About

Ping Fan (Zetta) is an Assistant Professor of Information Systems in the School of Computing and Information Systems (SCIS) at Singapore Management University (SMU). He received his Ph.D. degree in Information Systems from the Department of ISOM, School of Business and Management, HKUST in 2018.

His research focuses on cybersecurity, in both managerial and technical aspects. On the managerial side, his research examines economic incentives and mechanism design in cybersecurity policy, managed security service, bug bounty programs, artificial intelligence, and blockchain. On the technical side, he conducts research in web application security, ransomware analysis, and the use of machine learning to detect deceptive content.

His research has been published in journals including Information Systems Research (ISR), Production and Operations Management, and ACM Transactions on Management Information Systems (TMIS). It has also been presented at leading academic conferences such as the ACM Symposium on Operating Systems Principles (SOSP), International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS), Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS), Workshop on Information Systems and Economics (WISE), Workshop on Information Technologies and Systems (WITS), and Workshop on e-Business (WeB). He serves as an associate editor for top Information Systems conferences, specializing in the Security and Privacy track as well as the Blockchain and Fintech track.

In addition to his academic work, his research has been presented at security conferences and workshops such as DEF CON, Black Hat Asia, Infosec In the City (SINCON), and Hacks in Taiwan Conference (HITCON).

Research Interests

• Economics of Information Systems
• Cybersecurity
• Blockchain, Cryptocurrency and Fintech
• Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence

Publications and Presentations

Journal Publications

• Ng, K. C., Ke, P. F., So, M. K. P., & Tam, K. Y. (2026). Market reactions to deceptive language in fake news: Implications from language expectancy theory and transfer learning. ACM Transactions on Management Information Systems. https://doi.org/10.1145/3816728
• Ke, P. F., & Ng, K. C. (2025). Human-AI synergy in survey development: Implications from large language models in business and research. ACM Transactions on Management Information Systems, 16(1), 1-47. https://doi.org/10.1145/3700597
• Ng, K. C., Ke, P. F., So, M. K. P., & Tam, K. Y. (2023). Augmenting fake content detection in online platforms: A domain adaptive transfer learning via adversarial training approach. Production and Operations Management, 32(7), 2101-2122. https://doi.org/10.1111/poms.13959
• Lai, A. C. T., Ke, P. F., Chan, K., Yiu, S. M., Kim, D., Wong, W. K., Wang, S., Muppala, J., & Ho, A. (2022). RansomSOC: A more effective security operations center to detect and respond to ransomware attacks. Journal of Internet Services and Information Security, 12(3), 63-75. https://doi.org/10.22667/JISIS.2022.08.31.063
• Hui, K. L., Ke, P. F., Yao, Y., & Yue, W. T. (2019). Bilateral liability-based contracts in information security outsourcing. Information Systems Research, 30(2), 411-429. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2018.0806

