Cryptography Intern

HP; West of England; On-site; GBP 13,000 - 19,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid internship

Mentorship program

Access to HP Security Lab

Job summary

HP in Bristol is offering a 6-month cryptography internship within its Security Lab. You will work with HP cryptographers to influence product design, cryptographic primitives choices, and prototyping of new capabilities.

The role emphasizes collaboration, learning, and real-world impact in security technologies. The successful candidate will contribute across HP's security strategy, with mentorship from experienced cryptographers and opportunities to influence decisions, tooling, and training

Qualifications

• Pursuing Doctoral, Master’s, or Bachelor’s in a relevant topic.
• Strong theoretical or applied cryptography knowledge.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Willing to learn and work on live projects as part of a team or independently.

Responsibilities

• Work on a project exploring approaches, designs or techniques in cryptography (e.g., quantum resistance, secure protocol design, cryptographic security assessment).
• Receive supervision and guidance from the HP cryptography team and Security Lab staff; discuss methods and results with the team.
• Write up work and present outcomes to the team and Security Lab.

Skills

Theoretical cryptography

Communication skills

Teamwork/independence

Willingness to learn

Education

Doctoral/Master/Bachelor in relevant topic

Tools

Cryptographic libraries

Cryptographic protocols

Security analysis concepts

Innovation in cryptography

Job description

Cryptography Intern Description - We are looking for students with an interest in cryptography to join a 6-month internship with HP’s cryptography engineering strategy team, based in Bristol with the company’s Security Lab that researches the future of security technologies and techniques to make computing devices and data more secure for users and enterprises.

This internship is an exciting opportunity to apply your cryptographic expertise to the development of cutting-edge products, to contribute to HP strategy and increase the effectiveness of cryptographic engineering, and to do it all within the collaborative culture at HP. As a company and cryptography team we are dedicated to attracting diverse talent from all backgrounds. The successful candidate would work with HP cryptographers to ensure the secure deployment of cryptography, advising on product design and choice of cryptographic primitives, and prototyping and investigating the use of new cryptographic capabilities. The team's responsibility extends across HP, creating opportunities for the candidate to work with a wide range of technologists and have influence in varied fields, from new security and privacy paradigms to massive public key infrastructures and constrained processing environments. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to scale the team's reach by contributing to decisions, guidance, tools and training that empower engineers across the company to build products with world-leading security.

Join us in our office in the heart of the bustling Bristol city centre, within walking distance of the old town cafes and restaurants, in the middle of the city’s thriving startup and academic tech ecosystem. We are looking for curious and creative individuals who enjoy teamwork, have an excellent grounding in cryptography, and are relentlessly excited to have impact solving real world challenges. This is a paid internship position.

Responsibilities

During the internship you will be given a project to explore approaches, designs or techniques to achieve outcomes. The specific project will be defined with your interests and skillsets in mind, with possible topic areas including, but not limited to, quantum resistance, secure protocol design, and cryptographic security assessment.

You will receive supervision, help, advice and direction from members of the cryptography team and have access to the support of a broad range of security experts from the HP Security Lab. You will be expected to learn about new areas associated with the project, to work with the team and also independently as required, and to discuss your approaches and results with the team. During the internship you will be expected to write up your work and present the work to the team and the rest of the Security Lab.

Mandatory skills and experience

• Studying towards a Doctoral, Master’s, or possibly a Bachelor’s university degree in a relevant topic
• Expertise in theoretical or applied cryptography
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Keen to learn and able to progress on live projects as part of a team or independently

Additional desirable skills and experience

• Practical experience of cryptographic libraries
• Familiarity with cryptographic protocols
• Awareness of system security analysis concepts
• Ability to be innovative in the area of cryptography or its application

Cryptography questions

As part of the application process, candidates are expected to submit a covering letter including answers to the following two questions: Please describe, in your own words, how to send a message from Alice to Bob that has confidentiality, authenticity, and integrity. You should justify cryptography choices you make, and comment on practical aspects of cryptography required to ensure security (maximum 2000 characters including spaces). Please tell us about a topic within cryptography that interests you (maximum 1500 characters including spaces).

About HP

At HP, you’ll have a chance to create tools, technology, and solutions that reshape the way the world works in the future. If you’re looking to join a company that allows you to connect with a network of professionals eager to support you in doing your best work, we want to talk to you. Our legendary culture guides every employee toward success—fostering collaboration and driving innovation. Operating in over 170 countries, HP is always creating new services, products, and capabilities giving you more opportunities to advance your career. Here, innovation is the key to professional development and career mobility. When you join HP, you’re joining a company that believes every voice matters and that we all deserve a seat at the table. From the boardroom to factory floor, we create a culture where everyone is respected and where people can be themselves. You will be part of a global laboratory where different perspectives and experiences will help you solve problems in new ways. This is where you can build a long and wide-ranging career.

Equal Opportunity Employer HP, Inc. provides equal employment opportunity to all employees and prospective employees, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, age, disability, or status as a protected veteran, marital status, familial status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic predisposition or carrier status, uniformed service status, political affiliation or any other characteristic protected by applicable national, federal, state, and local law(s). Please be assured that you will not be subject to any adverse treatment if you choose to disclose the information requested. This information is provided voluntarily. The information obtained will be kept in strict confidence. For more information, review HP’s EEO Policyor read about your rights as an applicant under the law here: “Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal".

Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO) - HP, Inc. provides equal employment opportunity to all employees and prospective employees, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, age, disability, or status as a protected veteran, marital status, familial status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic predisposition or carrier status, uniformed service status, political affiliation or any other characteristic protected by applicable national, federal, state, and local law(s). Please be assured that you will not be subject to any adverse treatment if you choose to disclose the information requested. This information is provided voluntarily. The information obtained will be kept in strict confidence. For more information, review HP’s EEO Policy or read about your rights as an applicant under the law here: “Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal"