Sana Ullah Khan

Early-career researcher · MS Artificial Intelligence

Sana Ullah Khan

AI × Cybersecurity: building intelligent systems that detect threats, fraud and AI-generated content.

I am an early-career researcher with an MS in Artificial Intelligence. I build machine learning and NLP models that tell real from fake: AI-generated from human text, fraud from normal transactions, scams from genuine messages. Next, I want to make AI systems themselves secure.

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  • 3.66 / 4.00MS Artificial Intelligence
  • 3Peer-reviewed publications
  • 2+ yearsUniversity teaching
  • Cisco & NAVTTCCybersecurity training

One focus: AI for security

Where I fit

Each area below is part of the same goal: using AI to detect and stop attacks, and keeping AI itself safe. Next to each one is what I can show for it today.

  1. Machine learning & NLP

    Research level

    MS thesis on AI vs. human text classification with LSTM, BERT and hybrid models (99.65% accuracy, ~500,000 texts).

  2. Threat & fraud detection

    Published research

    First author of a peer-reviewed paper on AI-driven fraud detection for FinTech cybersecurity.

  3. AI security

    Current direction

    Detecting AI-generated content today; adversarial ML and LLM security are what I want to study next.

  4. SOC & blue team

    Training & lab level

    Cisco Junior Cybersecurity Analyst career path and a 3-month NAVTTC course in digital forensics & cyber security (Grade A).

  5. Penetration testing & ethical hacking

    Training & lab level

    Cisco Ethical Hacker programme; hands-on lab work with Kali Linux, Nmap and Wireshark.

About

How I got here

I grew up in Chaman, Balochistan. My path has not been a straight line. After school I completed a three-year diploma in Health, Safety & Environmental Engineering, which taught me to think in terms of risk, hazards and prevention. I now apply the same way of thinking to digital systems.

I then studied Information Technology at BUITEMS in Quetta, where I took my first security and networking courses. My bachelor's grades don't show my best work: I spent much of that time on cricket, football and freelance work. Towards the end of my BS I learned to manage my time and take my studies seriously.

My MS in Artificial Intelligence at The Islamia University of Bahawalpur was the turning point. I graduated with a CGPA of 3.66, published three peer-reviewed papers with different teams, and wrote a thesis on detecting AI-generated text. At the same time I taught undergraduate IT courses as a visiting lecturer.

My university offered no cybersecurity track, so I built those skills myself through Cisco's Junior Cybersecurity Analyst and Ethical Hacker programmes and a NAVTTC course in digital forensics. The motivation is also personal: I have been the victim of an online scam and of a ransomware attack, and I see how weak cyber protection still is in Pakistan. AI is making attacks faster and more convincing, and I want to work on the side that defends against them.

Languages: English (IELTS Academic 6.5), Urdu, Pashto, Saraiki and Punjabi; learning German. Outside work: football, cricket, hiking and cooking.

Research

Thesis and publications

MS thesis · 2026

Advancing Deep Learning and Neural Network Techniques for AI and Human Text Classification

MS Artificial Intelligence, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur · Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Najia Saher (Chairperson, Department of AI)

I built and compared deep learning models that separate AI-generated from human-written text on a balanced dataset of about 500,000 samples. A paper based on the thesis is in preparation.

  • LSTM
  • Fine-tuned BERT
  • TF-IDF + BERT + LightGBM
  • Hybrid BERT + LSTM
Accuracy (BERT + LSTM)
99.65%
F1-score
0.995
Text samples
~500,000

Peer-reviewed publications

  1. Artificial Intelligence–Driven Fraud Detection in FinTech: Strengthening Cybersecurity Against Digital Financial Scams

    Khan, S. U., Zafar, U., Imran, S., & Ali, M. (2026). Journal of Business Insight and Innovation, 5(6), 72–82.

    First authordoi:10.63544/jbii.v5i6.116

  2. Artificial Intelligence and Workplace Safety in the Oil and Gas Industry: Transforming Occupational Risk Assessment through Smart Safety Analytics

    Khan, S. U., Zafar, R., Alam, M. M., & Iqbal, M. (2026). Periodicals of Management Studies, 6(1).

