PhD position on Explainable Incident Response -- TUCCR

In recent years, machine learning (ML) solutions are increasingly being deployed in Security Operations Centres (SOCs) to enhance security coverage, and to reduce the number of missed attacks. Not only do these ML systems create many false positives, it is often very difficult to understand how they work in the first place. Moreover, the forensic analysis of incidents and incident response are largely manual procedures, leading to analyst burnout and ‘alert fatigue'.

The objective of this PhD project is to create ‘AI-assisted practitioners' for incident response by developing novel ML algorithms that reduce analyst workload and provide decision-making assistance. We propose to develop explainable ML algorithms that summarize large volumes of observable data (intrusion alerts, network & system logs) in order to discover contextually meaningful patterns from them. The student will explore multi-modal learning and generative AI to produce actionable explanations from these discovered patterns that are tailored to the operator's expertise. The evaluation of these algorithms will be done under closed-world and open-world settings. For the closed-world setting, a major challenge is the lack of suitable datasets to evaluate ML models. The student will set up a testbed together with our industry collaborators for the collection of intrusion alert datasets. For the open-world setting, the student will deploy these algorithms in real SOC environments in order to measure the extent of workload reduction experienced by security analysts. In doing so, we aim to develop technologies that are not only novel but also have real-world applications.

The PhD student will be embedded within the Semantics, Cybersecurity, and Services (SCS) group at University of Twente. The student will have the opportunity to participate in internships and/or collaboration with industry partners under the TUCCR initiative. The SCS group offers a stimulating, supportive, and diverse research environment, as well as plenty of opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Your profile

You are a highly motivated and enthusiastic researcher, aspiring to do world-class research and have real-world impact.

You have a MSc degree with excellent grades in computer science, or similar; Applications from students who are about to finish their MSc degree studies will be considered as well.

You are interested in the domain of cybersecurity and have a solid background in systems security and/or data science/artificial intelligence; Some industrial experience in a cybersecurity role and prior experience with writing scientific papers are of additional advantage.

You know your way around UNIX/Linux systems and can code in Python.

You are curious and interested in learning how things work and how to make them better.

You have a creative mind-set and excellent analytical and communication skills.

You have good team spirit and like to work in an interdisciplinary and internationally oriented environment.

You are proficient in English.

Our offer

As a PhD candidate at UT, you will be appointed to a full-time position for four years, with a qualifier in the first year, within a very stimulating and exciting scientific environment;

The University offers a dynamic ecosystem with enthusiastic colleagues;

Your salary and associated conditions are in accordance with the collective labour agreement for Dutch universities (CAO-NU);

You will receive a gross monthly salary ranging from € 2.770,- (first year) to € 3.539,- (fourth year);

There are excellent benefits including a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, and a solid pension scheme;

The flexibility to work (partially) from home;

A minimum of 232 leave hours in case of full-time employment based on a formal workweek of 38 hours. A full-time employment in practice means 40 hours a week, therefore resulting in 96 extra leave hours on an annual basis;

Free access to sports facilities on campus;

A family-friendly institution that offers parental leave (both paid and unpaid);

You will have a training programme as part of the Twente Graduate School where you and your supervisors will determine a plan for a suitable education and supervision;

We encourage a high degree of responsibility and independence, while collaborating with close colleagues, researchers and other staff.

Information and application

Are you interested in this position? Please send your application before 16 February via the 'Apply now' button below , and include:

A cover letter (maximum 2 pages A4), emphasizing your specific interest, qualifications, motivations to apply for this position.

A Curriculum Vitae, including a list of all courses attended and grades obtained, and, if applicable, a list of publications and references.

An IELTS-test, Internet TOEFL test (TOEFL-iBT), or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE). Applicants with a non-Dutch qualification and who have not had secondary and tertiary education in English can only be admitted with an IELTS-test showing a total band score of at least 6.5, internet. TOEFL test (TOEFL-iBT) showing a score of at least 90, or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE).

For more information regarding this position, you are welcome to contact Azqa Nadeem ([email protected])

About the department

Digitalization brings many new opportunities for businesses and governments by fostering the development of innovative online services. However, this development also brings new challenges, notably in terms of intelligence, interoperability, security, and privacy. The mission of the Semantics, Cybersecurity and Services (SCS) group is to advance the development of innovative online services with improved quality through context-alignment and with reduced security and privacy threats.

SCS is part of the Twente University Centre for Cybersecurity Research (TUCCR), a public-private partnership where experts, professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers, and students from industry and knowledge partners collaborate to deliver talents, innovations, and know-how in the domain of cybersecurity. The mission of TUCCR is to strengthen the security and digital sovereignty of our society by performing top-level research on real-world data, systems, and network security challenges. To achieve significant societal impact, TUCCR combines technical, socio-economic, and ethical know- how and is equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure, ranging from security labs, testbeds, and data lakes. Key outputs include innovation in the form of technologies, tools, minimum viable products, start-ups, top-tier scientific publications, as well as first-class graduates at Bachelor, Master, and PhD level. TUCCR's founding partners are Betaalvereniging Nederland, BetterBe, Cisco, NCSC, NDIX, Northwave, SIDN, SURF, Thales, TNO, and the University of Twente.

About the organisation

The faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) uses mathematics, electronics and computer technology to contribute to the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). With ICT present in almost every device and product we use nowadays, we embrace our role as contributors to a broad range of societal activities and as pioneers of tomorrow's digital society. As part of a people-first tech university that aims to shape society, individuals and connections, our faculty works together intensively with industrial partners and researchers in the Netherlands and abroad, and conducts extensive research for external commissioning parties and funders. Our research has a high profile both in the Netherlands and internationally. It has been accommodated in three multidisciplinary UT research institutes: Mesa+ Institute, TechMed Centre and Digital Society Institute.

Want to know more? Nadeem, A. (Azqa)

Lecturer

Nadeem, A. (Azqa)

Lecturer

Do you have questions about this vacancy? Then you can contact Azqa for all substantive questions about this position and the application procedure. For general questions about working for the UT, please refer to the chatbot.

Contact

Phone:+31534893361

Email:[email protected]

How to apply Step 1

Apply. When you see a vacancy that appeals to you, you can apply online. We ask you to upload a CV and motivation letter and/or list of publications. You will receive a confirmation of receipt by e-mail.

Step 2

Selection. The selection committee will review your application and you will receive a response within 2 weeks after the vacancy has been closed.

Step 3

1st interview. The 1st (online or in person) meeting serves as an introduction where we introduce ourselves to you and you to us. You may be asked to give a short presentation. This will be further explained in the invitation.

Step 4

2nd interview. In the second interview, we will further discuss the job content, your skills and your talents.

Step 5

The offer. If the conversations are positive, you will be made a suitable offer.

Your Colleagues

Nadeem, A. (Azqa)

Personal page

Continella, A. (Andrea)

Personal page

Ede, T.S. van (Thijs)

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