Institute for Cyber Security

Our vision for the ICS is to be a trusted hub for protecting the megacities from cyber-attacks. This will be done by implementing a comprehensive plan and by promoting an environment in which the general public, private industry and government can work together to address those cybersecurity issues specific to the megacity’s digital infrastructures

Core Members

• Professor Muttukrishnan Rajarajan (Director)
• Professor George Spanoudakis (Director of Research)
• Dr Ilir Gashi (Director of External Liaison)
• Dr. Peter Popov
• Professor Tom Chen
• Dr. Nikos Komninos
• Dr. Michał Król

Associate Members

• Professor Feng Li
• Professor KLAUS G. ZAUNER
• Professor Lorenzo Strigini
• Professor Elaine Fahey
• Professor David Stupples
• Dr. Jed Odermatt
• Dr. Spyros Galanis
• Professor Robin Bloomfield
• Dr Carrie Myers
• Dr. Marco Bastos
• Dr. David Haynes
• Professor Giulia Iori
• Dr. Robin Sellers

External Collaborators

• Professor M Conti, University of Padova
• Professor D Patel, VJTI Mumbai, India
• Dr Sushmita Ruj, CSIRO, Australia
• Professor B Azvive, BT
• Professor T Dimitrakos, Huawei

• Work closely with the industry and government to train the next generation of cyber security professionals
• To understand the main industry cyber security problems and provide innovative cutting edge solutions
• To provide policy guidance in cyber security and privacy
• Work collaboratively with industry and government partners to translate innovative research into successful start-up

• Privacy
• Cryptography
• Socio-technical systems
• Secure software engineering
• Cyber physical systems security
• Biometrics
• Fintec Security
• Cybercrime
• Cyber warfare
• Cyber law

Doctoral training supported by EIT digital

City, University of London, with the support of EIT Digital, is offering an Industrial Doctoral Training Program in Cybersecurity, addressing the Cybersecurity issues of preeminent concern to European society and businesses. The Industrial Doctoral Training Program aims to develop the necessary interdisciplinary capabilities in the technical, organizational and social aspects of Cybersecurity, with application to concrete solutions of industrial interest.

The Cybersecurity DTP operates by sponsoring fully-funded studentships. Each studentship is co-funded by EIT Digital and one of the industrial partners in the Industrial Doctoral Training Program, and addresses a research problem of direct industrial interest for the sponsor, with academic supervision by experts in the relevant topics at City, University of London.

It offers companies access to the advanced cybersecurity expertise at City and the option to update staff competence while tackling topics of pressing industrial interest, and to students a rewarding, challenging research experience in a mixed, international university-industry environment opening broad career opportunities.

The EIT Digital Doctoral School is a leading European digital innovation and entrepreneurial education organization driving Europe’s digital transformation. It invests in strategic areas to accelerate the market uptake and scaling of research-based digital technologies (deep tech) focusing on Europe’s strategic, societal challenges:

• Digital Tech,
• Digital Cities,
• Digital Industry,
• Digital Wellbeing, and
• Digital Finance.

The program is funded through studentships sponsored by EIT Digital and the industrial partners. The studentships consist of a full fee waiver and a stipend of £18K per year, for four years. Studentships are advertised on City’s job board and jobs.ac.uk.

How it works

The students' time is divided between City’sSchool of Science and Technology (SST), EIT-Digital London Co-Location Centre, the premises of the company co-funding the projects, and working visits at partner universities abroad, to enrich the student's research experience.

Over the 4 years of study, the PhD student follows the EIT Digital PhD, an enrichment programme to develop skills and competences in innovation and entrepreneurship in digital technologies, via:

• the visits abroad, supported by a supplementary budget;
• EIT-Digital European training in innovation, entrepreneurship and digital transformation leadership, which takes place at other EIT Digital centres across Europe;
• Business Development Experience, a series of activities planned together with the industrial supervisor to put in practice the knowledge acquired in the seminars.

Supervision

At City, the PhD students are assigned academic supervisors, and access to extensive computing and library resources and the Cybersecurity lab. The Industrial Doctoral Training Program is associated to the interdisciplinary Institute for Cybersecurity, which links experts in multiple research centres in the School of Science and Technology (SST) as well as the School of Policy and Global Affairs and the City Law School.

Students are monitored and supported by a Senior Tutor for Research, participate in SST's doctoral training courses, and can gain teaching experience by supporting our undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Industry partners

The Industrial Doctoral Training Programme in Cybersecurity started in September 2019, and its founding partners together with City, University of London are:

• BAE Systems
• BT
• Connected Places Catapult

We are aiming to sponsor 10 studentships per year for the next 4 years.

Contact to apply

If you are interested in learning about the Industrial Doctoral Training Program in Cybersecurity and/or sponsoring PhDs, please contact the director of Industrial Doctoral Training Program in Cybersecurity Prof Lorenzo Strigini at L.Strigini@city.ac.uk.

Professor Muttukrishnan Rajarajan

Director Institute for Cyber Security

Email: r.muttukrishnan@city.ac.uk

Phone: +44 (0) 207 040 4073