Call for Papers: Workshop on Measurements, Attacks, and Defenses for the Web (MADWeb) 2025
The call for papers is now open.
The web connects billions of devices, running a plethora of clients, and serves billions of users every day. To cope with such a widespread adoption, the web constantly changes. This is evident by some browsers that have a release cycle of just six weeks. Unfortunately, these rapid changes are not always designed with a security mindset, resulting in new attack vectors not observed before.
The MADWeb workshop aims to attract researchers who work on the intersection of browser evolution and web security. Our goal is to create and sustain a specialized venue for discussing any aspects of web security and privacy, such as the rapid changes to browsers from a security perspective, the security implications of current web technologies, how we can protect users now, and make browsers in the future more secure without hindering the evolution of the web.
Since MADWeb merged with the SecWeb workshop, in 2025 we welcome ideas on extending the web with novel security mechanisms, better access interfaces (browsers), and disciplined programming abstractions to support secure web application development natively. Moreover, we invite contributions that propose provocative thoughts on re-envisioning (part of) the current web platform with security built-in by design.
We welcome work in progress and encourage junior researchers to explore new ideas before publication at a major security conference. We select papers based on their technical contributions and their potential to spark interesting discussions at MADWeb.
We currently accept (self-) nominations for MADWeb 2025 PC. Please, fill this form to nominate someone.
Submission Guidelines for Papers
All papers must be written in English. Papers must be formatted for US letter size (not A4) paper in a two-column layout, with columns no more than 9.25 in. high and 3.5 in. wide. The text must be in Times font, 10point or larger, with 11-point or larger line spacing. Authors are strongly encouraged to use the templates provided by NDSS.
We invite both full papers and work-in-progress papers. Full papers should have no more than 10 pages in total (excluding references and appendices).Work-in-progress papers must have less than 6 pages (again, excluding references and appendices), and can discuss work-in-progress and novel ideas. Work-in-progress papers will be selected based on their potential to spark interesting discussions during the workshop and they will not be included in the formal proceedings of the workshop. Note that full papers might be accepted as Work-in-progress if they are deemed as not mature enough but may spark enough discussions at the workshop.
Submissions must be properly anonymized for double-blind review (please follow NDSS guidelines on paper anonymization).
The submission portal for papers is: https://madweb25.hotcrp.com/
Areas of Interest
Submissions are solicited in, but not limited to, the following areas:
- Fingerprinting and tracking on the web
- Browser security
- Secure browser architectures
- Security and privacy of emerging web technologies
- Security of progressive web apps
- Web authentication and authorization
- Web protocol security
- Security policies for the web
- Language-based web security
- Formal methods for web security
- Measurement studies of online crime, fraud, and underground economies
- Measurement studies of web security & privacy issues
- Privacy-enhancing technologies for the web
- Machine learning and AI applications for a secure web
- Data-driven web security and malware detection
- Anti-phishing technologies
- Detection of bots and crawlers/scrapers
- DNS security and privacy
- Unethical and malicious activity on the web
- Digital forensics for the web
Important Dates
- Paper Submission Deadline: 9 January 2025 Anywhere-on-earth (AoE)
- Acceptance Notification (tentative): 30 January 2025
- Camera Ready Deadline (tentative): 14 February 2025
- Workshop: 28 February 2025 (co-located with NDSS Symposium 2025)
Workshop Format
MADWeb will be co-located with NDSS Symposium 2025. MADWeb will be an on-site event.
One author of each accepted paper is expected to present the paper, in person, at the workshop. The format will be traditional conference-style research presentations with questions from the audience. Interactive and engaging presentations are welcome. As for the previous editions, we plan to give best paper and best presentation awards. Following notification to authors, more information will be provided regarding speaking times and other details.
The accepted papers will be made available on the workshop website and the workshop will have official proceedings. Publication in the proceedings is not mandatory and authors can choose to have their papers excluded from the official proceedings by selecting “No proceedings” during submission in HotCRP.