Conference Presentations

• Wong, W. K., Xiao, D., Lai, A. C. T., Ke, P. F., & Wang, S. (2026, September). State-Aware Fuzzing of JavaScript Engines with LLM-Guided Instrumentation. ACM Symposium on Operating Systems Principles (SOSP), Prague, Czechia. [Accepted] [URL]
• Ke, P. F., Lau, Y. M., & Jiang, L. (2025, December). Evaluating DeFi Vulnerabilities: The Role of Bug Bounty Programs on DeFi Software Supply Chain. Workshop on Information Technologies and Systems (WITS), Nashville, TN.
• Ke, P. F., & Lau, Y. M. (2025, December). A Socio-Technical Analysis of Market Reactions on Meme Coins: Trump’s Presidential Effect. SIGBIT Workshop on Blockchain Ecosystems and Artificial Intelligence, Bangkok, Thailand.
• Zhou, Y., Mack, V., Tang, Q., & Ke, P. F. (2024, December). Distant Feedback in Crowdsourcing Innovation: The Moderating Role of Ideator Response and Assimilation. Workshop on e-Business (WeB), Bangkok, Thailand.
• Lau, Y. M., & Ke, P. F. (2024, December). Trustworthy Web3 Domains: A Framework for Digital Identity Verification. SIGBIT Workshop on Information Technology and Systems on Web3 Ecosystem and Artificial Intelligence, Bangkok, Thailand.
• Lau, Y. M., & Ke, P. F. (2024, December). A Community-Driven Framework to Evaluate Factors Influencing NFT Buyers. SIGBIT Workshop on Information Technology and Systems on Web3 Ecosystem and Artificial Intelligence, Bangkok, Thailand.
• Ke, P. F., & Lau, Y. M. (2024, July). Exploring the Market Impact of Web3 Identity Imitation in Ethereum Name Service. Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. [Best Short Paper Award, Second Runner-up] [URL]
• Ke, P. F., & Lau, Y. M. (2024, June). Usability versus Collectibility in NFT: The Case of Web3 Domain Names. China Summer Workshop on Information Management (CSWIM), Xiamen, China.
• Ke, P. F., Lau, Y. M., & Hanley, D. V. (2023, July). Is Web3 Better Than Web2 for Investors? Evidence from Domain Name Auctions. Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS), Nanchang, China. [URL]
• Ke, P. F. (2023, July). Strategic Manipulation in Blockchain-Based Platforms. POMS-China International Conference, Hangzhou, China.
• Ke, P. F. (2023, May). Technological Threat in Blockchain-Based Platforms. POMS Annual Conference, Orlando, FL.
• Ke, P. F., & Ng, K. C. (2022, December). Bank Error in Whose Favor? A Case Study of Decentralized Finance Misgovernance. International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS), Copenhagen, Denmark. [Best Short Paper Nomination] [URL]
• Ke, P. F., Chen, J., & Guo, Z. (2021, December). Strategic Behavior and Market Inefficiency in Blockchain-Based Auctions. Workshop on Information Systems and Economics (WISE), Austin, TX. [Best Paper Nomination] [Presentation]
• Ke, P. F., Hui, K. L., & Yue, W. T. (2020, December). The Effect of Content Filtering on the Internet: An Empirical Investigation. Workshop on Information Technologies and Systems (WITS), Virtual. [Best Paper Nomination]
• Ng, K. C., Ke, P. F., & Tam, K. Y. (2020, November). Distillation of News Deception into Textual Analysis Using Domain Adaptation Learning. INFORMS Annual Meeting, Virtual.
• Ng, K. C., Ke, P. F., So, M. K. P., & Tam, K. Y. (2020, August). Inferring Deceptive Cues in Financial News: An Application of Domain Adaptation Learning. Pre-AMCIS SIGBPS Workshop on Blockchain and Financial Analytics (BPS’20), Virtual.
• Ke, P. F. (2020, January). The Role of Threat Actors in Token-Weighted Crowdsourcing with Blockchain. POMS-HK International Conference, Hong Kong.
• Ke, P. F. (2019, December). The Information Disclosure Trilemma: Privacy, Attribution and Dependency. Workshop on Information Security and Privacy, Munich, Germany. [URL]
• Ng, K. C., Ke, P. F., So, M. K. P., & Tam, K. Y. (2019, December). Financial News Credibility Measurement and Analysis. 11th International Association for Statistical Computing (IASC-ARS) 2019 Conference, Hong Kong.
• Ke, P. F. (2018, December). Influence of Transaction Cost on Smart Contract: An Economic Analysis on Token-Curated Registry. Pre-ICIS SIGBPS 2018 Workshop on Blockchain and Smart Contract, San Francisco, CA.
• Hui, K. L., Ke, P. F., & Yue, W. T. (2017, December). An Empirical Study of the Effect of Government-initiated Filter Schemes on Cybersecurity. Workshop on e-Business (WeB), Seoul, South Korea.
• Ke, P. F., Hui, K. L., & Yue, W. T. (2015, December). Cybersecurity Regulations and Cyberattacks: A Case Study in China. Workshop on Information Systems and Economics (WISE), Dallas, TX.
• Hui, K. L., Ke, P. F., & Yue, W. T. (2014, December). Regulating Information Asymmetry in Information Security Outsourcing Market. Workshop on Information Systems and Economics (WISE), Auckland, New Zealand.
• Ke, P. F., Hui, K. L., & Yue, W. T. (2013, April). Information Security as a Credence Good. The 2013 Workshop on Usable Security (USEC’ 13), Okinawa, Japan. [URL]

