MRes Scholarship: Rail Sector Threat Intelligence

Masters by Research Opportunity
*This is a KESS 2 East scholarship opportunity. Please note the eligibility information in the advert text or contact the team for further information.*

Here is an exciting opportunity to study a system and its associated technology which could lead to entirely new approaches in Command and Control Systems. The selected candidate will apply their skills and ambition to construction of an advanced prototype system that can perform Rail Sector Threat Intelligence. This project will allow the student to develop transferable knowledge and skills in this most exciting and active field of networking and command and control research.

This Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship (KESS) project will be held in the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science at the University of South Wales. KESS is a programme funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) awarded by the Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO) in the Welsh Government. The project will focus on validating the feasibility of conducting command and control over a SCADA system via a 5G network. This will be achieved via the construction of an advanced prototype system. This project is backed by THALES is a large multi-national national company with locations in Wales and the UK.

To view the full project description visit: http://kess2.ac.uk/21445/

Programme of Research:

Current practice in Threat Intelligence as it related to the Rail Transport Network focuses upon the analysis of open-source data feed such as Twitter and data mining on the Dark Web. Current model for threat intelligence lack specificity and are generic and abstract in nature. The research challenge to be addressed in this model is the develop if a specific threat model for the Rail/Metro infrastructure.

The project seeks to develop and validate a Threat Intelligence Model for Rail/Metro CNI infrastructure. In particular, the aims of this project are as follows:
• To develop a Threat Intelligence Model for Rail/Metro infrastructure
• To validate that model through a series of case studies relating to the Rail/Metro infrastructure
• To utilise access to Thales reference systems in DLR & Manchester Metro as the specific case-study

Studentship:
The studentship will cover the fees for a full-time MRes programme and pay a stipend of circa £11.5k p.a. There is also around £3k project support costs available for consumables, travel, minor equipment, training (including the KESS Grad School) and conference attendance.
The position is available from 1st January 2020.

Eligibility of Student:
To be eligible to hold a KESS studentship, you must:
• have a home address in East Wales area (details below)* at the time of registration.
• have the right to take up paid work in the East Wales area* on completion of the scholarship.
• be classified by the University as ‘home’ or ‘EU’ for tuition fees purposes according to the University’s guidelines.
• satisfy University of South Wales’s admissions criteria: see below, qualifications and experience and application process

* East Wales area covers: Vale of Glamorgan / Cardiff / Newport / Monmouthshire / Powys / Wrexham / Flintshire

Qualifications and experience:
Eligible applicants will:

• Have a degree (2i or higher) in an appropriate computer science discipline
• Possess a reasonable understanding of:
o Networks and networking and in particular mobile networks;
o Programming in languages such as JAVA, C++, C and Python;
o SCADA based industrial process control systems and Industrial IOT.
• Be highly self-motivated, with capacity to learn and develop new techniques in the area of Rail Sector Threat Intelligence
• Have well-developed and positively collaborative interpersonal skills
• Have an ability to deliver technical reports and communicate findings
• Be willing to travel and work in industrial / clinical / community support settings

Application Process:
To download an application package, please visit: https://gradschool.southwales.ac.uk/thinking-applying/specific-funded-studentships/

For any queries on eligibility, please contact: KESS Team at Research and Innovation Services, University of South Wales: [Email Address Removed] Tel: 01443 482578

For informal enquiries or further programme information, please contact:
Dr Eric Llewellyn [Email Address Removed]