Anna Neumann: Germany's best IT security master thesis crowned!

Anna Neumann: Germany's best IT security master thesis crowned!

Hagen, Deutschland - Anna Neumann, graduate of the master's program Practical Computer Science at the Master thesis “won at the NIS-2-Congress in Frankfurt. Your intensive study takes place as part of your full-time job in the food industry, where she works in the area of ​​cyber security. Her decision not to start the master immediately after the bachelor's degree allowed her to be financially independent.

Neumann’s work, with the title "Evaluation of the CRA and the NIS-2: Role and relevance of the Software Bill of Materials in open source projects in the context of weakness management for criticism companies", highlights the importance of Software Bill of Materials (SBOM). This is a detailed list of all components of a system that is crucial for the identification of weaknesses. Your analysis shows how SBOMs effectively in the context of the

important guidelines for cyber security

The NIS-2-directive aims to improve cyber security in the EU. It updates the original NIS guideline and applies to companies in critical sectors such as data centers and public communication networks. NIS-2 requires mandatory governance and risk management requirements as well as reporting requirements. Member States can issue stricter regulations via a minimum harmonization, which further increases the security standards. The deadline for the national implementation of the directive is October 17, 2024.

In addition, the law package includes the cyber resilience act, which will come into force from December 10, 2024. This ACT determines safety -related obligations for products with digital elements and premieres that manufacturers and retailers comply with security standards and report weaknesses. The NIS-2 as well as the CER directive and the CRA are crucial steps to improve cyber security throughout the Union.

award and networking

on the NIS-2-Congret, which took place from May 6th to 7th, 2025, Anna Neumann was not only able to take first place with her master's thesis, but also received prize money of 1,500 euros. She was made aware of the competition by Prof. Tobias Egendorfer and had the opportunity to exchange ideas with experts from various industries and make valuable contacts.

The urgency of the topics dealt with Neumann is underlined by the current discussion about security measures in the critical infrastructure (criticism) and the political efforts to faster the NIS 2 directive in Germany. The new requirements should not only increase cyber security, but also secure the resilience of critical facilities in the EU.