Doctoral student in Electrical Engineering with focus on Information Security - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Subject description
Doctoral student in Electrical Engineering with focus on security for production systems and principles for protected data analytics on cloud resources.

The research project will be in the field of protected cloud based data analytics in online production systems. The research is system oriented and we will work with combinations between well established computer/communication security solutions and novel data protection. Especially, the research is directed towards principles utilizing state replication for protected sharing of data among multiple stakeholders as well as using machine learning for advanced access protection profile generation.

Work duties
The doctoral student will be investigating how data protected data sharing between different stakeholders in distributed systems can be achieved. In particular state replication, or what sometimes is referred to as “digital twin” models, shall be investigated. We are interested in exploring the possibilities and limitations with respect to security with such models. Different principles for state replication for data sharing shall be developed and analyzed from security and performance perspectives. The Doctoral student will also work with how to protect analytics in containerized environment and how protection profiles for such environments can be generated using machine learning methods. The goal is to test and evaluate the new protection mechanisms under realistic conditions with the help of simulations and prototype development. 

The research project is funded by an SSF project (SEC4FACTORY), 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 includes 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 the applicant:

• 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 the applicant 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, nanoengineering, 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 control system experience.
• Advanced software development skills.
• Machine learning knowledge.

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.).