Hi, I'm
Umay SAMLI
AI Security Researcher
Currently focused on AI security, explainability, and reinforcement learning for robotics. Engineered backbone across backend, frontend, and complex system design — so the research ships.
Education
Academic background and research
Masters, Computer Science
TED University
Computer Scientist focusing on AI Security, Reinforcement Learning, Secure System Design and Distributed Systems. Researching AI black-box problems, agent deployment, and Red Teaming for secure, scalable intelligent systems.
Bachelor of Science, Computer Engineering
TED University
Developed an ML-assisted fog dehazing project, comparing current dehazing algorithms and developing a platform for ML researchers about image processing.
Secondary Degree, Applied Data Science
TED University
Conducted research to improve airline passenger satisfaction prediction, achieving a 10% increase in accuracy.
Experience
Where I've worked and what I've built
Infinitum IT — Software Engineer & AI Security Engineer
Ankara, Turkey
Engineered enterprise-grade cybersecurity solutions, focusing on DDoS Tests (Direct DDOS tests.), vulnerability management, cyber team KPI tracking, and automated breach and attack simulations. Facilitated the seamless integration of leading EDR and SIEM platforms to centralize security telemetry within the core technology stack. Additionally, assisted in AI red teaming operations.
NATO — Cyber Security Engineer
Belgium
Contributed to cloud architecture design, developing comprehensive architectural frameworks based on specific use cases and constructing detailed attack tree models to assess security vulnerabilities. Engaged in public and private cloud auditing, focusing on technical security implementations, including lifecycle management, cloud security frameworks and technical implementation of security measures. Implemented security solutions addressing both 'security in the cloud' and 'security of the cloud', and contributed to the design of compliance controls for cloud service providers. Supported the Zero Trust Maturity Model initiative by assisting the core team, mapping zero-trust doctrines to security services and maturity levels.
Histocan — Lead Software Engineer
Turkey
Developed and implemented the front-end interface of the platform, ensuring a responsive and user-friendly experience. Built and maintained the back-end architecture to support robust platform functionality. Designed, structured, and deployed the database to ensure efficient data storage and retrieval. Set up the application within a virtual environment and configured it for deployment on a cloud-based infrastructure.
NATO — Cyber Security Engineer
Belgium
Pioneered NATO's first AI and ML security governance frameworks, setting protocols adopted by 20+ member nations to secure AI usage across critical systems. Developed a GDPR-compliant PII analysis tool for incident response, reducing processing times by 20%. Implemented cloud and IoT security frameworks, enhancing risk assessments and aligning with GDPR for improved data protection.
TAI Aerospace — Software Engineer
Ankara, Turkey
Designed and deployed a Factory Tracing System utilizing IIoT and PLC technology, boosting UAV assembly line efficiency and security monitoring. Enhanced AI-supported recognition algorithms for production monitoring, improving system accuracy by 20% and reducing retraining time by 15%.
Aselsan — Software Engineer
Ankara, Turkey
Developed an Automated Shift Planner with machine learning features, optimizing workforce scheduling and improving data-driven decision-making. Integrated cybersecurity measures into scheduling applications to ensure secure data handling.
Savronik — Software Engineer
Ankara, Turkey
Created a Docker-containerized testing platform for train systems, reducing test cycles by 15% and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. Automated testing integration to improve operational efficiency.
Research Lab
Where I currently conduct research
TEDU Autonomous Systems Lab (TAS)
TED University, Ankara, Turkey
Role: AI Security & Reinforcement Learning
A research organization focused on developing different reinforcement learning models for efficient singular or swarm autonomous systems.
Research Areas
Reinforcement Learning
Efficient RL algorithms for autonomous navigation and decision-making
Computer Vision
Real-time object detection, tracking, and scene understanding
Robotics & Hardware
Building systems with ROS2, sensors, and edge computing
Security of Robotic Systems
Adversarial robustness, secure communication, and AI safety
References
People I've had the privilege to work with
Dr. Burak Ekici
Senior Researcher at University of Oxford
University of Oxford
Holger Spohn
Principal Engineer, Cyber Defence (Advanced Principles)
NATO HQ Digital Staff, Brussels
Dr. Ulas Gulec
CEO at Simovate / Asst. Prof. at TEDU
Simovate / TED University
Dr. Emin Kugu
Assistant Professor at TED University
TED University
For more references and letters, check my GitHub →
Let's Connect
Drop a line, follow the work, or just say hello — whichever channel suits you best.