About me

Dr. Michalis Smyrlis possesses extensive experience and expertise in cybersecurity, with a particular focus on software design and development. He holds a BSc from the Department of Computer Science at the University of Crete and a PhD in Computer Science with a specialization in Cybersecurity from City, University of London . As part of his doctoral research, he developed and implemented an innovative hybrid approach for risk assessment in cyberspace systems. With a strong background in applied research, Dr. Smyrlis has contributed to more than 30 European research projects, many of which he coordinated from a technical standpoint. He currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Sphynx, where he leads the company’s technological vision and strategic direction. In this role, he is responsible for architecting and guiding the development of advanced cybersecurity solutions, ensuring software quality, and aligning engineering initiatives with business goals. He oversees the full product lifecycle—from design and implementation to delivery—while fostering innovation and maintaining high standards in software security and performance. In addition to his industry role, Dr. Smyrlis is a Scientific Collaborator at the European University of Cyprus. There, he teaches courses and supervises postgraduate research within the Master’s programme in Cybersecurity.

What I'm Doing

  • design icon

    Architecting Secure Software Systems

    At Sphynx, I lead the design and development of secure, high-performance software solutions. I define system architecture, enforce security-by-design principles, and ensure scalable and maintainable code through industry best practices.

  • research icon

    Cybersecurity Research & Innovation

    Involvement in advanced research activities focused on cybersecurity, including risk assessment methodologies, secure software engineering, and the development of innovative digital defense strategies.

  • team lead icon

    Technical Leadership & Mentorship

    Overseeing cross-functional engineering teams to ensure technical excellence and timely delivery of cybersecurity solutions. Providing mentorship to junior developers and postgraduate students in secure systems design and implementation.

  • project management icon

    EU Project Coordination & Teaching

    Coordinating technical activities within EU-funded cybersecurity projects and contributing to academic instruction at the European University of Cyprus. Responsibilities include course delivery and supervision of Master's theses in cybersecurity.

Resume

Education

  1. University of Crete

    2012 — 2016

    BSc in Computer Science

    • Thesis: Evaluation and extension of question-answering systems over medical texts

  2. School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering
    City, University of London

    2017 — 2023

    Ph.D in Cybersecurity

Experience

  1. Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

    Sphynx

    July 2025 — Present

    Leading the company’s technological direction with a focus on secure software architecture, innovation, and product excellence. Responsible for defining and overseeing software architecture, design standards, and development methodologies across all technical teams. Actively involved in team building, recruiting, and mentoring engineers, while conducting code reviews and promoting engineering best practices. Ensuring cross-functional alignment between product, development, and QA teams to deliver high-quality, scalable cybersecurity solutions. Also responsible for the technical coordination and execution of multiple EU-funded cybersecurity research and innovation projects under SPHYNX.

  2. Chief Software Engineer

    Sphynx

    Apr 2021 — June 2025

    Provide technical leadership, guiding the overall software architecture and design decisions, and ensuring the successful delivery of high-quality software products. Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including product managers, software developers, and quality assurance professionals, to establish development methodologies, set coding standards, and define best practices. Recruiting and mentoring talented software engineers, conducting code reviews, and driving continuous improvement initiatives to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the software development lifecycle. Responsible for multiple SPHYNX's EU-funded projects.

  3. Scientific Collaborator

    European University Cyprus

    Oct 2023 - Present

    Instructor for the Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing Course (MSc Level), Master thesis supervision

  4. Senior Software Engineer

    Sphynx Technology Solutions AG

    2019 — Apr 2021

    Plan, develop, implement, and maintain software tools for SPHYNX. Design and implement scalable software architectures for complex systems. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to gather requirements and define technical specifications. Resolve technical issues and perform debugging and troubleshooting.

  5. Software Engineer

    Empelor GMBH

    2016 — 2019

    Performed research and development tasks for the EVOTION H2020 project.

  6. Graduate Teaching Assistant

    City, University of London

    2018 — 2019

    Courses: "Security Audit and Certification", "Systems Architecture".

  7. Research Assistant

    City, University of London

    2016 — 2019

    Part of the Centre of Adaptive Computing Systems (CeNACS) team. Research and development tasks for multiple EU-funded projects, such as TOREADOR, and CyberSURE.

  8. Graduate Software Engineer

    University General Hospital of Heraklion "PAGNI"

    May 2016 - Oct 2016

    Designed and implemented the official android application for the University General Hospital of Heraklion "PAGNI". (Availabe at: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mikesm.pagniapp)