Acknowledgements

This thesis is the result of a great passion and interest in computing security and there have been many that fostered this love and interest over the years. First and foremost, I would like to thank my advisor, mentor, and supervisor, Prof. Dr. Claudia Eckert. Always supportive, enthusiastic, and willing to let me experiment, one could not ask for more in a mentor. I consider myself very lucky to have been extended the opportunity to work under her tutelage. Additionally, I would like to thank Prof. Dr. Uwe Baumgarten for his input and willingness to be a meaningful part of my doctoral committee. Next, I would like to thank my loving and supportive family. My wife, Dominika, and my wonderful son, Oliver, thank you for your support and love. You make every single day worthwhile. My parents, Armin and Gabriele, and my siblings, Lina and Noah, you have been such a fundamental part of my support structure. I would not be where I am today without you. There have been so many that share my passion professionally and academically. Hav-ing so many people around me that are passionate about the same things has been a blessing. Thank you to my friends and colleagues, Dr. Christoph Krauss, Christian Schneider, Christoph Söllner, Dr. Thomas Stibor, Dr. Frederic Stumpf, and Sebastian Vogl. Your input and perspective has always been extremely invaluable. I always ben-efited from the, often passionate, discussions that I had with each one of you. Finally, I would like to thank those that helped me tend my “other baby”, Nitro, through thei