International Association for Cryptologic Research

International Association
for Cryptologic Research

IACR News

If you have a news item you wish to distribute, they should be sent to the communications secretary. See also the events database for conference announcements.

Here you can see all recent updates to the IACR webpage. These updates are also available:

email icon
via email
RSS symbol icon
via RSS feed

03 April 2017

TU Wien, Vienna
Job Posting Job Posting
The Security and Privacy Group at the TU Wien is offering a full-time position (40 hours/week) for a post-doc university assistant for 2 years. The estimated starting date is October 2, 2017.

The salary as a postdoctoral researcher is covered by level B1 of the Austrian

Collective Agreement for university staff, and is currently EUR 3.626,60 per month/gross (14 times a year).

The successful applicant will carry out his/her research activity in one of the following areas:

- Formal Methods for Security and Privacy

- Web Security

- Mobile Security

- Cryptocurrencies

- Privacy-Enhancing Technologies

- Applied Cryptography

Outstanding candidates in other security domains are also encouraged to apply.

The specific requirements for this postdoc position are the following:

- Scientific excellence, as witnessed by publications in top-tier security venues

- PhD in Computer Science

- Very good English skills (writing, speaking)

The TU Wien is committed to increasing female employment in leading scientific positions. Female applicants are explicitly encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to female applicants when equally qualified.

Only applications received by April 26, 2017 will receive consideration.

Applications should be submitted by e-mail to veronika.korn (at) tuwien.ac.at and include

A cover letter stating the candidate\'s motivation to apply, and the reason(s) why they should be selected for the position

- A CV

- A short research statement

- Three most significant publications

- The contact details of two referees

For informal inquiries, please contact

Univ. Prof. Matteo Maffei (matteo.maffei (at) tuwien.ac.at)

Closing date for applications: 26 April 2017

Expand

02 April 2017

Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Job Posting Job Posting
The Department of Computer Science and Mathematics at Universitat Rovira i Virgili (www.urv.cat) offers a PhD scholarship for research in cryptography. The research will be focussed on secret sharing schemes and information-theoretic cryptography, and it will be advised by Oriol Farràs.

The scholarship is a Martí Franquès - COFUND grant, which receives funding from a Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (http://www.urv.cat/en/research/support/programmes/marti-franques/cofund/). This research project is called \"Characterizing access structures with efficient secret sharing schemes\" (2017MFP-COFUND-12). The gross anual salary is 26443.80 €, and there is also an anual budget of 6500 € for travels, research and training.

The submission deadline is April 15, the official notification of winners is on July 31, and the fellowship will start on October 1.

If you are interested in it, send an email to oriol.farras (at) urv.cat and start the submission process (http://www.urv.cat/en/research/support/programmes/marti-franques/cofund/submission/).

Closing date for applications: 15 April 2017

Contact: Oriol Farràs (oriol.farras (at) urv.cat, https://sites.google.com/site/oriolfv/)

Expand
Hongik University, Korea
Job Posting Job Posting
Post-doctoral fellow position in Department of Computer and Information Communications Engineering at Hongik University in the field of cryptography or information security. Applicants should have their Ph.D degrees within four years as of March 31, 2017. Please email with subject ‘Postdoc position’ by attaching statement of research, CV, recommendation letters, and copies of 3 most significant publications to sohwang (at) hongik.ac.kr

Closing date for applications: 20 April 2017

Contact: Professor Seong Oun Hwang at sohwang (at) hongik.ac.kr

More information: http://shinan.hongik.ac.kr/~sohwang/index_e.htm

Expand

27 March 2017

University of York, UK
Job Posting Job Posting
The University of York is one of the UK\'s leading higher education institutions and a member of the prestigious Russell Group of universities. The Department is renowned internationally for its high impact research, combined with a dedication to high-quality teaching and excellent student satisfaction, as well as strong industrial links, making us one of the UK\'s top Computer Science departments.

The Role

We welcome applications from researchers with a track record as an international leader in Cybersecurity, with some emphasis on pragmatic aspects of Cybersecurity. You will actively engage and collaborate with colleagues leading the development of Cybersecurity research and teaching. You\'ll develop relationships across the wider University and beyond, to help build a distinctive and positive working environment that emphasises excellence.

Salary will be commensurate with experience on the professorial scale: current minimum £61,539 a year

Interviews will be held in York on: 25th May 2017

Why York?

