1 PhD position in Collateral Damage Assessment in the Cyber Domain in Netherlands | Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)

Cyber warfare with deployment of digital means for intelligence and attack is strongly under development. The Netherlands's armed forces are in strong favour of exploiting the potentials these new cyber means provide in order to target and affect hostile actors. This PhD research project focuses on the development of models and tools that support military targeting decisions concerning the intended effects as well as the foreseeable collateral damage of cyber weapon use. Using the models and tools, it is expected that the intended and undesirable effects of cyber weapon use can be assessed and expressed in terms of effectiveness and legality. The effects of cyber weapons can be found in all layers and locations of cyberspace, ranging from IT infrastructures and their connections to physical objects up to the logical layer of data and applications, and the social layer of people and organisations.

Requirements

We are looking for applicants with the following qualifications:

• Affinity for military operations;
• MSc degree in computer science and operations research, or a related discipline, with genuine interest in cyber security problems;
• Good modelling and programming skills;
• Ability to learn fast and autonomously, and a strong analytical capacity;
• Willingness to work on practical problems with direct stakeholders;
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.

Conditions of employment

The TU Delft offers an attractive benefits package, including a flexible work week and the option of assembling a customised compensation and benefits package (the 'IKA'). Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment; an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor; and a Doctoral Education Programme aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

Organisation

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is a multifaceted institution offering education and carrying out research in the technical sciences at an internationally recognised level. Education, research and design are strongly oriented towards applicability. TU Delft develops technologies for future generations, focusing on sustainability, safety and economic vitality. At TU Delft you will work in an environment where technical sciences and society converge. TU Delft comprises eight faculties, unique laboratories, research institutes and schools.

Department

Technology, Policy & Management

The core activity of the Department of Engineering Systems and Services is to understand and predict emerging technological innovations and user service patterns, and to use these insights for improved design, regulation and operation of engineering systems and services in the domains of energy, mobility and ICT.

In today’s society, ICT plays a critical role to ensure the proper functioning of systems. Systems, applications and information sources are distributed all over the world. Often data from multiple sources need to be combined, requiring the integration of these systems. Yet information is stored in heterogonous systems and has various degrees of quality, complicating information sharing. The focus of the ICT section is on ICT architecting, ensuring this by creating ICT infrastructures that are interoperable, flexible, robust, scalable and secure. ICT architecting is rooted in the notion that there is co-evolution between emerging technological innovations and user behaviours.