Basil Manoussos
basil manoussos

Basil Manoussos AAS,BSc,PgCert,MSc,MBCS,ACSFS

Cyber Academy Manager

Biography

Basil is The Cyber Academy Manager, at the School of Computing, Engineering & Built Environment (SCEBE).

He is also an forensic scientist, with more than 14 years of experience as an Expert Witness in digital forensics and digital evidence.

EDUCATION

He studied for his BSc Business and his AAS (Associate in Applied Science) Computer Programming, at the American College of Greece (Deree College), and graduated with both degrees in 1995, receiving the President's Award for his contribution in the extra-curricular and academic activities in the school.

He received a PG Cert International Marketing from the University of Sunderland (2000) and later his MSc Forensic Informatics (2008) from the University of Strathclyde.

In January 2022, he received his Expert Witness Certificate from the University of Aberdeen/Bond Solon, as an Expert Witness under the jurisdiction of Scottish Law, making him the first (and only) Expert Witness in Digital Forensics to ever hold a University Certificate in this jurisdiction.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Basil brings more than 14 years of experience in Digital Forensics as an Expert Witness, working with legal professionals in Scotland and the rest of the UK, as well as a 30+ years overall industry experience.
His background includes working for organisations like IBM, Abbey National and HM Government. He has been running Strathclyde Forensics Ltd, one of the top Digital Forensics agencies in Scotland for over a decade.

Since 2017 he has been working at the School of Computing, with a primary scope of raising the profile of The Cyber Academy and help create awareness of cyber threats to businesses, individuals, the third sector and the state, in Scotland , the UK and around the world.

Working extensively with the Law Society of Scotland; he is a member of the Panel for the Accredited Legal Technologists, and he has developed (and delivers) the Cybersecurity Certification of the Society.

Basil is a regular speaker to Scottish Universities and Colleges, and a visiting lecturer at the Faculty of Law, at the Catholic University of Lyon and Sheffield Hallam University.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

He is a member of the BCS and the Charter Society for Forensic Sciences (CSFS). Since 2015 he is a t the Experts Roster of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

He was a finalist for the Cyber Evangelist Award for 2018 and 2019 at the Scottish Cyber Awards.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

1. The Law Society of Scotland (professional profile): https://www.lawscot.org.uk/people/basil-manoussos/
2. The Law Society of Scotland (Cybersecurity certification): https://www.lawscot.org.uk/members/cpd-training/certification-courses/cyber-security-certification/
3. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vassilismanoussos/
4. SIPR (Scottish Institute of Policing Research): http://www.sipr.ac.uk/people/basil-manoussos
5. Interpol: https://www.interpol.int/content/download/17171/file/The%20Use%20of%20Digital%20Evidence%20in%20Prosecutions%20in%20Asia....pdf?inLanguage=eng-GB

News

Events

Esteem

Advisory panels and expert committees or witness

  • Mock crime scene activity CSN08111 [1]
  • Mock crime scene activity CSN08111 [2]
  • INTERPOL e-EPP - Mock Trial [various events]
  • INTERPOL: Future of Cybercrime
  • INTERPOL: Project LEADER: Advice on Digital Evidence for Prosecutors
  • INTERPOL: Project LEADER: Advice on Digital Evidence
  • SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT: ETIAG - Independent advisory group on emerging technologies in policing
  • SIPR - Scottish Institute for Policing Research
  • LAW SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND: Member of the Accredited Legal Technologist Advisory Panel

 

Conference Organising Activity

  • LIVE 2022 (CIISec)
  • 18th Teaching Digital Forensics Workshop
  • Cyber Careers Fair 2021 (#CSW2021)
  • Publicity Chair: DSAI-2021: International Conference on Applied Research in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
  • 1st SMART S&P (Publicity Chair) (postponed)
  • Internet Security Day / American College of Greece [2020]
  • Scottish Paralegal (Autumn) Conference [2020]
  • Scottish Paralegal Association (SPA) Annual Conference [2019]
  • Internet Security Day / American College of Greece [2019]
  • Law Society of Scotland - Criminal Law Conference [2019]
  • INTERPOL DFEG (Digital Forensics Expert Group) Conference [2018]
  • Law Society of Scotland - Cyber Security & Law Conference [2018]
  • Heriot Watt Student Actuarial Society (SAS) Conference [2018]
  • Law Society of Scotland: Annual Conference [Edinburgh] [2018]
  • Scottish Paralegal Association (SPA) Autumn Conference (Dundee) [2018]
  • Data in Health and Care [2018]
  • Law Society of Scotland - High Street & Sole Practitioners Conference (Dundee) [2018]
  • Scottish Paralegal Association (SPA) Annual Conference [2018]
  • Law Society of Scotland: Law & Technology Conference [Edinburgh] [2018]
  • Law Society of Scotland ‘Law & Technology Roadshow’ (Glasgow) [2018]
  • International Conference in Big Data in Cyber Security [2018] (ORGANISER)
  • Law Society Of Scotland - Law & Technology Conference [2017]
  • Post Graduate Cyber Security (PGCS) Symposium [2016]
  • Cyber Security in Romania [2016]
  • Cyber Security in Romania [2015]