We are a dynamic, research-intensive university and have experienced significant growth over the past ten years, securing national and international recognition for our academic excellence. Our attractive landscaped campus has seen significant development which will continue as the University continues to develop. We are recognised consistently for our family-friendly policies and proud of our Athena SWAN Award.

Closing date for applications: 10 April 2017

Contact: Informal enquiries may be directed to Professor Neil Audsley (neil.audsley (at) york.ac.uk)

More information: https://jobs.york.ac.uk/wd/plsql/wd_portal.show_job?p_web_site_id=3885&p_web_page_id=305603

Expand
University College London
Job Posting Job Posting
The rise of decentralized networks, such as Tor and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, has enabled numerous applications, and these technologies offer the potential to enable many more. One could also argue, however, that they have enabled new types of crime. For example, the number of underground markets selling drugs and other illicit goods, such as Silk Road, has grown enormously after the introduction of Bitcoin (and they also rely on the use of Tor). Attacks such as ransomware also seem to some extent impossible to carry out without the use of these technologies.

In order to remove any regulatory obstacles to the adoption of the positive applications of these technologies, it is therefore important to address these negative applications and convince regulators they can be dealt with appropriately. To achieve this, we will develop (1) new heuristics for identifying relationships in a cryptocurrency ecosystem; (2) tools for collecting and analyzing data from underground markets; and (3) new techniques to ensure that honest users continue to maintain their privacy. Eventually, these will all be incorporated into a microservice architecture that provides a forensic tool.

This project is funded by an EU H2020 grant, and will be carried out with partners across Europe. The ideal candidate will have a strong degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related MSc course, and some proficiency with cryptography, machine learning, and/or data analytics.

Closing date for applications: 1 June 2017

Contact: Sarah Meiklejohn

More information: https://www.prism.ucl.ac.uk/#!/?project=229

Expand

21 March 2017

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
Job Posting Job Posting
We are looking for a PhD student in theoretical cryptography. The research focus will be the development and analysis of classical and new cryptographic building blocks (such as public-key encryption and obfuscation).

The research will take place in the cryptography and security group at KIT. The research position will be multi-year and fully funded, with a starting date as soon as possible (negotiable). There is no closing date; applications will be considered until the position is filled.

For more information about the position, contact Dennis (dot) Hofheinz (at) kit (dot) edu. Your application should include a CV, and a letter of motivation.

Closing date for applications:

Expand
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
Job Posting Job Posting
We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher in theoretical cryptography. The research focus will be the development and analysis of classical and new cryptographic building blocks (such as public-key encryption or obfuscation).

The research will take place in the cryptography and security group at KIT. The research position will be multi-year and fully funded, with a starting date as soon as possible (negotiable). There is no closing date; applications will be considered until the position is filled.

For more information about the position, contact Dennis (dot) Hofheinz (at) kit (dot) edu. Your application should include a CV, and at least two references.

Closing date for applications:

Expand
Aarhus University, Denmark
Job Posting Job Posting
The Cryptography and Security group of Aarhus University is looking for PhD students interested in working in the area of cryptographic protocols (secure two/multi party computation, zero-knowledge, ORAM, etc.) under the supervision of Associate Professor Claudio Orlandi. The PhD position is financed by a \"Sapere Aude\" starting grant (Danish Council for Independent Research).

Applicants who have completed (or are about to complete) a master in computer science, computer engineering, or math are welcome to apply by contacting me.

All applications will be processed by the Graduate School of Science and Technology of Aarhus University (follow the link for more information). The next deadlines for application is May 1st, (earliest start on August 1st).

Closing date for applications: 1 May 2017

Contact: Claudio Orlandi, Associate Professor

orlandi (at) cs.au.dk

More information: http://talent.au.dk/phd/scienceandtechnology/opencalls/

Expand
University of Luxembourg
Job Posting Job Posting
Fixed Term Contract 2 years (CDD), full-time 40 hrs/week Start day: July 2017 or later upon agreement.

The successful candidate will join the CryptoLUX group led by Prof. Alex Biryukov. He or she will contribute to a research project on future directions in symmetric cryptography in the areas of:

  • Lightweight block ciphers and hash functions
  • Side-channel attacks on symmetric cryptosystems and countermeasures
  • Design and security analysis of blockchain technologies
  • Proof-of-work schemes for use in digital currencies or denial-of-service prevention

The University offers a two-year employment contract which may be extended up to five years.

