The AXE Group is currently providing these PhD topics. All topics are eligible for funding from research projects. In case of interest, please contact the supervisor.
Quantum and Post-Quantum Cryptography (Jan Hajny)
The topic is aimed on research and development in the field quantum-safe systems for key establishment and encryption. Student will focus on methods of quantum and post-quantum systems combination and practical aspects of implementation into existing networks in BUT quantum lab.
Cyberranges and Gamification in Education (Jan Hajny)
The topic is focused on research and implementation of novel trends in cybersecurity education and training, in particular on the use of virtualization techniques and cyberranges. Student will focus on the research of novel methods and tools for the realization of cyberranges and their deployment into practical courses, including final evaluation.
Modern Authentication and Electronic Service Access Control (Jan Hajny)
The topic is focused on the research and development of novel cryptographic mechanisms for user authentication. Student will focus on the methods of strong authentication for online services based on multiple factors (smart cards, tokens, telephones) and their formal security proofs. .
Hardware-Accelerated Cryptography (Jan Hajny)
The topic is aimed on research and development in the field of hardware-accelerated algorithms on the FPGA platform. Student will focus on methods of secure implementation with protection against side-channel attacks.
Privacy-enhancing cryptography in the post-quantum era (Sara Ricci)
Quantum attack-resistant cryptography is a very current topic. With the advent of quantum computers, all current asymmetric cryptographic schemes, such as RSA, DSA, and ECC, will be broken. These threats are already being addressed at the level of international organizations and standardization bodies, e.g., NIST. On the other hand, privacy-enhancing technology increases the protection of users by minimizing personal data use, maximizing data security, and empowering individuals. This can be achieved with privacy-by-design methods such as group signatures, decentralized systems, and secure computations. Currently, Several quantum-secure schemes have been proposed and NIST is going to announce the finalists for standardization in 2022. However, these signatures and key-encapsulation schemes lack privacy features. The topic will focus on the design, development and implementation of privacy-enhancing characteristics of quantum-resistant schemes.
The topic aims at the analysis, design and optimization of modern post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) protocols. The research can be more focused on the one of current open problems such as post-quantum security in blockchain technology, quantum-resistant privacy-preserving methods, PQC on constrained devices, a hardware acceleration of PQC at FPGA platforms, etc.
Security and Privacy in Intelligent Infrastructures (Lukas Malina)
The topic focuses on the research of applied modern cryptography (light cryptography, schemes with privacy protection, authentication and key management) and optimization of schemes within intelligent networks such as Internet of Everything, Internet of vehicles and smart cities. The research deals in more detail with the design of methods for securing communication in decentralized and heteregenous networks and with enhanced privacy protection of users.
Hardware Implementation of Modern Cryptography (Lukas Malina)
The topic focuses on the secure and efficient hardware implementations of modern cryptographic schemes at FPGA boards. The research also includes the design and optimization of security countermeasures against hardware-based attacks (side channels attacks, fault injections) and their practical testing.
Privacy-enhancing technologies for digital identity protection (Petr Dzurenda)
The protection of users’ privacy and their digital identities is currently a hot topic. In fact, the European Union (EU) addresses the protection of personal data and EU citizens’ privacy by enforcing the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The Ph.D. topic is focused on cryptographic methods for protecting users’ digital identities by deploying Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs). PETs technologies allow increasing the privacy of users and, therefore, they find application in systems such as e-Voting and cryptocurrencies. Other examples are current solutions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, i.e. COVID passes and contact tracing applications. However, PETs technologies face many challenges, including high computational complexity, insufficient privacy protection, problematic revocation, or resistance to attacks from quantum computers. The aim of the dissertation thesis will be to design and implement cryptographic schemes suitable for use in the current Internet of Things (IoT) systems, including the use of wearable devices. The proposed schemes must be secure and enhance users’ privacy in current application scenarios. To do so, the use of decentralized systems such as blockchain technology and secure multi-party computing will be considered as well.