Wenjing Lou, a leading cybersecurity expert and the W.C. English Endowed Professor of Computer Science at Virginia Tech, delivered an insightful talk on mobile network privacy as part of the Purdue Polytechnic Dean’s Lecture Series on Nov. 11, 2025.
Lou’s presentation, “No More Tracking, No More Robocalls: Rethinking Privacy in NextG Mobile Networks,” addressed the growing privacy concerns in modern mobile systems. She explained that while essential for daily life, these networks allow mobile operators to track and profile users, and even the privacy enhancements of 5G leave vulnerabilities.
Lou presented her research on a novel anonymous mobile access architecture designed to solve these problems. The system allows legitimate subscribers to access the network without revealing their real identity and prevents their different connections from being linked over time. A key feature of the architecture is a user-defined system to effectively block unwanted scam and spam calls.
Lou, a Fellow of both the IEEE and ACM, drew a large and engaged audience of faculty, students, and industry guests. The event sparked thought-provoking discussions about the future of trustworthy mobile systems and privacy-preserving technologies.
The event is part of the Purdue Polytechnic Dean’s Lecture Series, an initiative supported by Dean Daniel Castro to connect the Purdue community with global leaders who are shaping the future of computing and technology.