Closing date for applications: 30 April 2017

Contact: Alex Biryukov

More information: https://www.cryptolux.org

Expand
University of Surrey, UK
Job Posting Job Posting
The Department of Computer Science at the University of Surrey invites applications for two posts of Lecturer/Senior Lecturer (Assistant Professor/Associate Professor) in Secure Systems.

Further details and instructions for applying are at https://jobs.surrey.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=083116-R

Salary range: ?39324 to ?57674

We aim to attract outstanding candidates to the Secure Systems group who have strong visions for research, a growing international research profile, a passion for teaching, and who value collaborative research and working in a team.

The first post is in the area of ‘security through hardware and applied cryptography’, an area that we are growing, with the recent appointment of Professor Liqun Chen.

The second post is in ‘secure systems and applications’, to enhance or complement one or more of the following areas: trusted computing, security through hardware, verification, data privacy, cyber-physical and internet of things security, cloud or mobile security, machine learning and data analytics applied to security, human factors, formal methods and applied cryptography.

Applicants to both posts should have a PhD in a relevant subject or equivalent professional experience. An ability to produce high quality outputs is also required. The appointed candidates will be expected to contribute to all aspects of the Department’s activities.

We are looking for individuals academics that can inspire students through their curiosity for leading-edge aspects of technology. The Department runs a GCHQ-certified MSc in Information Security, which is the flagship programme of the Secure Systems group.

The University and the Department specifically are committed to building a culturally diverse organisation and strongly encourages applications from female and minority candidates. The Department shares the Athena SWAN ideals with respect to the equality and diversity agenda.

Closing date for applications: 2 May 2017

Contact: Professor Steve Schneider

Director of Surrey Centre for Cyber Security

University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, UK

s.schneider (at) surrey.ac.uk

+44 1483 689637

More information: https://jobs.surrey.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=083116-R

Expand
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
Job Posting Job Posting

We are looking for a PhD student in theoretical cryptography. The research focus should be the development and analysis of classical and new cryptographic building blocks (such as public-key encryption and obfuscation).

The research will take place in the cryptography and security group at KIT. The research position will be multi-year and fully funded, with a starting date as soon as possible (negotiable). There is no closing date; applications will be considered until the position is filled.

For more information about the position, contact Dennis (dot) Hofheinz (at) kit (dot) edu. Your application should include a CV, and a letter of motivation.

Closing date for applications:

Expand
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
Job Posting Job Posting

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher in theoretical cryptography. The research focus should be the development and analysis of classical and new cryptographic building blocks (such as public-key encryption and obfuscation).

The research will take place in the cryptography and security group at KIT. The research position will be multi-year and fully funded, with a starting date as soon as possible (negotiable). There is no closing date; applications will be considered until the position is filled.

For more information about the position, contact Dennis (dot) Hofheinz (at) kit (dot) edu. Your application should include a CV, and at least two references.

Closing date for applications:

Expand
University of Birmingham, UK
Job Posting Job Posting

The Security and Privacy Group* at Birmingham seeks applications for a new permanent Lecturer post in cyber security.

Candidates are expected to have established research careers, demonstrating sustained excellent publication record and some ability to attract research funding. We encourage candidates whose research complements and extends the current capabilities of the group**, but are particularly interested in those working in the areas of systems security, malware analysis and/or reverse engineering.

The deadline for applications is 2 April 2017. Further details and instructions for applying are at

  • http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/AXS707/lecturer-in-computer-security/

The School of Computer Science is ranked in the top 10 UK computer science departments for the number of world-leading publications in terms of originality, significance and rigour by the Research Excellence Framework 2014, conducted by the UK government. The University has identified computer security and privacy as an area for investment. The group is a GCHQ/EPSRC Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research, one of 13 such centres in the UK. Informal enquiries about these posts are welcome, and can be addressed to any member of the group and/or to Professor Mark Ryan, m.d.ryan[at]cs.bham.ac.uk.

* Members of the group are: Rami Bahsoon, Ian Batten, Tom Chothia, David Galindo, Flavio Garcia, David Oswald, Dave Parker, Eike Ritter, Mark Ryan, Erik Tews.

** The current research focus of the group includes: applied cryptography, formal verification, automotive security, embedded devices and IoT security (including ICS), wireless security, cloud security, electronic voting, and security and privacy for society.

