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    Job details

Proposed Project Title: Software-located approaches for IoT attack mitigation:

Job description:

Qualification Type: PhD
Job location: Belfast
Funding for: UK Students
Funding amount: See advert
Hours: Full Time

Published in: 13th January 2022
Closing date: 28th February 2022

 

Primary manager: Dr Kieran McLaughlin
Contact information:Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT), ECIT, Queen's Rd Belfast
Contact Details: kieran.mclaughlin@qub.ac.uk
Second manager in co-managery function: Dr Domhnall Carlin
Contact information: Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT), ECIT, Queen's Rd Belfast
Contact Details: d.carlin@qub.ac.uk
Proposed Project Title: Software-located approaches for IoT attack mitigation
Project Introduction: The IoT ecosystem allows low-powered mini-computers, such as kettles and doorbells, to become hyperfunctional, for the end user and prospective hacker. As networks are only as secure as their weakest links, insecure IoT devices are low-hanging fruit for attackers trying to gain a foothold into a network, whether in the home, enterprise or industry. Research leading to the capability to detect, prevent and mitigate attacks on IoT devices is urgently needed.
Project Description: The global IoT market, worth $250.72 billion in 2019, is projected to grow to $1,463.19 billion by 2027 [1], with leading silicon manufacturer Arm expecting over a trillion devices to be using its processors. Security of these devices is still an immense challenge. Symantec reported an average of 5,400 monthly attacks targeting IoT devices in 2019 [2]. In the same year, Avast demonstrated a honeynet of 500 fake IoT devices over four days, with 23.2 million potential attacks attempted [5]. This trend is escalating, with IoT devices now responsible for 32.72% of all infections observed in mobile networks, up 100% from 2019 [3]. There is an urgent need for novel research on increasing the security posture of such devices, and in providing solutions capable of being implemented in light-weight contexts against future and emerging attacks. This PhD project will research software-located approaches for IoT attack mitigation. It will establish a novel IoT testbed, including a set of intentionally vulnerable honeypots (a honeynet) to attract the latest cyberattacks for analysis, and consumer devices to test processor-level software-located mitigations to threats.
This project is fully funded as part of the CyReSE project. This is led by Dr. Domhnall Carlin as part of the prestigious EPSRC Research Software Engineering Fellowship and will include fees and maintenance (approximately £15,000). CyReSE includes support from several organisations, including NVIDIA, Thales and NICT (Japan), with potential opportunities for internships, collaboration and research placements.
Key Aims of the project:
   » Design & Engineering of IoT Testbed.
   » Attract, record & analyse current IoT attacks.
   » Development of novel IoT attacks.
   » Attack data for AI.
   » Proactive AI-located attack mitigations.
[1] Fortune Business Insights: IoT Market Size, Share & Covid-19 Impact Analysis
[2] Symantec Internet Security Threat Report 2019.
[3] Nokia Threat Intelligence Report 2020 https://onestore.nokia.com/asset/210088
[5] Avast Threat Intelligence, ?When big fish get caught with big bait,? 2019. [Online]. Available:'https://blog.avast.com/millions-of-attacks-on-fake-iot-devi ces'
Project Key Words: Cybersecurity, InfoSec, Internet of Things (IoT), malware, AI, machine learning, assembly, opcode, computer science, ARM, MIPS, honeypot, networking
Start Date: 01/10/22
Application Closing date: 28/02/22
Funding Body: DfE (tbc)
Funding Information: Fees and maintenance
This three year studentship, for full-time PhD study, is potentially funded by the Department for the Economy (DfE) and commences on 1 October 2022. For UK domiciled students the value of an award includes the cost of approved tuition fees as well as maintenance support (Fees £4,500 pa and Stipend rate £15,609 pa - 2022-23 rates to be confirmed). To be considered eligible for a full DfE studentship award you must have been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom for the full three year period before the first day of the first academic year of the course. The candidate must be ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland on the first day of the first academic year of the course, normally 1 October. For more information about eligibility criteria please refer to the DfE Postgraduate Studentship Terms and Conditions 2021-22 at https://go.qub.ac.uk/dfeterms
candidates should apply electronically through the Queen's online application portal at: https://dap.qub.ac.uk/portal/
Academic General Requirements:
   » A minimum 2.1 honours degree or equivalent in Computer Science or Electrical and Electronic Engineering;
   » or Students holding an appropriate MEng or MSc (Software conversion) will normally be required to have commendation or above;
   » or significant degree with significant programming and computing practice.
   » A demonstrable interest in cybersecurity

Skills:

Job Category:  [ View All Jobs ]
Language requirements:
Employment type:
Salary: Unspecified
Degree: Unspecified
Experience (year): Unspecified
Job Location: Belfast, County Antrim County Down Northern Ireland
Address: County Antrim
County Down
Company Type Employer
Post Date: 01/13/2022 / Viewed 5 times
Contact Information
Company:
Contact Email: kieran.mclaughlin@qub.ac.uk


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