Job offer

European Commission; Italia; In loco; EUR 30.000 - 50.000; Tempo pieno

Descrizione del lavoro

The European Commission offers a fully funded PhD position at the University of Genoa, focusing on intelligent security management for next-gen communication systems. This role will leverage AI and ML to tackle emerging security challenges in 5G, Cloud, and Edge computing, providing opportunities for high-impact research and international collaboration.

Servizi

Access to cutting-edge research infrastructure

International collaboration opportunities

Mentorship from experienced researchers

Participation in conferences

Competenze

• Master's degree in a relevant field required.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English.

Mansioni

• Conduct extensive literature reviews and identify research gaps.
• Develop models and algorithms for intelligent security management.
• Disseminate research findings through publications.

Conoscenze

Analytical skills

Problem-solving skills

Communication skills

Formazione

Master's degree in Computer Science, Telecommunications Engineering, Electrical Engineering or related field

Descrizione del lavoro

Organisation/Company University of Genoa Department DITEN Research Field Engineering » Communication engineering Engineering » Computer engineering Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country Italy Application Deadline 9 Jul 2025 - 12:00 (Europe/Rome) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 40 Offer Starting Date 1 Nov 2025 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

We are seeking a highly motivated and talented PhD Candidate to join our research group and contribute to cutting-edge research in the domain of intelligent security management for next-generation communication systems. This PhD project will focus on leveraging Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques to enhance the security posture of converged 5G, Cloud, and Edge computing infrastructures.

The advent of 5G networks, coupled with the distributed nature of Cloud and Edge computing, introduces new security challenges and expands the attack surface. The increasing complexity and heterogeneity of these environments make traditional security solutions often inadequate. This project aims to address these challenges by developing novel AI/ML-driven solutions for:

• Threat Detection and Prevention. Developing intelligent algorithms for real-time anomaly detection, intrusion detection, and malware analysis across the entire 5G/Cloud/Edge continuum. This includes identifying sophisticated cyber threats targeting virtualized network functions (VNFs) and distributed applications.
• Automated Security Orchestration and Response. Designing AI-driven frameworks for automated security policy enforcement, dynamic access control, and proactive incident response across the heterogeneous infrastructure, minimizing human intervention and reaction time.
• Secure Resource Slicing and Isolation.Investigating ML/AI techniques to ensure secure isolation and resource allocation for various 5G network slices, preventing cross-slice attacks and maintaining service integrity.
• Vulnerability Assessment and Attack Surface Reduction. Utilizing AI to identify vulnerabilities in virtualized and containerized environments (e.g., in VNFs and microservices), and proposing optimized security configurations to reduce the overall attack surface.
• Privacy-Preserving Security. Exploring how AI can be used to enhance security while respecting privacy constraints, especially in edge computing scenarios where sensitive data might be processed closer to the source.
• Trust Management and Authentication. Developing AI-based trust models and advanced authentication mechanisms suitable for highly dynamic and distributed 5G/Cloud/Edge environments.

The successful candidate will conduct in-depth theoretical and experimental research, contribute to high-impact publications, and participate in national and international research projects. They will have access to state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and work within a collaborative and stimulating research environment.

Research Field: Cybersecurity, Network Security, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, 5G, Cloud Computing, Edge Computing.

Key Responsibilities

• Conducting extensive literature review on security challenges in 5G, Cloud, and Edge computing, and identifying research gaps.
• Developing novel models and algorithms for intelligent security management using ML and AI techniques (e.g., Deep Learning, Reinforcement Learning, Graph Neural Networks, Anomaly Detection).
• Implementing and evaluating proposed security solutions through simulations and/or testbed deployments.
• Analyzing and interpreting research results, including security performance metrics.
• Disseminating research findings through high-quality scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals and conferences.
• Actively participating in research group meetings and seminars.
• Contributing to project deliverables and reports.
• Assisting in the supervision of Master's students, if applicable.
• Master's degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science, Telecommunications Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Proactive attitude and a strong commitment to research excellence.
• A fully funded PhD position for 3 years.
• Access to cutting-edge research infrastructure and resources.
• A stimulating and international research environment.
• Opportunities for international collaborations and conference participation.
• Mentorship and guidance from experienced researchers.
• Enrollment in a recognized PhD program at University of Genoa, Italy.