Marie Sklodowska-Curie Early Stage Researcher on "Vulnerability assessment in the use of biometrics

AMBER (“enhAnced Mobile BiomEtRics”) is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie InnovativeTraining Network addressing a range of current issues facing biometric solutions on mobile devices (https://www.amber-biometrics.eu/). 
AMBER will comprise ten integrated Marie Skłodowska-Curie Early Stage Researcher (ESR) projects across five EU universities. The Network has the direct support of seven Industrial Partners.
The aim of the Network is to collate Europe-wide complementary academic and industrial expertise, train and equip the next generation of researchers to define, investigate and implement solutions, and develop solutions and theory to ensure secure, ubiquitous and efficient authentication whilst protecting privacy of citizens.

AMBER is currently recruiting for 10 PhD positions (i.e. 10 ESRs: Early Stage Researchers) across its 5 sites in 5 European countries. We are recruiting for two positions at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.
This job offer refers to a 3-year contract to carry out a PhD on "Vulnerability assessment in the use of biometrics in unsupervised environments" with the following objectives and planned results:

Objectives: Using biometrics on mobile devices means that the authentication will be carried out without any kind of supervision. As there is no supervision, the user (or anyone having obtained access to the device) is able to perform any kind of attack to the authentication process without restriction. Therefore, mechanisms to detect those attacks and avoid the misuse of the device shall be implemented. Although this target is common to many other kind of authentication systems, new challenges appears when considering the use of mobile devices. The first one is the variety of manufacturers, models and operating systems of the devices owned by citizens. This challenge means that the solutions obtained shall be as multiplatform as possible. Another challenge is that mobile devices have not been manufactured considering biometric authentication, not even authentication itself, but for providing other kind of services to the users (e.g. calls, data connection, agenda, etc.). In other words, this means that the researcher should a-priori not consider any kind of help from device manufacturers even though some manufacturers may be initially against any kind of suggestion to integrate new sensors, due to a potential increase of its cost. But on the other hand, mobile devices have many other sensors that could be exploited by the authentication process in order to mitigate vulnerabilities. So another challenge is to analyse how these can be used for the benefit of the citizen at low cost. This 3-year project will start by studying biometrics, mobile technologies and security. Following this, security analysis and risk assessment will be performed by the ESR, targeting different use cases. With the results obtained, in particular all the vulnerabilities detected, R&D will be conducted as to discover mechanisms to eliminate those vulnerabilities, keeping universality at a viable level (i.e. not reducing significantly the user population by the introduction of those mechanisms). The mechanisms developed will be integrated in some of the most common applications, as to check their performance, robustness and user acceptance, promoting their use by the industry.

Expected Results: There are three expected outcomes from this project: a) an objective and practical analysis of the security of the authentication in mobile devices under the most typical use cases, b) a set of tools to either eliminate or mitigate the vulnerabilities detected and c) a set of prototypes that allow the demonstration of the previous results, helping in the promotion of the solutions defined.

As a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Early Stage Researcher you will:
Progress the research theme with diligence, independently and as part of the wider AMBER consortium, with constant reference to innovation.
To work closely with other researchers in the collaborating network. This will include travel to other sites for short-term research visits, in addition to the planned longer placements.

To be successful in this role you will have:

A minimum of a Masters degree or equivalent in a relevant subject (e.g. computer science, electronics, mathematics or engineering)
Met the eligibility requirements for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Early Stage Researcher positions as defined by the European Commission.
 
Economic Conditions:
The job possition is offered with the following economic conditions:
A gross salary of 1920 €/payment with 14 payments/year
A mobility support of 454,20 €/month
If the applicant is eligible for family support: 378,50 €/month

Obtain an expert level of knowledge on Biometrics
Interact with both the scientific and industrial stakeholders in this field
Obtain a PhD degree

As a Marie Curie ESR, you shall, at the time of recruitment, be in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of your research career. The starting point of these four years is defined by the date when you were awarded a qualification that enables you to undertake a doctoral degree/PhD in your home country. Additionally you will not have yet been awarded a doctoral degree.

At the time of recruitment, you shall have not resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies etc.) in Spain for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the expected start date of the ESR post. Compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays are not taken into account.

Applications will be evaluated for technical and eligibility requirements at the end for the application process.

The best applications overcoming those requirements will be shortlisted, and asked for further information, as well as for an interview.

The first interview will be handled by teleconference (either Skype or Webex) and will be arranged at convenience of both parts.

If a face to face interview is to be considered necessary, the arrangements will be done trying to ease the access to the applicant.

As well as applying to the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, applicants for this position should also send to jobs@amber-biometrics.eu a single pdf file containing the following: (1) CV in the EuroPass format (with list of publications and at least two contacts for reference) (2) Statement expressing their research interest and plans, and (3) the desired project(s) and name(s) of host entity (e.g. “UC3M” and “ESR9”).