PhD Studentship - Cyber Risk Management through Cognitive Behavioural Analysis

This is a full-time, funded PhD opportunity open to both home and overseas students. Please note that only home fees will be covered - eligible overseas students will need to make up the difference in tuition fee funding.

This opportunity provides an annual stipend of the research council minimum rate (set by UKRI) of £19,237 for 2024/25.

Please note that the expected start date for home students is October 2024 and international students January 2025.

PROJECT CONTACT

Dr Yakubu Tsado

PROJECT ADVERT

In a world where cyber threats are constantly evolving, where standards and frameworks are maturing, one critical factor remains: human behaviour. From Edward Snowden’s historic NSA leak to the shocking statistic that 95% of cyber attacks succeed due to human error, it’s clear that human behaviour is crucial to safeguarding organisational security.

This multi-disciplinary project will give you the opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research aimed at investigating the intersection of computing and psychology. Your role will involve designing and executing experiments, analysing data, and developing novel techniques informed by behavioural science to address human-centric cyber threats across various industries.

We seek motivated individuals with a passion for research and a drive to advance cyber risk management.

PROJECT AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of the project is to develop processes, tools, and techniques to combat the growing socio-technical risks to information security across various industries. The main objectives include:

• Identifying the extent of the problem through a blended approach of quantitative and qualitative methods to explore why industries find this challenge overwhelming and struggle to implement effective techniques.
• Investigating cognitive behaviour patterns such as ‘when’ and ‘why’ people engage in certain adverse behaviours by analysing conscious thoughts, motivations, beliefs, social influence, contextual effects (e.g., workplace surroundings), and habits.
• Proposing new procedures and policies, considering ethical considerations and leveraging advances in technology (e.g., AI), to assist in mitigating this specific risk.

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROJECT

Essential 

• Strong research background in information security, cyber risk management, security policies and procedures.
• A master’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, Cyber Security, or a related field is preferred.

Desirable

• Proficiency in cognitive behavioural analysis techniques and methodologies.
• Experience with data analysis tools and programming languages, (Python, R, Matlab)
• Industry experience in cyber security/risk management and knowledge of cyber-physical systems are highly desirable.
• In-depth knowledge of regulatory frameworks and standards in cyber security, such as NIST standards, GDPR and HIPAA

HOW TO APPLY

Interested applicants should contact Dr Yakubu Tsado for an informal discussion.

To apply, please complete the online application form for a full-time PhD in Computer Science (or download the PGR application form).

You should also complete the PGR thesis proposal and Narrative CV(supplementary information) form addressing the project’s aims and objectives, demonstrating how the skills you have maps to the area of research and why you see this area as being of importance and interest. 

If applying online, please upload your statement in the supporting documents section (via the ‘Apply’ button above), or email the application form and statement to PGRAdmissions@mmu.ac.uk.

Expected start: Home students October 2024. International students January 2025.

Please quote the reference: SciEng-YT-2024-cyber-risk-management

Find out more

Email address: Dr Yakubu Tsado

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