Doctoral student in information security - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Subject description
Doctoral student in information security with focus on security and protection again Denial of Service (DoS) attacks for production systems.The research project will be in the field of protected principles for secure configuration and of production systems and cloud resources with focus on protection against DoS attacks. The research is focused on developing new security models for industrial control and surveillance systems and corresponding protocols and principles for secure configuration of system components. The main part of the research will be on novel mechanisms to protect against DoS attacks.

Work duties
The doctoral student will examine different security model for the configuration of production systems and cloud resources used by such systems. In the research the doctoral student will look into different DoS threats in production systems and find novel ways to protect against these threats. By using these new models and protection methods, new protocols and protection mechanisms shall be designed and evaluated. The goal is to test and verify models and principles under realistic conditions through simulations and prototype implementations.

The research project is funded by an SSF project (SEC4FACTORY) and an H2020 EU project (CloudiFacturing), and a close collaboration with other project partners is expected.  The possibility of a European researcher exchange exists.

The main duties of doctoral students are to devote themselves to their research studies which include participating in research projects and third cycle courses. The work duties will also include teaching and other departmental duties (no more than 20%).

Admission requirements
A person meets the general admission requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if he or she:

• has been awarded a second-cycle qualification, or
• has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second cycle, or
• has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

A person meets the specific admission requirements for third cycle studies in Electrical Engineering if he or she has:

• at least 60 second-cycle credits in subjects of relevance to electrical engineering, or 
• a MSc in Engineering in biomedical engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, engineering mathematics, nano engineering, engineering physics or information and communication engineering.

Additional requirements:

• Very good oral and written proficiency in English.
• Very good computer and communication security knowledge.
• Very good programming skills.

Assessment criteria
Selection for third-cycle studies is based on the student’s potential to profit from such studies. The assessment of potential is made primarily on the basis of academic results from the first and second cycle. Special attention is paid to the following:

1. Knowledge and skills relevant to the thesis project and the subject of study.
2. An assessment of ability to work independently and to formulate and tackle research problems.
3. Written and oral communication skills
4. Other experience relevant to the third-cycle studies, e.g. professional experience.

Other assessment criteria:

• Completed courses and/or master thesis work within computer security and/or cryptology.
• Industrial experience.
• Documented software development skills.

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, and how the applicant, through his or her experience and skills, is deemed to have the abilities necessary for successfully completing the third cycle programme.

Terms of employment
Only those admitted to third cycle studies may be appointed to a doctoral studentship. Third cycle studies at LTH consist of full-time studies for 4 years. A doctoral studentship is a fixed-term employment of a maximum of 5 years (including 20% departmental duties). Doctoral studentships are regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100), chapter 5, 1-7 §§.

Instructions on how to apply
Applications shall be written in English and include a cover letter stating the reasons why you are interested in the position and in what way the research project corresponds to your interests and educational background. The application must also contain a CV, degree certificate or equivalent, and other documents you wish to be considered (grade transcripts, contact information for your references, letters of recommendation, etc.).