PhD Position in Software Security
The Semantics, Cybersecurity and Services (SCS) group at the University of Twente is looking for a full-time PhD to join the research team, working on Software Security. The position is embedded in the context of the NWO project “HIVA: Holistic Infrastructure-centric Vulnerability Analysis”.
In this PhD project, we intend to research automated techniques to analyse, exploit, and patch software vulnerabilities, after the detection phase. In fact, current tools, such as fuzzers, detect more potential flaws than organisations can fix. We plan to design and develop automated techniques to holistically analyse discovered vulnerabilities, assess their causes and risks, and prioritise the critical ones. Unlike prior work, we analyse infrastructures as a whole, instead of individual applications, allowing for prompt, effective mitigation and reducing costs.
As the prospective PhD candidate, you will be appointed for a period of four years, and you are expected to perform high-quality research that gets published at some of the top security conferences and implement open-source research prototypes that the community can benefit from. The SCS group is internationally recognized in the broad areas of systems, AI, and data security and is unique for its collaborative and friendly atmosphere, in which researchers have considerable freedom in picking their projects and receive substantial support from supervisors and colleagues. We publish in top-tier conferences to maximize our visibility and impact, and we can guide you toward becoming a top researcher and boosting your CV. Besides, during the PhD, you will have the opportunity to broaden your knowledge and network by joining international exchange programs, participating in national and international conferences, and visiting other research institutes and universities worldwide.
Information and application
Are you interested in this position? Please submit your application before March 28, 2026, via the ‘Apply now’ button below and include:
- A detailed Curriculum Vitae, including any publications if applicable, academic awards, links to open-source projects, and your working experience.
- A motivation letter (maximum 2 pages A4), emphasising your specific interest, qualifications, and motivation to apply for a research position in this area.
- An academic transcript of MSc education, including grades.
For more information, please contact dr.ir. Andrea Continella via the following email address: a.continella@utwente.nl.
About the department
Digitalisation brings many new opportunities for businesses and governments by fostering the development of innovative online services. However, this development also brings new challenges, notably in terms of intelligence, interoperability, security and privacy. The mission of the SCS group is to realise the vision of meaningful computing within trusted digital environments by advancing the forefront of semantic modelling, enhancing cybersecurity, and innovating service design.
SCS is part of the Twente University Centre for Cybersecurity Research (TUCCR), a public-private partnership where experts, professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers, and students from industry and knowledge partners collaborate to deliver talents, innovations, and know-how in the domain of cybersecurity. The mission of TUCCR is to strengthen the security and digital sovereignty of our society by performing top-level research on real-world data, systems, and network security challenges. To achieve significant societal impact, TUCCR combines technical, socio-economic, and ethical know-how and is equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure, ranging from security labs, testbeds, and data lakes.
SCS researchers play a leading role in the international cybersecurity community, regularly publishing at top security conferences such as USENIX Security, IEEE S&P, ACM CCS, and NDSS. In addition, the group is actively involved in major national and international research projects, and its work regularly finds its way into policy documents and real-world applications.
About the organisation
The faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) uses mathematics, electronics and computer technology to contribute to the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). With ICT present in almost every device and product we use nowadays, we embrace our role as contributors to a broad range of societal activities and as pioneers of tomorrow's digital society. As part of a tech university that aims to shape society, individuals and connections, our faculty works together intensively with industrial partners and researchers in the Netherlands and abroad, and conducts extensive research for external commissioning parties and funders. Our research has a high profile both in the Netherlands and internationally. It has been accommodated in three multidisciplinary UT research institutes: Mesa+ Institute, TechMed Centre and Digital Society Institute.
Want to know more?
