Job description
We are always interested in discussing thesis projects with skilled students. If your profile and competence fit our needs, we will together find a thesis project that fits your background and aims. Don’t hesitate to send in your ideas. A thesis project with good results could result in an excellent opportunity for employment at Sectra.
We offer thesis work for passionate people for whom doing “that little bit extra” is part of everyday life. The projects focus on a range of different areas, but we are always open to discussing any ideas that you may have. Only thesis projects at the Master’s level are offered.
Master’s thesis project:
Interested in exploring the latest trends in cybersecurity and open platforms? This master thesis project is concerned with how to secure software updates using remote attestation and trusted execution environments on a RISC-V architecture.
The software update process is a critical phase for the security of any system. If an attacker manages to somehow subvert this process, there is a high risk that the security of the system is compromised. Ideally, it should be possible for both the entity that is to be updated (the client) and the entity that provides the new software version (the server) to verify the integrity of the software update both before and after the actual update has taken place. By creating separated execution environments, it is possible to perform an attestation operation on a remote entity, thereby verifying that the correct software has been installed and that it is working as intended. There are several mechanisms that provide the ability to separate execution environments including Trusted Execution Environments (TEE).
This master thesis project is concerned with investigating such separation mechanisms with a particular focus on the Keystone TEE. Keystone has been developed to run on RISC-V which is an open source processor architecture that is gaining increasing interest across the industry and has the potential to mitigate many security problems through a reduced attack surface. In the project a software update mechanism is to be designed, implemented and evaluated on a RISC-V platform. The evaluation should consider different attack and threat models and can potentially include performance measurements.
The project is suitable for one or two master students from the D/IT/U programs, and with at least a basic security course and general programming knowledge.
The project will be carried out at Sectra. Due to the nature of Sectra’s product development a Swedish citizenship is required.
Qualifications
General qualifications for Master’s thesis at Sectra:
- Enrolled in a Master’s program in software engineering or similar, with a strong academic record.
- Fluency in English and Swedish.
- Swedish citizenship
We are looking for individuals who are committed to what they do, have excellent grades and the drive to become skilled quickly. We would like to see a strong interest in technology, and solid experience from software development is very positive.
Please make sure to attach your CV, cover letter and grades from both university and gymnasium/upper-secondary school in your application.
Contact Hiring Manager
If you have any questions about this job, please contact:
Lisa Lindstrand, Group Manager, Product Development Sectra Communications
E-mail: career@sectra.com
Read more about working at Sectra
The start date for this position will be the spring of 2021.
Apply before
20-Dec-2020
About us
Sectra Communications provides security solutions to ensure that organizations and individual users can meet their continuous need for secure communications. Users include European defense ministries, government authorities and other critical functions of society. Our solutions are approved at national levels and by the EU and NATO, and pave the way for communications that will lead to a more secure and stable world.
