastructure, and intelligent SOC operations. The session aims to bring together researchers, practitioners, industry experts, and policymakers to discuss novel methodologies, practical implementations, emerging threats, and future directions in AI enabled cybersecurity.

Session Chairs:
Dr. Naveed Ahmad Associate Professor Prince Sultan University, Saudi Arabia nahmed@psu.edu.sa		Dr. Hassan Hadi Research Specialist King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia hassan.hadi@kaust.edu.sa
Dr. Kamran Aziz Lecturer Hainan Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, China kamran.aziz@hainan-biuh.edu.cn		Dr. Muhammad Khalid Assistant Professor University of Hull, UK m.khalid@hull.ac.uk

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• AI driven cyber threat detection and response
• Machine learning for cybersecurity applications
• OTP fraud detection and prevention
• Detection and mitigation of OTP flooding and OTP DDoS attacks
• AI based analysis of authentication and identity attacks
• CAPTCHA attack detection and adaptive CAPTCHA security
• Bot detection and anti-automation techniques
• AI powered fraud analytics and behavioral profiling
• Security of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and networks
• AI based intrusion detection systems for IoT environments
• IoT botnet detection and mitigation
• Operational Technology (OT) and Industrial Control System (ICS) security
• AI enabled protection of critical infrastructure
• Cybersecurity for smart cities and industrial IoT