Full-time study

4 years

prof. Ing. Jaroslav Koton, Ph.D.

Chairman :
prof. Ing. Jaroslav Koton, Ph.D.
Councillor internal :
doc. Ing. Ondřej Ryšavý, Ph.D.
doc. Dr. Ing. Petr Hanáček
doc. Ing. Karel Burda, CSc.
doc. Ing. Václav Zeman, Ph.D.
doc. Ing. Jan Hajný, Ph.D.
prof. Ing. Jiří Mišurec, CSc.
Councillor external :
doc. Ing. Otto Dostál, CSc.

The student is fostered to use the theoretical knowledge and experience gained through own research activities in an innovative manner. He is able to efficiently use the gathered knowledge for the design of own and prospective solutions within their further experimental development and applied research. The emphasis is put on gaining both theoretical and practical skill, ability of self-decisions, definition of research and development hypotheses to propose projects spanning from basic to applied research, ability to evaluation of the results and their dissemination as research papers and presentation in front of the research community.

The study program aims at scientific preparation of doctoral students with deep theoretical knowledge of cryptography and system security. Most study courses are focused on applied mathematics, informatics and telecommunication technologies. The graduate has detailed knowledge about communication and information systems, data transfer and its security, including the use and design of software applications. She is able to analyze modern ciphers and cryptographic protocols, evaluate their security and propose their concrete usage in communication systems. She has a deep knowledge of operating systems, programming languages, database systems, distributed applications, etc. She is also experienced in task algoritmization. She is able to design novel technological solutions for telecommunications with high security standards. The graduate is able to understand and design modern cryptographic systems.

Graduates of the program "Information Security" will be positioned in research, development and design teams, in expert groups of production or business organizations, in the academic sphere and in other institutions involved in science, research, development and innovation, in all companies where communication systems and secure information transfer through data networks are being applied and used.
Our graduates are particularly experienced in the analysis, design, creation or management of complex systems aimed for secure data transfer and processing, as well as in the programming, integration, support, maintenance or sale of these systems.

Doctoral studies are carried out according to the individual study plan, which will prepare the doctoral student in cooperation with the doctoral student at the beginning of the study. The individual study plan specifies all the duties stipulated in accordance with the BUT Study and Examination Rules, which the doctoral student must fulfill to successfully finish his studies. These responsibilities are time-bound throughout the study period, they are scored and fixed at fixed deadlines. The student enrolls and performs tests of compulsory courses, obligatory elective subjects with regard to the focus of his dissertation, and elective courses (English for PhD students, Solutions for Innovative Entries, Scientific Publishing from A to Z).
The student may enroll for the state doctoral exam only after all the tests prescribed by his / her individual study plan have been completed. Before the state doctoral exam, the student prepares a dissertation thesis describing in detail the goals of the thesis, a thorough evaluation of the state of knowledge in the area of ​​the dissertation solved, or the characteristics of the methods it intends to apply in the solution. The defense of the controversy that is opposed is part of the state doctoral exam. In the next part of the exam the student must demonstrate deep theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of cryptology, system security, network security and electrical engineering, electronics. The State Doctoral Examination is in oral form and, in addition to the discussion on the dissertation thesis, it also consists of thematic areas related to compulsory and compulsory elective subjects.
To defend the dissertation, the student reports after the state doctoral examination and after fulfilling conditions for termination, such as participation in teaching, scientific and professional activity (creative activity) and at least a monthly study or work placement at a foreign institution or participation in an international creative project .

The doctoral studies of a student follow the Individual Study Plan (ISP), which is defined by the supervisor and the student at the beginning of the study period. The ISP is obligatory for the student, and specifies all duties being consistent with the Study and Examination Rules of BUT, which the student must successfully fulfill by the end of the study period. The duties are distributed throughout the whole study period, scored by credits/points and checked in defined dates. The current point evaluation of all activities of the student is summarized in the “Total point rating of doctoral student” document and is part of the ISP. At the beginning of the next study year the supervisor highlights eventual changes in ISP. By October, 15 of each study year the student submits the printed and signed ISP to Science Department of the faculty to check and archive.
Within the first four semesters the student passes the exams of compulsory, optional-specialized and/or optional-general courses to fulfill the score limit in Study area, and concurrently the student significantly deals with the study and analysis of the knowledge specific for the field defined by the dissertation thesis theme and also continuously deals with publishing these observations and own results. In the follow-up semesters the student focuses already more to the research and development that is linked to the dissertation thesis topic and to publishing the reached results and compilation of the dissertation thesis.
By the end of the second year of studies the student passes the Doctor State Exam, where the student proves the wide overview and deep knowledge in the field linked to the dissertation thesis topic. The student must apply for this exam by April, 30 in the second year of studies. Before the Doctor State Exam the student must successfully pass the exam from English language course.
In the third and fourth year of studies the student deals with the required research activities, publishes the reached results and compiles the dissertation thesis. As part of the study duties is also completing a study period at an abroad institution or participation on an international research project with results being published or presented in abroad or another form of direct participation of the student on an international cooperation activity, which must be proved by the date of submitting the dissertation thesis.
By the end of the winter term in the fourth year of study students submit the elaborated dissertation thesis to the supervisor, who scores this elaborate. The final dissertation thesis is expected to be submitted by the student by the end of the fourth year of studies.
In full-time study form, during the study period the student is obliged to pass a pedagogical practice, i.e. participate in the education process. The participation of the student in the pedagogical activities is part of his/her research preparations. By the pedagogical practice the student gains experience in passing the knowledge and improves the presentation skills. The pedagogical practice load (exercises, laboratories, project supervision etc.) of the student is specified by the head of the department based on the agreement with the student’s supervisor. The duty of pedagogical practice does not apply to students-payers and combined study program students. The involvement of the student in the education process within the pedagogical practice is confirmed by the supervisor in the Information System of the university.

