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Deakin-Coventry Cotutelle - Contextual access control systems for critical infrastructures

This is a doctoral Cotutelle project in 'Contextual access control systems for critical infrastructures' between Deakin University (Australia) and Coventry University (UK).

Deakin Project Supervisor

Dr. Adnan Anwar

Partner Institution Project Lead

Dr Rakib Abdur (Coventry)

Additional Supervision

Deakin School or Institute

School of Information Technology

Deakin Faculty

Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment

Location

Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus (Australia) and  Coventry University (UK)

Research topic

This project and scholarship are offered as part of a collaborative doctoral cotutelle program between Deakin University (Australia) and Coventry University (UK). The successful candidate will be jointly supervised by a team of leading researchers from Deakin University and Coventry University and will graduate with a jointly supervised doctoral degree from each institution. The program is for a duration of 3 years. It is anticipated that the PhD candidate will spend at least one year during the program at Coventry University, with the remainder of the program based at Deakin University.

This project proposes developing an RL-based, adaptable, and context-aware access control system tailored to ZTA for CIs, ensuring robust security while balancing usability in time-sensitive IoT applications.

Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) represents a transformative shift from traditional perimeter-based security to a more resource-centric approach, emphasising continuous verification. Policy Enforcement Points (PEPs) in Access Control Systems (ACS) integrate Trust Algorithms (TA) to make access decisions based on trust models (TMs). Trust models (TM) for heterogenous networks have been proposed, which aim at defining the factors that influence trust calculation. Existing works explore various approaches, such as tag-based models and score-based authorisation frameworks, but lack comprehensive frameworks for dynamic IoT environments where trust must be continuously assessed using diverse data sources like past behaviours, access logs, and threat intelligence. This is crucial in Critical Infrastructure (CI) networks with heterogeneous IoT and Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) producing real-time data. Static, rule-based systems or AI black-box methods are insufficient for the adaptive demands of these environments. Reinforcement Learning (RL), known for success in adaptive policy formulation across fields like robotics and finance, offers potential for continuous learning and dynamic policy adaptation.

Project aim

The project's overarching aim is to create an advanced contextual access control system for Critical Infrastructures (CIs), integrating diverse data sources for dynamic trust assessment, while designing a flexible and scalable access control framework.

Important dates

Applications close 5pm, Friday 28 March 2025

Benefits

This scholarship is supported by Deakin University, is available over 3 years and includes:

  • Stipend of $35,500 per annum tax exempt (2025 rate)
  • Relocation allowance of $500-1500 (for single to family) for students moving from interstate
  • International students only:  Single Overseas Student Health Cover policy for the duration of the student visa.
  • Tuition fees offset for the duration of 4 years.
  • Funding to support travel of PhD Student between Deakin University and Coventry University.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible you must:

  • be either a domestic or international candidate. Domestic includes candidates with Australian Citizenship, Australian Permanent Residency or New Zealand Citizenship.
  • meet the PhD entry requirements of both Deakin University and Coventry university, including English language proficiency requirements
  • be enrolling full time
  • be able to physically locate to both Coventry University (UK) for a minimum of 6 months and maximum of 12 months and Deakin University (Australia)

Please refer to the research degree entry pathways page and Coventry’s research entry criteria page for further information.

How to apply

Applicants should firstly contact A/Prof Ashim Debnath to discuss the project. After discussing your application with the Deakin Supervisor, you will be invited by Deakin University to lodge a formal HDR application.

APPLY NOW 

The successful applicant will also be required to lodge a separate PhD application to Coventry University via the 'Making an Application' page.  Please be aware that screening for this advert will commence immediately and the scholarship may be awarded prior to the closing date.

Contact us

For more information about this scholarship, please contact:

Dr Adnan Anwar
Email adnan.anwar@deakin.edu.au
+61 3 522 73679

Dr Rakib Abdur (Coventry University)
Email ad9812@coventry.ac.uk

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