Case Publications

• Lau, Y. M., Ke, P. F., & Lim, T. (2023). Riding on the cryptocurrency and NFT wave: Twitter needs to “Show Me the Money”, Center for Management Practice, Singapore Management University. [URL]
• Hui, K. L., Huang, M., Ke, P. F., & Lai, A. C. T. (2016). PopVote: Assessing the Risks of DDoS. Thompson Center for Business Case Studies, HKUST Business School. [URL]

Security Advisories

• CVE-2021-41146: Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in qutebrowser
• CVE-2019-11751: Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in Firefox
• CVE-2019-14422: Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in TortoiseSVN
• CVE-2019-13475: Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in MobaXterm
• CVE-2018-8311: Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in Skype For Business and Lync

Security Talks and Workshops

• Ransomware Incident Investigation. SINCON Reloaded, Singapore, January 6, 2023.
• Ransomware Incident Investigation and Cryptocurrency Tracing with OSINT. DFRWS APAC 2022, Virtual, September 29, 2022
• Backdoor Investigation and Incident Response: From Zero to Profit. Black Hat Asia 2022, Singapore, May 12, 2022
• Chip-off Forensics. VX Village, DEFCON 26, Las Vegas, NV, August 11, 2018
• XML and JS Hacking. OWASP Hong Kong Chapter, Hong Kong, March 11, 2017
• How to Leverage Hackers for Your Business. HKUST, Hong Kong, May 28, 2016
• Search for Vulnerable IoT Devices. 3rd International Conference on CyberCrime and Computer Forensics (ICCCF), Macau, June 23, 2015
• Capture The Flag (CTF) Game: Fun and Profit. Information Security Summit 2014, Hong Kong, October 15, 2014.
• Investigation and Intelligence Framework. HITCON 2014, Taipei, Taiwan, August 22, 2014.
• Side Channel Attacks in Web Applications. Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, February 25, 2014.
• Message Authentication and Length Extension Attack, OWASP Hong Kong Chapter, Hong Kong, July 27, 2013.

Teaching Experience

Undergraduate Programmes

• Strategic Cybersecurity Management, SMU
• Business Process Analysis and Solutioning, SMU
• Information and Cyber Security Management, HKUST
• Developing AI Application, HKUST
• Blockchain Entrepreneurship for Social Impact, HKUST

Postgraduate Professional Programmes

• Capstone Project - Cybersecurity, SMU
• Computer and Internet Security Management, HKUST

Honors and Awards

• Best Paper Award, 2024 SIGBIT Workshop on Web3 Ecosystems and Artificial Intelligence, Bangkok, Thailand, December 15, 2024
• Best Short Paper Award, Second Runner-up, PACIS 2024, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, July 1-5, 2024
• Best Associate Editor, PACIS 2024, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, July 1-5, 2024
• Best Associate Editor, PACIS 2023, Nanchang, China, July 8-12, 2023
• ICIS 2016 Doctoral Consortium participant, Dublin, Ireland, December 7-9, 2016
• PACIS 2015 Doctoral Consortium participant, Singapore, July 5-6, 2015
• Hong Kong PhD Fellowship, Research Grant Council, Hong Kong, 2014 – 2017
• Beta Gamma Sigma, 2010

Research Grants

• Co-PI, 2026-2027: Generative Agents for Pre-Assessment Evaluation: Simulating Student Knowledge-state Deficiencies via LLMs. SGD 149,200. MOE AcRF Tier 1 Grant, Ministry of Education, Singapore
• PI, 2023-2025: Digital Assets in Web3 as Digital Identity. SGD 30000. MOE AcRF Tier 1 Grant, Ministry of Education, Singapore

Professional Services

• Track Co-Chair, Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS), 2026
• Associate Editor, International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS), 2020, 2022 – 2026
• Associate Editor, Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS), 2020 – 2025
• Program Committee, Workshop on Information Technologies and Systems (WITS), 2018, 2022 – 2026
• Program Committee, Workshop on Information Security and Privacy (WISP), 2020
• Ad hoc reviewer for MIS Quarterly (MISQ), Information Systems Research (ISR), Journal of Operations Management (JOM), Decision Support Systems (DSS), Journal of Strategic Information Systems (JSIS), and Information Technology and Management (ITEM)