Phd Candidate: Software Security - Nijmegen, Nederland - Radboud Universiteit

Radboud Universiteit

Geverifieerd bedrijf

Nijmegen, Nederland

1 week geleden

Geplaatst door:

Daan Van den Berg

werver van beBee

Beschrijving

Employment

FTE
Gross monthly salary
€ 2,770 - € 3,539
Required background
Research University Degree
Organizational unit
Faculty of Science
Application deadline
19 May 2024

Cyber security problems have increased dramatically over the past decades. Not a day goes by without a major data leak, some system being hacked, or some organisation being ransomwared. This trend only looks set to continue as our society relies on IT to an ever larger degree.

Software is an important root cause of cyber security problems:

software is what gives modern IT its flexibility and power, but it also comes with flaws, ranging from simple coding mistakes to fundamental design flaws, which enable cyber criminals to exploit all this power and flexibility to attack individuals and organisations.

Producing more secure software is a major challenge.

To address this challenge, our research group investigates ways to analyse, design and test software for security flaws or, better still, prevent security flaws during design and construction.

Examples of techniques we have used for this include automated reverse engineering with state machine inference to spot flaws in the program logic, the LangSec (Language-theoretic Security) approach to structurally improve input handling, and security testing by means of fuzzing.

Some of these techniques can also be used for offensive purposes, for example in pentesting, but our ultimate objective is to contribute to the defensive side of security by improved software engineering practices.

This is not limited to the techniques mentioned above:

depending on your own interests, there are other aspects of secure software engineering that could be investigated, for example better management of software supply chain risks using SBOMs and SaasBOMs.

Under the supervision of Dr Erik Poll, you will work on INTERSECT, a larger national research project into the security of the Internet of Things (IoT).

INTERSECT is funded by the Dutch Research Council (grant NWA It involves six universities and over 20 organisations from the public and private sectors, including security evaluation companies, IT vendors, and some government and non-profit organisations. So you will have the chance to collaborate with researchers from a range of backgrounds.

You will spend roughly 10 percent of your time on assisting with the teaching in our department. This will typically include tutoring practical assignments, grading coursework, and supervising student projects.

Profile
You should hold a Master's degree in Computer Science.
You have a strong interest in cybersecurity and software engineering and are keen to learn more about their interaction.

Experience with pentesting - or more generally the offensive side of security - is a plus, but you should also be interested in the constructive, software engineering side of security.

You possess good critical thinking and analytical skills.
You are fluent in verbal and written English and have good communication, presentation and writing skills.
You value innovation, technical rigour and teamwork.
We are

Radboud University

At Radboud University, we aim to make an impact through our work.

We achieve this by conducting groundbreaking research, providing high-quality education, offering excellent support, and fostering collaborations within and outside the university.

In doing so, we contribute indispensably to a healthy, free world with equal opportunities for all. To accomplish this, we need even more colleagues who, based on their expertise, are willing to search for answers. We advocate for an inclusive community and welcome employees with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives. Will you also contribute to making the world a little better? You have a part to play.

If you want to learn more about working at Radboud University, follow our Instagram account and read stories from our colleagues.

Faculty of Science
The Faculty of Science (FNWI), part of Radboud University, engages in groundbreaking research and excellent education. In doing so, we push the boundaries of scientific knowledge and pass that knowledge on to the next generation.

We seek solutions to major societal challenges, such as cybercrime and climate change and work on major scientific challenges, such as those in the quantum world.

At the same time, we prepare our students for careers both within and outside the scientific field.

Currently, more than 1,300 colleagues contribute to research and education, some as researchers and lecturers, others as technical and administrative support officers.

The faculty has a strong international character with staff from more than 70 countries.

Together, we work in an informal, accessible and welcoming environment, with attention and space for personal and professional development for all.

We offer
We will give you a temporary employment contract (0.8
FTE 5- year contract - 1.0
FTE 4- year contract) of 1,5 years, after which your pe