Information Security Group

Location: Egham
Salary: £29,159 to £34,370 per annum - including London Allowance
Closing Date: Wednesday 18 March 2020
Interview Date: To be confirmed

• Full-Time, Fixed Term - 15 Months (2 positions available)

The Information Security Group at Royal Holloway, University of London, is seeking two highly motivated research assistant researchers for the EU Horizon2020-funded FutureTPM project. The successful candidates will join the Systems and Software Security Lab (S3Lab), working on the development of a virtual quantum-resistant trusted platform module (TPM) for KVM, as well as supporting S3Lab research activities (e.g., malware analysis) and actively participating to various project and S3Lab events. The positions are fixed term full-time for a period of 15 months.

Project description. The goal of FutureTPM is to create a Quantum-Resistant (QR) Trusted Platform Module (TPM) by designing and developing QR algorithms suitable for inclusion in a TPM. The algorithm design will be accompanied by implementation and performance evaluation, as well as formal security analyses in the full range of TPM environments: i.e. hardware, software and virtualization environments. Use cases in online banking, activity tracking and device management will provide environments and applications to validate the FutureTPM framework. FutureTPM will provide robust and provably-secure QR algorithms for a new generation of TPMs. A key strategic objective of FutureTPM is to contribute to standardization efforts at EU level within TCG, ISO/IEC and ETSI. Because the TPM shares many functions in common with other widely-used devices, such as HSMs and TEEs, the FutureTPM solution is expected to benefit them as well. The consortium consists of high calibre industrial and academic partners from across Europe, combining QR crypto researchers with TPM developers.

Requirements. Applicants should possess a BSc degree relevant to the project’s research areas (e.g., Computer Science, Math, Cyber-Security), and be fluent in English. The ideal candidates should have experience in development projects in C/C++/Python, especially on Linux and virtualized environments (KVM, Xen or similar ones), and in the integration of software component. The student should be self-motivated and should have some basic prior knowledge of TPM, KVM and cyber-security concepts. In addition to supporting the project, the position duties also involve collaborating on novel research ideas especially related to S3Lab research areas (e.g., malware analysis, evasion and machine learning), e.g. to support research publications, as well as actively supporting various FutureTPM and S3Lab events.

When/Where. Both these posts are full-time, and are available from October 1st, 2019, for a fixed term period of 15 months (until December 31^st, 2020). The posts are based in Egham, Surrey, where Royal Holloway, University of London is situated in a beautiful, leafy campus near to Windsor Great Park and within commuting distance from London. Royal Holloway, University of London is one of the fourteen Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the UK recognised by the UK National Security Centre (NCSC) as a Centre of Academic Excellence in Cyber Security Research, and only one of the two HEIs awarded with a Centre for Doctoral Training in Cyber Security. 

The successful candidates will work under the direction of Dr Daniele Sgandurra together with Prof. Konstantinos Markantonakis, Prof. Chris Mitchell, and Dr Elizabeth Quaglia from the Information Security Group. For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Dr Daniele Sgandurra, at daniele.sgandurra@rhul.ac.uk.

To view further details of this post and to apply please visit https://rhul.engageats.co.uk. The RHUL Recruitment Team can be contacted with queries by email at: recruitment@rhul.ac.uk.

Please quote the reference: 0719-301-R-R
Closing Date: Midnight, 18 March 2020
Interview Date: TBC

Please note that it will not be possible for the College to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for successful candidates as this role does not fall into one of the standard occupational codes deemed eligible for sponsorship by UK Visas and Immigration and the pro-rata salary will not meet the minimum threshold set by UK Visas and Immigration. Successful candidates will therefore need to be eligible to work in the UK or have limited leave to remain in the UK and associated right to work for the duration of their employment with the College, in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.