Master Thesis Student - Security Contracts for Compositional Assurance

Om tjänsten

Security Contracts for Compositional Assurance

Introduction
How can we reason about the cybersecurity of a complex system when its components are developed independently? This thesis offers an opportunity to explore a fundamental challenge in cybersecurity architecture: understanding how security properties of individual components relate to the security of the system as a whole. Working alongside TRATON's cybersecurity architecture team, you will investigate concepts that could contribute to future approaches for reasoning about secure systems.

Background
Distributed cyber-physical systems consist of interacting hardware and software components. Security contracts express assumptions about a component's environment and guarantees it provides. An open question is when such local statements can meaningfully support claims about system-level security, and what limitations remain.

Objective

Investigate how assumption-guarantee security contracts can support reasoning about a small composition of components. Compare two existing approaches and identify their assumptions, capabilities and limitations without developing a production solution.

Job description

The thesis student will investigate how security contracts based on assumptions and guarantees can support reasoning about the security of composed systems.

The work will include:
• Studying the fundamental concepts of security contracts and compositional assurance.
• Identifying and comparing two relevant existing approaches, focusing on their assumptions, capabilities and limitations.
• Applying the concepts to a small, illustrative system consisting of interacting components.
• Analyzing the findings and discussing their potential relevance to security architecture.

The work will focus on fundamental understanding and conceptual evaluation rather than the development of a production-ready solution.
Depending on the student's interests and progress, additional aspects such as formal modelling or automated verification may be explored.
The expected outcome is a master's thesis presenting the investigation, comparison, illustrative example and conclusions.

Education/program/focus

Master's student in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering or similar. Interest in system architecture and security is welcome; advanced formal-methods expertise is not required.

Number of students: 1

Start date for the thesis work: [to be agreed]

Estimated time required: 20 weeks full-time (30 hp, subject to university confirmation)

Contact persons and supervisors

Marcus Lindner marcus.lindner@scania.com

Application:

Your application must include a CV, personal letter and transcript of grades

A background check might be conducted for this position. We are conducting interviews continuously and may close the recruitment earlier than the date specified.

Requisition ID: 34938

Number of Openings: 1.0

Part-time / Full-time: Full-time

Permanent / Temporary: Temporary

Country / Region: SE

Location(s):

Extra information

Status

Öppen

Önskad utbildningsnivå

Annan

Ort

Södertälje

Typ av kontrakt

Heltidsjobb (förstajobb)

Körkort önskas

Nej

Tillgång till bil önskas

Nej

Personligt brev krävs

Nej