 

Editorial Activity

  • Reviewer / Journal of Cyber Security Technology [2018 to date]
  • CYBER SECURITY TRENDS magazine: Internal threats: misunderstandings and challenges. Always underestimated, unreported and ignored. [Romanian Text] [2017]
  • CYBER SECURITY TRENDS magazine: Safe passwords. Perhaps "simple engineering is good engineering" [Romanian Text] [2016]
  • CYBER SECURITY TRENDS magazine: Public Sector, Private & Voluntary. Can they collaborate for a safer virtual space? [Romanian Text] [2015]
  • CYBER SECURITY TRENDS magazine: Do you use Tinder? How safe and anonymous is it really? [Romanian Text] [2015]
  • CYBER SECURITY TRENDS magazine: How to hack friends & family [Romanian Text] [2015]

 

Fellowships and Awards

  • Scottish Cyber Awards : Community Award [Finalist]
  • PICCASO Privacy Awards: Best Educator [WINNER]
  • Scottish Cyber Awards: Outstanding Cyber Team: THE CYBER ACADEMY (Finalist)
  • Scottish Cyber Awards: Cyber Evangelist of the Year 2019 (Finalist)
  • Scottish Cyber Awards: Cyber Evangelist of the Year 2018 (Finalist)
  • Scottish Cyber Awards: Leading Light Innovation (SOCLAB) (Finalist)

 

Invited Speaker

  • UPSKILLING: Introduction to OSINT [cohort #2]
  • Law Society of Scotland | Annual Conference
  • Edin. Chamber of Commerce: Advanced Cyber Security Training (Part 2 )
  • Ed. Chamber of Commerce: Advanced Cyber Security Training with Basil
  • [GREEK SCIENTISTS SOCIETY]: The Role of Cyber Security for a Modern Day Society
  • ICDIP: The digital evidence gaps: How is digital evidence reported by Police and understood by Prosecutors
  • INTERPOL: Digital Evidence for Prosecutors (Guest Speaker)
  • Fraud & Loss Prevention (GRC World Forums) [Apr 2022]
  • BCS (Newcastle) AGM 2021
  • Fraud & Loss Prevention (GRC World Forums) [2021]
  • The Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow [2020]
  • Law Society of Scotland - Dealing with Digital Evidence in Police Forensic Reports [2020]
  • West College Scotland / Cyber Threat Awareness [2020]
  • Law Society of Scotland - Cybersecurity in the COVID-19 Era [2020]
  • Law Society of Scotland - Introduction to Digital Evidence for Employment Tribunals & Family Courts [2020]
  • SSCL - The Scottish IT Law Community [2020]
  • UCL (University College London): Cybersecurity Talk
  • Big Data in Biosciences, Edinburgh Napier University [2020]
  • Scottish Paralegal Association Annual Conference [2020]
  • West Lothian College / Digital Forensics (neurodiversity) [2020]
  • Law Society of Scotland - Introduction to Digital Evidence for Criminal Lawyers [2020]
  • Law Society of Scotland - Delivering Justice Remotely [2020]
  • Schools STEM event (Nat Museum of Scotland) [2019]
  • Aberdeenshire Sole Practitioner Group [2019]
  • City of Glasgow College / Phishing Scamming & Other Evils [2019]
  • New College Lanarkshire / Christmas Lecture [2019]
  • The Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow [2019]
  • STV Interview [2019]
  • SYLA (Scottish Young Lawyers Association) [2018]
  • Chinese Government Delegation: South-to-North Water Diversion Project (2017)
  • Chinese Government training on Big Data & Cyber Security (2016)
  • Symposium on Data Loss Detection and Prevention (2015)
  • Chinese Government training on Big Data & Cyber Security (2015)

 

Membership of Professional Body

  • Industry Liaison Co-Chair (IEEE UK & Eire Industry Applications Chapter)
  • Chartered Society of Forensic Science (Member)
  • BCS (Member)
  • International Telecommunications Union (ITU) / Roster of Experts [2015 to date]

 

