About the position
A fixed-term 100% position is available at the University of Agder, Faculty of Engineering and Science as a PhD Research Fellow in cybersecurity for Electrical Smart Grid, affiliated to the Department of Information and Communication Technology for a period of three years. The position is located at Campus Grimstad. The starting date is as soon as possible or by agreement with the university.
Responsibilities
The energy infrastructure is one of the most complex and critical infrastructures, as other sectors depend upon it to deliver their essential services. Therefore, unavailability in supply of energy has a high potential impact on the economy and proper functioning of the civil society that can last longer than the time of the incident itself. The criticality of the energy sector and the possible high impact of cyber incidents and attacks are well understood and agreed among stakeholders. Consequently, there is an urgent need to protect energy systems to have secure energy supply. Since the energy sector is under continuous change digital technologies are playing an increasingly important role in the sector. A smarter energy system can provide power generation, transmission, network management and market-related tasks with better precision and faster response times than a human-dependent system.
Cloud-based Operation systems or digitized transformer stations are forms of emerging solutions to support efficient electrical grid operations that utilize cloud technology. Use of IoT and AI to build a scalable platform will provide flexibility for both service providers and operational staff with incorporated security, testing capabilities and improved reliability. However, the increased efficiency resulting from digitalization of the electrical grid infrastructure comes with a price: increased exposure to cyber incidents and attacks. These threats apply to all - generation, transmission, distribution and process technologies, and to energy market services.
Unlike IT systems, a control system in the energy sector that is under attack cannot be easily disconnected from the network as this could potentially result in safety issues, and blackouts. Therefore, the anticipated PhD research focus areas will be information security and operational safety in the energy sector to support reliability and resilience of electrical grid infrastructure against cyber-attacks. By utilizing advanced monitoring and detection systems and hardware in the loop (HIL) testbeds, the candidate will work to develop robust cyber-defense solutions for critical infrastructure protection.
Required qualifications
Master’s degree in cybersecurity engineering, computer and control systems engineering, ICT, computer science or a similar/related field. Candidates who are in the closing stages of their master’s degree can also apply.
System safety and security engineering.
Simulation and modeling for industrial systems.

Please refer the Job description for details