ENCYRCLE Research Assistant

About the ENCYRCLE Research Assistant Role at Swansea University

The ENCYRCLE project is seeking an enthusiastic Research Assistant to join the Swansea University project team. This role is part of a significant £2 million research initiative, in collaboration with the Wales-based National Data Exploitation Centre (NDEC), which is a component of the global technology leader Thales. The project's core objective is to bolster the cyber resilience of interconnected systems, with a particular focus on critical sectors like transport.

Cyber resilience is defined as a system's capacity to consistently deliver its intended outcomes, even when faced with adverse cyber events. Within the ENCYRCLE framework, modelling and verification techniques will be utilized to inform the engineering of system updates. These updates are specifically designed to restore affected services without compromising the integrity or delivery of other, unaffected services. A key driver for such updates includes the imperative to replace existing cryptosystems with quantum-safe alternatives, a transition recommended by NCSC to commence from 2028.

As an ENCYRCLE Research Assistant, your primary responsibility will be to develop innovative solutions aimed at enhancing the security of connected and automated technologies across their entire lifecycle. A critical aspect of this will involve developing a simulation-based solution for the thorough analysis and evaluation of resilience properties within cyber-physical system designs. Your tasks will encompass the evaluation and setup of appropriate simulation tools, with a strong emphasis on practical case studies. These case studies will specifically involve automotive systems and the integration of post-quantum cryptography. The simulation outcomes from these studies will be crucial for validating their inherent cyber resilience properties, leveraging advanced AI approaches such as reinforcement learning.

To achieve these objectives, you will be applying reinforcement learning methodologies to systematically explore potential simulation runs. This exploration aims to identify and, if necessary, falsify the relevant cyber resilience properties, ensuring robust system design.

The modelling work package within ENCYRCLE is under the expert leadership of Professor Markus Roggenbach, who also heads the Cyber Security Group at Swansea University. This cutting-edge research project is directly aligned with the UK Government’s strategic priorities, and its findings are expected to directly inform industry best practices, contribute to vital guidance documents, and ultimately foster the development of more resilient engineering systems and critical infrastructure. The anticipated impact of this work will directly shape the guidance and foundational principles underpinning the design of critical national infrastructures and complex engineering systems across a diverse range of sectors.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Swansea University is deeply committed to upholding and advancing equality and diversity across all its operational practices and activities. We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment and actively encourage applications from individuals representing all protected characteristics, including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (encompassing colour, nationality, ethnic and national origin), religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

As an inclusive and welcoming workplace, Swansea University values individuals for their unique skills and contributions, irrespective of their background. Applications submitted in Welsh are welcomed and will receive the same fair consideration as those submitted in English.

Key skills/competency

• Cyber Resilience
• Cyber-Physical Systems
• Simulation Tools
• Reinforcement Learning
• Post-Quantum Cryptography
• Automotive Systems
• System Security
• Modelling & Verification
• AI Approaches
• Industry Best Practice