Closing date for applications: 2 April 2017

More information: http://sec.cs.bham.ac.uk/index.html#vacancies

Expand

15 March 2017

NIT Raipur
Job Posting Job Posting
Design of JPEG Anti-Forensics Scheme(s) for evaluation of existing JPEG forensic schemes--

Explosive growth in the numbers of forged images has created a situation where authenticity of every image is a suspect. Also it is not humanly possible to examine each suspect image manually by experts. Thus researchers are coming up with methods to verify the authenticity of an image without any human intervention. New schemes for verification of suspect images are getting published every other day without any formal analysis of their performance. Most of these schemes employ fancy image processing techniques and their reliability is proven against standard image processing operations that can be performed using off the shelf software like Adobe Photoshop. A proper evaluation of these forensics schemes is need of the hour and we want to design anti-forensics scheme meant for JPEG compression.

Closing date for applications: 23 March 2017

More information: http://nitrr.ac.in/downloads/recruitment/recruitment2017/project_fellow/JRF_MCA_10032017.pdf

Expand

14 March 2017

Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT), Queen\'s University Belfast
Job Posting Job Posting
Multi-Physical Unclonable Function (PUF) Designs & Architectures -

This research will investigate the design of novel Physical Unclonable Functions, which exploit random variations found in the silicon used in the manufacture of electronic chips as an inherently lightweight means to uniquely identify and authenticate IoT devices.The main aims of the proposed research are:

• To investigate novel software-based PUF designs for an embedded micro-controller (MCU) in addition to a multi-PUF design based on combining software and/or hardware PUFs.

• To investigate methods to accurately evaluate the entropy offered by a PUF primitive, as current metrics vary widely and can depend on how the PUF is to be subsequently used.

• To study the use of PUFs in higher level protocols.

This is a GCHQ-sponsored PhD studentship; therefore, only UK nationals are eligible for this funding.

Closing date for applications: 31 May 2017

More information: http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/eeecs/Research/PhDStudy/NewBatch-Dec2016/PhD2017-52/

Expand

10 March 2017

NEC Laboratories Europe
Job Posting Job Posting
NEC Laboratories Europe is the European research center of NEC Corporation, a world leader in the computer and communications markets with a large world-wide base of R&D Laboratories. Top researchers from more than 20 countries develop, pilot and bring to reality technologies through open innovation.

We are looking for a Research Scientist / Senior Researcher to contribute to research and development in the areas of security and privacy with a special focus on applied cryptography, access control, cloud security, and distributed systems security. Our work ranges from foundational research and IPR creation to prototype development for NEC products and services. We support individual creativity, strong teamwork as well as scientific publications. English is the working language in the Laboratories. Initially, this position is limited to two years.

Applicants are sought with experience and skills in these areas:

- Excellent publication track record in security or applied cryptography.

- Strong experience in system security, distributed systems security, or software security.

- Strong experience in applied cryptography, cryptographic protocols, and security models.

- Proven experience in handling and managing large scale projects.

- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills in English. Knowledge of Japanese is a plus.

- Experience in software development including experience with programming languages, such as Golang, Java, or C/C++.

Candidates with a fresh Ph.D. in Security, Cryptography, Computer Science, or a closely related field, with a hands-on approach and proven skills in real-world problem solving are preferred.

Closing date for applications: 1 May 2017

Contact: Dr. Ghassan Karame, ghassan.karame (at) neclab.eu

Amardeo Sarma, amardeo.sarma (at) neclab.eu

More information: http://www.neclab.eu/jobs/openings/staff/NEC-NLE-1703-229-SEC-2-Security_Researcher.pdf

Expand
Microsoft Research
Job Posting Job Posting
The Cryptography Research group at Microsoft Research in Redmond, Washington seeks outstanding students for 2017 summer internship projects on Homomorphic Encryption and Post-Quantum Cryptography. Developer skills or a background or interest in Machine Learning or Bioinformatics applications are desirable. PhD students in both mathematics and computer science are welcome to apply. Please submit resume, cover letter and reference(s).

Closing date for applications: 31 May 2017

Contact: Kristin Lauter, Research Manager

msrcryptointerns (at) outlook.com

More information: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/homomorphic-encryption/

Expand

06 March 2017

Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Singapore
Job Posting Job Posting
Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) is a young university established in collaboration with MIT. Cyber security is one of its most important areas and grows very fast with rich research funding. It has the world’s best facilities in cyber physical systems including testbeds for Secure Water Treatment (SWaT), Water Distribution (WADI), Electric Power and Intelligent Control (EPIC), and IoT.

