Michael Backes
Michael Backes is a German professor of computer science whose research includes attacks and defenses on machine learning models. He earned a PhD at Saarland University in 2002, worked at IBM Research, and became a professor there in 2006. In 2018 he co-authored ML-Leaks, a paper on membership inference attacks and defenses, and became founding director and CEO of the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security. The ACM named him an ACM Fellow in 2024, and CISPA and he agreed to part ways in September 2026. As of October 2026, he holds the chair of computer science in information security and cryptography at Saarland University.
- Now at
- Saarland University
- Works
- 921
- Citations
- 16,605
- h-index
- 65
Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 15 October 2026.
Timeline
-
2002
A computer science doctorate
He completes a PhD in computer science at Saarland University in 2002.
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2002–2006
From IBM Research to Saarland
He joins IBM Research as a researcher in 2002. In 2006 he becomes a professor of computer science at Saarland University in Germany.
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2018
The ML-Leaks attack paper
He co-authors ML-Leaks, a paper on membership inference attacks and defenses on machine learning models, which appears on arXiv in June 2018.
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2018–2026
Founding director of CISPA
He becomes founding director and CEO of the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security in 2018.
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2019
The Karl Heinz Beckurts Prize
He receives the Karl Heinz Beckurts Prize in November 2019.
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2024–2025
ACM Fellow and TUM honorary title
The ACM names him an ACM Fellow in 2024. In November 2025, TUM names him a Distinguished Affiliated Professor, and Leibniz University Hannover awards him an honorary doctorate in 2025.
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June 2026–September 2026
Parting ways with CISPA
In June 2026, CISPA's shareholders temporarily release him from his operational duties until an external review is complete. In September 2026, he and CISPA mutually agree to part ways.
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As of October 2026
An information security chair
As of October 2026, he holds the chair of computer science in information security and cryptography at Saarland University.
Sources and credits
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- Michael Backes - Wikipedia
- [1806.01246] ML-Leaks: Model and Data Independent Membership Inference Attacks and Defenses on Machine Learning Models
- Katharina Henjes-Kunst – Karl Heinz Beckurts Stiftung
- CISPA-Director Professor Michael Backes named ACM Fellow
- CISPA-Director Professor Michael Backes receives TUM Distinguished Affiliated Professorship
- CISPA-Director Professor Michael Backes awarded honorary doctorate from Leibniz University Hannover
- Shareholders decide on independent review of the allegations raised in the press
- CISPA and Professor Michael Backes Mutually Agree to Part Ways
- Professorial staff: Computer Science | Universität des Saarlandes