The study program directly follows the Bachelor´s and Master´s study programs Information Security at FEKT, BUT.

1. Adaptive learning methods for teaching cybersecurity

   The topic is focused on research of adaptive learning techniques for teaching cybersecurity. These techniques aim to increase students' knowledge and practical skills in cybersecurity, which represents a comprehensive framework of areas ranging from operating systems, network programming and more. The design and development of intelligent systems that will be able to dynamically modify the game learning environment according to the knowledge and skills of students participating in practical cybersecurity training is expected. The participation on Department’s research projects is expected.

   Tutor: Martinásek Zdeněk, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

2. Countermeasures methods that eliminate side channel attacks

   The topic is focused on research of side channel attacks. These attacks target the implementation of secure cryptographic algorithms that are currently applied. The main goal is to research and design countermeasures methods that can be used to eliminate these types of attacks. We assume research on modern methods of hiding and masking. The participation on Department’s research projects is expected.

   Tutor: Martinásek Zdeněk, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

3. Cyberranges and Gamification in Education

   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. Student’s paid involvement in research projects at the UTKO department is expected.

   Tutor: Hajný Jan, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

4. Eavesdropping speech signals using optical fibers

   It is known that the optical fiber can capture acoustic waves travelling across it. The goal of the PhD student would be to explore this type of eavesdropping on speech signals, map its possibilities and weaknesses, and last but not the least, process the captured signals, denoise them and analyze.

   Tutor: Rajmic Pavel, prof. Mgr., Ph.D.

5. Effective Use of IP Networks in Crisis Situations

   The aim is to create an effective strategy for the use of the public and private IP networks for crisis management. Also to propose such a network, which could have the capacity, but also in terms of resistance, to guarantee the crisis communication. This would be in particular traffic data, voice, and e.g. to manage the flow of information, etc. Research should also include the influence of network topology on its stability and security, the speed of the spread of viruses, ability to resist attacks, etc. One of the objectives is to design a software robot that will be able to monitor the network, and TV broadcasting. Other parts would propose new methods of Internet communication management, where appropriate, the Internet topology. The aim is to design a system for exchanging files over the Internet, but without any central control. The system should be intuitively usable. The solution should be safe and allow anonymity of the sender and the recipient of the data. The final objective is a theoretically supported design of a highly durable network suitable for crisis situations.

   Tutor: Škorpil Vladislav, doc. Ing., CSc.

6. Fiber optic infrastructure security

   Fiber optic networks have evolved rapidly in recent years to meet the ever-increasing demand for increasing capacity. Today, optical fibers are widely used in all types of networks due to not only transmission speed or maximum achievable distance but also security. Although fiber optic networks are considered completely secure, there are ways to capture or copy part of the data signal. Both imperfections of passive optical components and, for example, monitoring outputs of active devices can be used. With the advent of quantum computers, current encryption could be broken. It is therefore necessary to address the security of fiber-optic networks, analyze security risks and propose appropriate countermeasures.

   Tutor: Münster Petr, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

7. Forensic analysis of network communication

   The study deals with forensic methods to obtain information from previous network communication, which is captured in the form of logs on the communication systems. Current methods will be tested in use-case studies. The goal is to propose methods for data collection, implement them, and verify their effectiveness. The topic can cover a combination of log files on different devices, including sensors.

   Tutor: Komosný Dan, prof. Ing., Ph.D.

8. Forensic analysis of operating systems

   The study deals with forensic methods to obtain information from mass storage media and volatile memory. Current methods will be tested in use-case studies. The goal is to propose methods for data collection, implement them, and verify their effectiveness. The topic covers various types of devices and operating systems.

