Rate My Professor Mia Plachkinova

Mia Plachkinova is an Associate Professor of Information Security and Assurance in the Department of Information Systems and Security at Kennesaw State University's Coles College of Business. She serves as Assistant Department Chair, overseeing faculty and programs in information systems and security. Plachkinova earned her Ph.D. in Information Systems and Technology from Claremont Graduate University, a Master of Science in Management Information Systems from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where her thesis focused on Communication Artifacts and Interaction Evaluation for Requirements Engineering, and a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from Sofia University, Bulgaria. Holding an array of professional certifications including CISSP, CCSP, CISA, CISM, CRISC, CDPSE, CIPP/US, and PMP, she brings extensive expertise to her teaching and research roles.

Her research specializes in cybersecurity, data privacy, emerging technologies, AI-driven security frameworks, regulatory challenges in technology adoption, and enhancing healthcare system quality. Plachkinova has published in leading outlets such as the Journal of the Association for Information Systems, Communications of the Association for Information Systems, and Journal of Computer Information Systems. Key works include "A Taxonomy of mHealth Apps – Security & Privacy Principles" (2015, IEEE), "A Conceptual Framework for Quality Healthcare Accessibility" (2016), and contributions on smart home security trends and intercultural information security training. She has obtained a multi-year NSA GenCyber grant to advance cybersecurity education through camps and initiatives at Kennesaw State University. As a dissertation chair for the Ph.D. in Business Administration program, she has guided candidates including Owen Chilongo (2025) and Sandeep Bhardwaj (2024). Plachkinova leads curriculum development, industry collaborations, student mentoring, and serves as editor and reviewer for prominent journals and conferences. Previously at the University of Tampa, she mentors award-winning student projects at KSU symposia and participates in events like Cybersecurity Day in the Nest.