I am looking for promising PhD students who are interested in working in the area of cyber security. The position is fully funded up to 4 years with very competitive scholarship. Candidates should have an excellent background (with Bachelor or Master degree) in mathematics, computer science or electrical engineering and the ability to work on inter-disciplinary research projects. Acquaintance with cryptography and network/system security concepts as well as some programming skills will be considered as strong assets. More information of the PhD program is available at https://istd.sutd.edu.sg/phd/phd-overview/.

I am also looking for PhD interns on cyber security, especially on cyber-physical system security (IoT, autonomous vehicle, and power grid etc.). The attachment will be at least 6 months. Allowance will be provided for local expenses. More information of cyber-physical system security is available at http://jianying.space/cpss/.

Interested candidates please send your CV with a research statement to Prof. Jianying Zhou. Please also provide the names of two referees.

Closing date for applications: 30 April 2017

Contact: Contact: Prof. Jianying Zhou

Email: zhou_jianying (at) yahoo.com

Home: http://jianying.space/

More information: http://jianying.space/

Expand

01 March 2017

University of Campinas. Brazil
Job Posting Job Posting

Post-doc position in Secure Execution of Cryptographic Algorithms

We have an open position, starting immediately, for a one-year post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Campinas’  Institute of Computing, Brazil, to work in research and development of efficient and secure implementation of cryptographic algorithms. The candidate will be part of a collaborative effort, working on a project funded by Intel and FAPESP, the State of São Paulo research agency. 

The aim of the project encompasses both curve-based and post-quantum crypto algorithms, and is not restricted to software. In fact, we use the whole gamut of possibilities to address the problem of efficient and side-channel-immune code, including the co-design (software and hardware) of solutions.

Candidates should have a good background in implementation of cryptographic algorithms and, desirably, experience in system security. A collaborative attitude and leadership are also an asset.

The fellowship amounts to around US$ 27,000 plus limited travel funds for conferences. Basic free health care is provided by UNICAMP and the Brazilian Public Health System.

The University of Campinas, UNICAMP, is located in Campinas, the center of a vibrant region, with a population of about three-million, distant 100 km from São Paulo and 500 km from Rio de Janeiro, served by an international airport and excellent highways. For a very good introduction to Campinas in English, please watch this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnF3IW1Rekc. Different rankings put UNICAMP in the top-three positions in Brazil and Latin America. Some of its graduate programs lead their areas in Latin America and are prominent worldwide. Please access this page for a brief summary and intro video about UNICAMP: http://www.unicamp.br/unicamp/english.

Interested candidates should email their CV to

Ricardo Dahab - rdahab (at) ic.unicamp.br

Deadline for applications: March 20, 2017

Closing date for applications: 20 March 2017

Contact: Ricardo Dahab

Associate Professor

IC-UNICAMP

rdahab (at) ic.unicamp.br

Expand
Royal Holloway, University of London, UK
Job Posting Job Posting
Applications are invited for two posts in the Information Security Group at Royal Holloway, University of London.

One position is a 4 year-post and is teaching-focussed, with 10% time available for research. The other is a permanent position with a regular balance between teaching and research. This position is roughly equivalent to a tenure-track Assistant Professor in North America or a Junior Professor in Europe.

For the teaching-focussed position, the post holder will contribute to the creation and/or revision, delivery and assessment of postgraduate (MSc) and undergraduate teaching modules across a wide range of topics in the field of information/cyber security. Applicants should have a Ph.D. in a relevant subject or equivalent and have a sound knowledge of information/cyber security. Applicants should be able to demonstrate an enthusiasm for teaching and communicating with diverse audiences, as well as show an awareness of contemporary issues relating to cyber security.

For the permanent position, applications are invited from researchers whose interests are related to, or complement, current strengths of the ISG. We are particularly interested in applicants with outstanding research achievements and/or potential in relevant information/cyber security areas. Applicants should have a Ph.D. in a relevant subject or equivalent, be a self-motivated researcher, and have a strong publication record. Applicants should be able to demonstrate an enthusiasm for teaching and communicating with diverse audiences, as well as show an awareness of contemporary issues relating to cyber security.

We particularly welcome female applicants as they are under-represented at this level in the Department.

4 year teaching-position: https://jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=0217-089

Permanent regular position: https://jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=0217-090

Closing date for applications: 9 April 2017

Contact: Professor Keith Mayes

keith.mayes (at) rhul.ac.uk.

More information: https://jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=0217-090

Expand