PhD Student Industrial Cybersecurity (f/m/d)

Work environment

Volkswagen AG is actively driving the transformation toward a digital, connected, and secure manufacturing environment. In the field of Industrial Cybersecurity, we offer a PhD position within a highly innovative and interdisciplinary work setting. Closely integrating industrial practice with academic research, you will work on forward-looking security solutions for globally networked Industry 4.0 and OT environments. The focus is on the development and research of automated, data-driven, and AI-based methods for validating cybersecurity measures, performing model- and risk-based vulnerability analyses, and further advancing transparent and auditable security standards. The goal of the PhD project is to sustainably improve the quality and efficiency of cybersecurity assessments in production environments while strategically reducing the need for physical audits.

Possible Tasks within this Role

• Independently conducting scientific research, designing, and evaluating new methods
• Developing methods for AI-based automation of security validation processes
• Quantitatively and qualitatively analyzing real-world production and OT environments
• Creating proofs of concept and prototypical tools
• Publishing scientific results and presenting them at international conferences

The final doctoral topic is defined together with the professor. The prerequisite for the cooperation is the confirmation of supervision as well as a confirmed delimitation of topics by the professor of a university or research institution entitled to confer a doctorate.

Qualification Requirements

• Good to very good university degree qualifying for doctoral studies in computer science, IT security, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, systems engineering, or a comparable field
• Solid knowledge of cybersecurity, ideally in an industrial or OT context
• Initial experience in vulnerability analysis / penetration testing or with industrial control systems (ICS/SCADA) is desirable
• German and English language level B1
• Enthusiasm for scientific work and interdisciplinary collaboration
• High level of initiative, a structured way of working, and strong analytical thinking skills

The following documents must be submitted with the application

• Curriculum Vitae
• Current transcript of records / Master’s or Diplom degree certificate

Keywords

Dissertation, Operational Technology environments, OT Security Engineering, cyber resilience production, security assurance Industry 4.0, attack detection manufacturing networks, OT security analytics, cyber risk modeling, digital factory security