The ISDFS conference was first held in 2013 in Elazığ, Turkey. In the following years, it was hosted by Sam Houston State University (USA) in 2014, Gazi University (Turkey) in 2015, and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (USA) in 2016.
One of the most significant developments came in 2016, when the papers presented at the conference began to be indexed in IEEE Xplore, the world’s largest digital library. This marked a turning point for ISDFS, elevating it to a globally recognized event.
In 2017, the conference was hosted by the University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology of Tirgu Mures in Romania. The fact that ISDFS was now being held in different countries brought it considerable prestige. That same year, we decided it was time to organize the event under the roof of a formal association.
The Software and Cyber Security Association was founded in Elazığ in 2017 under my presidency. The association’s goals include engaging in activities within the fields of software and cybersecurity, organizing international conferences, developing software solutions needed by the country, hosting training courses and seminars, raising awareness to protect the digital environments used by individuals and organizations from cyber threats, and other similar efforts.
We placed special emphasis on university students joining the association. To encourage young people to get involved in this field, we decided to set a symbolic annual membership fee. In 2017, we opened membership for just 10 TL per year. Even after 8 years, this fee remains the same showcasing our dedication to serving society.
To increase both the visibility of the association and the recognition of ISDFS, we planned to organize the conference in different countries. In 2018, it was held in Antalya, Turkey, hosted by Fırat University. In 2019, the conference took place in Portugal, hosted by the Instituto Politécnico do Cávado e do Ave. Throughout all these events, IEEE supported the conference.
In 2020, we turned our focus to the Middle East. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was held online, hosted by the Arab Open University in Beirut, Lebanon.
In 2021, we returned to Fırat University, where it all began. In 2022, Maltepe University in Istanbul successfully hosted the conference.
By 2023, we made another major decision: to make the conference U.S.-based. We believed that hosting ISDFS in the U.S. would attract more interest from relevant researchers and academics. As a result, we held the 2023 edition at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Importantly, we also achieved a key milestone by securing sponsorship from the IEEE Education Society, officially bringing the conference under its umbrella.
In 2024, ISDFS was hosted by Trinity University in Texas. Now, in 2025, the conference will be held in Boston, a city home to some of America’s most prestigious universities. It will take place on April 24–25, 2025, hosted by the Wentworth Institute of Technology.
ISDFS has now become a global brand. Its recognition and preference have increased year after year over the last 13 years. All submissions to ISDFS go through a rigorous review process, and only the highest-quality papers are accepted. With an acceptance rate of about 50%, this indicates both the prestige and seriousness of the conference.
The fact that ISDFS is an initiative of the Turkish Software and Cyber Security Association, and since 2023 has been organized under a consortium with technical sponsorship from the IEEE Education Society, represents a major success.
Consortium Members of ISDFS include:
• Turkish Software and Cyber Security Association
• IEEE Education Society (USA)
• Gazi University (Turkey)
• Hacettepe University (Turkey)
• Maltepe University (Turkey)
• Fırat University (Turkey)
• Ondokuz Mayıs University (Turkey)
• Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave (Portugal)
• Trinity University (USA)
• Singidunum University (Serbia)
• TELUQ University (Canada)
• The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (USA)
• Yıldız Technical University (Turkey)
• Wentworth Institute of Technology (USA)
Thanks to these collaborations, ISDFS has become a globally recognized conference. Our aim is to continue expanding and reaching an even wider international audience.