Public/Community Engagement

  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: Cybersecurity Graduate Apprenticeships at Edinburgh Napier University
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: On Social Engineering
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: Delivering Scotland’s AI Strategy
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: Get Ready Contestants...
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: Exploring diversity to mitigate the cyber professional shortage
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: Responding to the ever-evolving threat landscape
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: Weird Tales from the vault of cyber
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: On Cyber Stalking
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: Blurring the lines: Physical and Cyber Crime
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: Gaming industry in Scotland
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: In conversation with Laura Irvine
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: Understanding Risk in your Digital Supply Chain.
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: In conversation with ... Beverly Bowles, Nicola Taylor and David Ferguson (ScotlandIS)
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: CSW2024: In Conversation with Christopher Church (INTERPOL)
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: Cyber Intelligence & Digital Forensics
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: Approaching the Finish Line. [with Keith McDevitt)
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: Neurodiversity & Cyber. A match made in heaven?
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: Health informatics and wearable technologies
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: OSINT Check your Digital Footprint
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: In Conversation with Sharon Moore MBE
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: On Cyberbullying & Doxing
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: In Conversation with Annabel Turner
  • BASIL's CYBER MARATHON [CSW2024]: On Fake News, Deep Fakes and Synthetic Media
  • MASTER CLASS (Cybersecurity Romania Conference) [Sibiu, 2023]
  • Panelist: FinCrime Global
  • US Consulate / Cyber Academy
  • SPA/Police Scotland: 10th February - RoundTable Event (LiveStream) - New and Emerging Technologies in Policing [OFFICIAL]
  • CBI & Napier Meeting
  • Cloud & Cyber Security Expo [London]
  • CBI Scotland Westminster Reception
  • Ministerial Visit (Minister for Scotland)
  • The Cyber Academy Webinars: Think Before You Click! [2021d]
  • Online Fraud in the COVID-19 Era (#CSW2021)
  • The Cyber Academy Webinars: Think Before You Click! [2021b]
  • The Cyber Academy Webinars: Think Before You Click! [2021a]
  • Online Fraud in the COVID-19 Era [2021a]
  • The Cyber Academy Webinars: Think Before You Click! [2021e]
  • The Cyber Academy Webinars: Think Before You Click! [2021c]
  • Online Fraud in the COVID-19 Era [2021b]
  • Christmas Cyber Lectures [2020]
  • The Cyber Academy Webinars: Check your facts [2020]
  • The Cyber Academy Presents: Alan Greig & Mandy Haeburn-Little [2020]
  • The Cyber Academy Webinars: Online fraud in the COVID-19 era [2020]
  • The Cyber Academy Webinars: Think Before You Click! [2020]
  • Police Scotland / SPA Roundtable
  • The Cyber Academy Presents: Laura Irvine [2020]
  • The Cyber Academy Webinars: COVID-19 fraud online [2020]
  • The Cyber Academy Presents: Martin Borrett, CTO, IBM Security Europe [2020]
  • YoungScot : "DigiKnow?" (Kilmarnock) [2019]
  • Cyber Breakfast @ Napier: ADARMA [2019]
  • Cyber Breakfast @ Napier : Royal London [2019]
  • YoungScot : "DigiKnow?" (Dundee) [2019]
  • DataFest WiDS19
  • YoungScot : "DigiKnow?" (Glasgow) [2019]
  • Demarco & Buchanan (Organiser) [2018]
  • SCVO - Training for Charity Board Members (Cohort 2) [2018]
  • Internal and External threats to Law Firms (LINDSAYS SOLICITORS) [2018]
  • SCVO - Training for Charity Board Members (Cohort 1) [2018]
  • Phishing, Scamming & Other Evils (ROYAL LONDON) [2018]
  • YoungScot [Edinburgh] [2018]
  • Phishing, Scamming & Other Evils (undisclosed bank) [2017]
  • Phishing, Scamming & Other Evils (SCOTTISH CANALS) [2017]
  • Phishing, Scamming & Other Evils (BARCLAYS BANK) [2017]
  • Phishing, Scamming & Other Evils (AEGON) [2017]
  • Phishing, Scamming & Other Evils (SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT) [2017]

 

Reviewing

  • Police Scotland / SPA Roundtable

 

Visiting Positions

  • INTERPOL e-EPP Mock Trial Group F
  • Lecturer at West Lothian College (Digital Forensics)
  • INTERPOL e-EPP - Mock Trial Group B
  • INTERPOL e-EPP Mock Trial Group D
  • Visiting Lecturer (Specialist) at Sheffield Hallam University
  • INTERPOL: Digital Evidence (Guest Speaker)
  • Lecturer (Cybersecurity), Faculty of Law, Catholic University of Lyon
  • Lecturer (Digital Forensics) West College Scotland [2019 to date]