   Tutor: Komosný Dan, prof. Ing., Ph.D.

9. Hardware-Accelerated Cryptography

   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. Student’s paid involvement in research projects at the UTKO department is expected.

   Tutor: Hajný Jan, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

10. Machine learning in photonics

    Photonic systems cover a wide range of areas from data transmission, through sensors to quantum networks. Each photonic system has its own requirements for the transmission infrastructure, but also for input and output parameters. Manual optimization of large networks based on different types of signals is almost impossible. With the help of machine learning, the optimization of both the transmitted signals and the entire infrastructure can be achieved in photonic networks. Last but not least, machine learning algorithms can be used to detect and classify non-standard network behavior to minimize security risks.

    Tutor: Münster Petr, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

11. Methods for testing of cyber attacks resistance

    The topic is focused on research and design of new methods that can be used during the security testing of cyber attacks resistance. The research is focused on suitable methods for web applications penetration testing, network infrastructure penetration testing, but also for penetration testing of dedicated devices such as smart meters or internet of things. The participation on Department’s research projects is expected.

    Tutor: Martinásek Zdeněk, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

12. Modern Authentication and Electronic Service Access Control

    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. Student’s paid involvement in research projects at the UTKO department is expected.

    Tutor: Hajný Jan, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

13. Post-Quantum Cryptographic Protocols

    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. The participation on Department’s national and international research projects is expected.

    Tutor: Malina Lukáš, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

14. Privacy-enhancing cryptography in the post-quantum era

    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 thesis will focus on the development and implementation of privacy-enhancing characteristics to quantum-resistant schemes. Student’s paid involvement in research projects at the UTKO department is expected.

    Tutor: Ricci Sara, M.Sc., Ph.D.

15. Privacy-enhancing technologies for digital identity protection

    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. Student’s paid involvement in research projects at the UTKO department is expected.

    Tutor: Dzurenda Petr, Ing., Ph.D.

16. Quantum and Post-Quantum Cryptography

    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. Student’s paid involvement in research projects at the UTKO department is expected.

    Tutor: Hajný Jan, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

17. Security and Privacy in Intelligent Infrastructures

    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. The participation on Department’s national and international research projects is expected.

    Tutor: Malina Lukáš, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

18. Security of IP telephony

    The work will focus on research in the field of IP telephony security. It will include an analysis of protocols that providing VoIP telephony, known attacks, design and verification of new attacks. On the basis of the analyses will be proposed approaches to eliminate or minimize the impact of researched attacks on VoIP traffic. Individual approaches will be tested in practical implementations.

    Tutor: Šilhavý Pavel, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

19. Security of operating systems

    Development of operating systems reflects changes in the area of cybersecurity. The topic deals with the analysis of operating systems from the security point of view, for example, based on a study of previous attacks. The goal is to propose a modification of the system services in relation to the intended application.

    Tutor: Komosný Dan, prof. Ing., Ph.D.

20. Testbed for evaluation of communication technologies for Smart Grids

    The aim of this work is to design a comprehensive model of communication technologies for Smart Grids networks. This model will be deployed and be verified in a simulation and laboratory environment. Another goal of this work is to design and experimentally verify the methodology of evaluation of communication technologies and their security for Smart Grids networks.

    Tutor: Mlýnek Petr, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

1. round (applications submitted from 01.04.2022 to 15.05.2022)

1. Hardware Implementation of Modern Cryptography

   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. The participation on Department’s national and international research projects is expected.

   Tutor: Malina Lukáš, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

2. Methods for penetration test

   The topic is focused on research and design of new methods that can be used during the security testing (penetration test). The research is focused on suitable methods for web applications penetration testing, network infrastructure penetration testing, but also for penetration testing of dedicated devices such as smart meters. The participation on Department’s research projects is expected.

   Tutor: Martinásek Zdeněk, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

3. One class learning for visual anomaly detection of complex shapes

   One-class classification includes model learning techniques using "normal" data (or highly unbalanced data) and predicting whether new data is normal or anomaly when compared to the training data. This technique has a high potential for application in many scientific areas, especially in the field of visual quality control and products and e-health. The aim of the dissertation is the design and implementation of innovative techniques based on machine learning, which will be used for automatic detection of failures of complex shapes.

   Tutor: Burget Radim, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

4. Security in Converged Networks

   The aim is to analyse the up-to-date development and trends in the area of converged networks, mainly the problems of protection against cyber attacks. Design of innovative or new protection methods is supposed to be based on obtained observation. The research requires an orientation in the networks area, experience with MATLAB or SCILAB programs, and knowledge of at least one of VHDL, C or Java languages, evolutionary algorithms, and possibly use of the system FPGA.

   Tutor: Škorpil Vladislav, doc. Ing., CSc.