Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Security
  • /
  • NCSC-backs machine learning and cyber security PhD

Security

NCSC-backs machine learning and cyber security PhD

Backed by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and supported by UK cyber company Surevine, a generous, fully-funded PhD studentship is on offer in machine learning and cyber security at the University of Surrey,


Courtesy Surevine

The project aims to consider the application of machine learning and decision support strategies to make sense of a vast array of cyber threat information. It will define models for identifying attack vectors, levels of trust in users and then identifying changes of user behaviour that indicate propensity to move from trusted to threatening behaviour.

Advertisement
DSEI 2025

Information sharing of threat intelligence is becoming increasingly important in order to defend against cyber attacks. Moreover, national security and government organisations such as NCSC in the UK are driving initiatives to develop cyber threat information sharing partnerships. There are a number of platforms, including Surevine’s Threatvine, currently being developed to support a common infrastructure and protocols for sharing cyber threat information.

With wider scale adoption two main research challenges emerge around the improved utility of the information and its trustworthiness which goes beyond the functionality offered currently by the existing platforms:

  • How can an assessment be made of the information being stored in the platform in order to customise and categorise the information presented to users, to make it more relevant and actionable?
  • How can the threat information posted to a platform be trusted to be from a particular source?

The main objectives of the studentship are:

Advertisement
Teledyne
  • To identify what can be done in order to analyse the impact of the threat information
  • To develop machine learning algorithms that could be new and/or adapted from existing algorithms. These
    will be evaluated in the context of information sharing platforms and to evaluate them in the context of
    real information from different industry sectors
  • To develop machine learning and security techniques to improve the assessment of users’ trustworthiness
    within information sharing platforms.

The technical approach will focus initially on using machine learning techniques in the context of information sharing to decide what information is most relevant to a user of a platform and also clustering information in order to derive a clearer picture of the scope of the threat.

Founded in 2016, the National Cyber Security Centre is a UK Government organisation providing support for the public and private sector to avoid computer security threats. Based in London, its parent organisation is GCHQ.

For more information about the PhD studentship, visit: www.surrey.ac.uk/fees-andfunding/
studentships/enhancing-cyber-security-information-sharing

 

Advertisement
Cranfield University
UK and France agree scheme to address illegal Channel crossings

Security

UK and France agree scheme to address illegal Channel crossings

11 July 2025

The Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, have agreed a scheme to address illegal Channel crossings and dismantle the people smuggling networks.

IFS appoints Kriti Sharma as CEO of Nexus Black

Aerospace Security

IFS appoints Kriti Sharma as CEO of Nexus Black

11 July 2025

IFS has appointed Kriti Sharma as CEO of IFS Nexus Black. This strategic move reinforces IFS’s commitment to industrial AI and fast-tracks the development of agentic AI systems designed for the asset- and service-intensive industries it serves.

Met makes arrest milestone using LFR

Security

Met makes arrest milestone using LFR

10 July 2025

More than 1,000 wanted criminals have now been arrested by the Metropolitan Police Service using Live Facial Recognition (LFR), including paedophiles, rapists and violent robbers.

NCA arrest four for cyber attacks on M&S, Co-op and Harrods

Security

NCA arrest four for cyber attacks on M&S, Co-op and Harrods

10 July 2025

Four people have been arrested in the UK this morning as part of a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation into cyber attacks targeting M&S, Co-op and Harrods.

Advertisement
Gulfstream RT
Metis to supply Skyperion to NATO ally

Defence Security

Metis to supply Skyperion to NATO ally

10 July 2025

Metis has won a contract to supply a number of Skyperion drone detection systems to a NATO customer to provide the drone detect function as part of an integrated Counter Uncrewed Air Systems (C-UAS) capability.

Serco appoints Keith Williams as Chair

Aerospace Defence Security Space

Serco appoints Keith Williams as Chair

4 July 2025

Serco has appointed Keith Williams to the Board as a Non-Executive Director and Chair designate.

Advertisement
Gulfstream RT