    First authordoi:10.65181/poms.06.01.0100

  3. GenAI Adoption in Entrepreneurial Education and Digital Entrepreneurial Intention

    Soomro, M. A., Khalid, M. A., Mangi, A. R., & Khan, S. U. (2026). International Journal of Advanced Social Studies, 6(1), 82–93.

    Co-authordoi:10.70843/ijass.2026.06107

All citations on Google Scholar →

Research interests

Working on now

  • AI-generated text detectionThe subject of my MS thesis.
  • Phishing & scam detectionMy current project, for English, Urdu and Roman Urdu messages.
  • Fraud detectionFirst-author paper on AI-driven fraud detection in FinTech.

Want to study next

  • Adversarial machine learningHow attackers fool ML models, and how to make them robust.
  • LLM securityPrompt injection, misuse and safe deployment of language models.
  • AI for the SOCUsing ML to triage alerts and logs in security operations.

Projects

What I'm building

Experience

Teaching and work

  1. Mar 2024 – Jun 2026

    Visiting Lecturer (part-time, alongside MS studies)

    GC University Faisalabad, Layyah Campus · Department of Information Technology

    • Taught Introduction to Information & Communication Technologies and Computer Networks to undergraduate IT students.
    • Prepared lectures, lab work, assignments and quizzes; marked examinations and assessed student work.

  2. Jul 2021 – present

    Freelance Video Editor & Python Automation Specialist

    Upwork · remote, international clients

    • Completed 43 contracts with a 100% Job Success Score and 1,494 logged hours.
    • Wrote Python scripts for web scraping, data collection and automating repetitive publishing tasks.
    • Edited and published short-form video and managed YouTube and TikTok channels for clients.

Skills

Tools I use

AI / ML & NLP

  • Python
  • PyTorch
  • TensorFlow / Keras
  • Hugging Face Transformers
  • scikit-learn
  • LightGBM
  • NumPy
  • Pandas
  • Matplotlib
  • Text classification
  • LSTM & BERT models

Cybersecurity

Lab and hands-on training level

  • Network security
  • Threat & vulnerability analysis
  • Ethical hacking basics
  • Digital forensics
  • Incident response
  • Wireshark
  • Nmap
  • Kali Linux

Programming & tools

  • Python scripting & automation
  • Web scraping
  • Linux (Ubuntu)
  • Git & GitHub
  • Jupyter
  • Kaggle
  • Computer networks
  • HTML & CSS
  • Arduino & IoT sensors

Certifications

Training

Cybersecurity & digital forensics

  • Digital Forensic & Cyber Security (3-month course, Grade A)

    NAVTTC, Govt. of Pakistan · Feb – May 2024

  • Junior Cybersecurity Analyst Career Path

    Cisco Networking Academy · Oct 2024

  • Ethical Hacker

    Cisco Networking Academy · Nov 2024

  • Introduction to Cybersecurity

    Cisco Networking Academy · Nov 2024

AI, programming & IoT

  • Programming in Python

    Meta (Coursera) · Feb 2025

  • Advanced Chatbots with Deep Learning and Python

    Packt (Coursera) · Feb 2025

  • AI Python for Beginners

    DeepLearning.AI (Coursera) · Mar 2025

  • IoT for Everyone

    UET Peshawar / HEC (Coursera) · Jul 2026

Other training

  • IOSH Managing Safely

    IOSH · 2026

  • 30-hour General Industry Safety and Health

    OSHAcademy · 2026

Education

Degrees

  1. Nov 2023 – Jan 2026

    MS in Artificial Intelligence

    The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Faculty of Computing

    CGPA 3.66 / 4.00 · research thesis on AI vs. human text classification, supervised by Prof. Dr. Najia Saher.

  2. Oct 2019 – Jul 2023

    BS in Information Technology

    BUITEMS, Quetta

    Courses in Information Security, Security Management, Cyber Security, Computer Networks and Systems & Network Administration. Final-year project on an IoT water-management system (Arduino sensors, automatic pump control, Android app).

  3. 2017 – 2020

    Diploma in Health, Safety & Environmental Engineering (3 years)

    Peshawar Institute of Technical Education

    85.08%, Grade B+. Taught me to think in terms of risk, hazards and prevention.

Contact

Get in touch

Open to Master's and PhD positions, research collaborations, and SOC / security and ML roles.