Cybersecurity Research Summer Intern
Cybersecurity Research Summer Internships
The Digital X Lab at ISEEM department is looking for a highly motivated undergrad student to support research on industrial control system security with a focus on PLC environments, Siemens TIA Portal, and PROFINET networks. This position provides hands-on experience with real cyber physical systems, industrial automation tools, and research oriented security evaluations.
Responsibilities:
- Assist in designing and executing cybersecurity experiments on PLC based systems.
- Configure and test Siemens PLCs using TIA Portal and interact with PROFINET based communication networks.
- Support data acquisition, logging, and analysis for intrusion detection and anomaly detection studies.
- Contribute to software, firmware, and network analysis relevant to industrial control systems.
- Help develop and evaluate security strategies to protect automated manufacturing environments.
- Prepare documentation, technical reports, and contribute to research paper development.
Preferred Background
Students who have completed or are currently enrolled in the following courses are strongly encouraged to apply:
- CPE 323/325 Embedded System
- CPE 457 Software Reverse Engineering
- CPE 348 Computer Network (a plus)
Additional experience with Siemens PLCs, TIA Portal, PROFINET, Python scripting, Linux environments, or control system protocols is highly beneficial.
What We Offer
- Hands-on experience with PLC and OT cybersecurity testbeds
- Opportunity to work directly with Siemens industrial equipment and networked automation systems
- Mentorship and opportunities to contribute to peer reviewed research papers
- Flexible working hours and a supportive research environment
How to Apply
Please send your resume, relevant coursework or project examples, and a brief statement of interest to Dr. Cheng Chen at the Digital X Lab.
We welcome motivated students who are eager to work at the intersection of cybersecurity, embedded systems, and industrial automation.