Understanding Cybersecurity for Smart Contracts

Sepideh Hajihosseinkhani is a Ph.D. candidate in Computer Science at the Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, Canada. Her research focuses on blockchain security, secure artificial intelligence, and smart contract vulnerability detection. She began her work with a two-year study on applying genetic algorithms to profile vulnerabilities in smart contracts, enabling systematic identification of vulnerability patterns in decentralized systems. She later expanded her research to broader security challenges in blockchain platforms and decentralized finance (DeFi), integrating AI techniques for advanced vulnerability detection and analysis. Her work emphasizes secure, AI-driven approaches to enhance the reliability of smart contract ecosystems. She has contributed to the development of four large-scale datasets and four security analyzers and analytical frameworks supporting the study of vulnerabilities and malicious behaviors in blockchain and DeFi environments.Dr. Arash Habibi Lashkari is a Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Cybersecurity and a Full Professor at York University. He is the founder and director of the Behaviour-Centric Cybersecurity Center (BCCC) and a Senior Member of IEEE. Previously, he was an Associate Professor at the University of New Brunswick (UNB). His research focuses on cyber threat detection, malware analysis, big data security, internet traffic analysis, and cybersecurity dataset generation. With over 25 years of teaching experience, he designed Canada’s first post-secondary cybersecurity Capture the Flag (CTF) competition. He has received 15 international awards, including three gold medals, and was recognized as one of Canada’s Top 150 Researchers in 2017. In 2020, he received UNB’s Teaching Innovation Award for the Think-Que-Cussion Method. He has authored 10 books and over 110 academic articles and co-authored the award-winning Understanding Canadian Cybersecurity Laws. His work focuses on AI-driven cybersecurity, malware and network analysis, IoT and CAV security, DeFi threats, honeynet-based data generation, and trustworthy AI systems.Dr. Ali Mizani Oskui is an international entrepreneur, inventor, and futurist specializing in blockchain and mixed reality. He is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of FiCAS AG, where he launched the world’s first actively managed crypto Exchange Traded Product (ETP) in Switzerland’s Crypto Valley. With over 20 years of experience in investment management, he combines expertise in AI, computer technology, and cryptocurrencies. His audited track record shows his fund outperformed Bitcoin by over 100% (2015–2018), and he is known for accurately predicting Bitcoin’s 2017 peak and correction. He holds a DBA from Lyon University and a bachelor’s degree in software engineering from the University of Tehran. His innovations include patented technologies such as MCR mobile payments, Talking Gloves, and smart glasses. He received the Gold Medal at the International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva (2007) and founded Mixverse AG and an AI startup in Switzerland.

• 1. Introduction.- 2. Fundamentals of Smart Contracts.- 3. Smart Contract Programming Languages and Platforms.- 3. Smart Contracts Applications.- 4. Designing and Developing Smart Contracts.- 5. Smart Contract Vulnerabilities.- 6. Types of Attacks on Smart Contracts.- 7. Real and Potential Smart Contract Threats.- 8. Analyzers and Detection Tools for Smart Contracts.- 9. Countermeasures and Best Practices in Smart Contracts.- 10. Challenges and Future Directions in Smart Contract Research.- 11. Conclusion.- Appendices.