Erinevus lehekülje "Thesis" redaktsioonide vahel

Allikas: Kursused
Mine navigeerimisribale Mine otsikasti
 
(ei näidata 7 kasutaja 160 vahepealset redaktsiooni)
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=Thesis info for Cyber Security students=
 
=Thesis info for Cyber Security students=
  
== Important Deadlines for May 2020 Defence ==
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== Important Deadlines for January 2025 Defence ==
* Submission of the problem statement and research design document: 11 December 2019 [https://ained.ttu.ee/course/view.php?id=297 via ained]
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* Submission of the problem statement and research design document: 18 August 2024
* Submission of the thesis to the reviewer: 23 April 2020 [https://ained.ttu.ee/course/view.php?id=297 via ained]
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* Declaring your thesis topic in your study plan in ois: 9 September 2024
* OIS declaration: 11 May 2020
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* Submission of the thesis to the reviewer: 8th December 2024
* Submission of the final version of the thesis: 19 May 2020
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* OIS declaration: 16 December 2024
* Defences: 28-29 May 2020, 1-2 June 2020
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* Submission of the final version of the thesis: 2 January 2025
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* Defences: TBA (possibly 13/14 January 2025)
  
The procedure for thesis defence is set by TalTech regulations. The students who have a supervisor from TalTech but want to defend their theses in Tartu University in order to fulfil the minimum credit requirements will follow the first two steps (registration and submission of problem statement and submission to the reviewer) as given above. However, OIS declaration, submission of final version and defence should be done according to the deadlines and procedures of Tartu University.
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Moodle: https://moodle.taltech.ee/course/view.php?id=33513#section-1
  
== Important Deadlines for August 2020 Defence ==
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== Important Deadlines for May/June 2025 Defence ==
* OIS declaration: 11 May 2020
 
* Submission of the final version of the thesis: 4 August 2020 [https://ained.ttu.ee/course/view.php?id=297 via ained]
 
* Defences: 17-18 August 2020
 
  
Coronavirus crisis has impacted some of the thesis studies due to the in-place restrictions or other reasons. Therefore, we have an additional defence in August 2020 as the main deadlines are given above. This defence will have only one final submission date. OIS declaration that has been done on 11 May 2020 will be also valid for this defence.
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* Submission of problem statement and research design document: 15 December 2024
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* Declaring your thesis topic in your study plan in ois: 10 February 2025
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* Submission of the thesis to the reviewer: 20 April 2025
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* OIS declaration: 12 May 2025
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* Submission of the final version of the thesis: 18 May 2025
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* Defences: TBA (possibly 28 - 30 May OR 2 - 4 June 2025)
  
== Important Deadlines for January 2021 Defence ==
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Moodle: https://moodle.taltech.ee/course/view.php?id=33512#section-3
* Submission of problem statement and research design document: 3rd August 2020
 
* Submission of the thesis to the reviewer: TBD
 
* OIS declaration: TBD
 
* Submission of the final version of the thesis: TBD
 
* Defences: TBD
 
  
 
== Thesis Defence Overview ==
 
== Thesis Defence Overview ==
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Each student is required to submit a problem statement and research design document having a length up to 10 pages. '''The document must include your name and also the names of thesis and supervisor''' (and co-supervisor if exists).
 
Each student is required to submit a problem statement and research design document having a length up to 10 pages. '''The document must include your name and also the names of thesis and supervisor''' (and co-supervisor if exists).
  
About half a year before the defence, the students are required to indicate their intent to defend by this document.  See deadlines above set for each semester. Typically this will be around Early December for May defences and Mid June for January defences.  You will need to submit this via the TTU Moodle link given in "important deadlines" section of relevant defence period. You'll have to self-enrol yourself in that link.  Instructions on how to access the TTU Moodle can be found [https://courses.cs.ttu.ee/pages/Instructions_for_accessing_ained.ttu.ee here]. Feedback on the problem statement and research design document should be received within 3-4 weeks via the email account that you defined in TTU Moodle.
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About half a year before the defence, the students are required to indicate their intent to defend by this document.  See deadlines above set for each semester. Typically this will be around Early December for May defences and Mid June for January defences.  You will need to submit this via the TTU Moodle link given in "important deadlines" section of relevant defence period. You'll have to self-enrol yourself in that link.  Feedback on the problem statement and research design document should be received within 3-4 weeks via the email account that you defined in TTU Moodle.
 
    
 
    
 
The document should include the following sections and content:
 
The document should include the following sections and content:
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=== OIS declaration===
 
=== OIS declaration===
 
Before a student can proceed to the thesis defence, they have to declare the thesis topic in OIS and get approval from their supervisor. Please pay careful attention to the OIS declaration deadline, as without this you will not be permitted to attend the defence. If you will defend your thesis in Tartu University, then you should do your OIS declaration to their systems according to their deadlines.
 
Before a student can proceed to the thesis defence, they have to declare the thesis topic in OIS and get approval from their supervisor. Please pay careful attention to the OIS declaration deadline, as without this you will not be permitted to attend the defence. If you will defend your thesis in Tartu University, then you should do your OIS declaration to their systems according to their deadlines.
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OIS declaration deadlines can be found in the Academic Calendar!
  
 
=== Submission of Final Copy===
 
=== Submission of Final Copy===
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Each student will submit the pdf version of the thesis, the relevant thesis metadata and licence information via moodle course page link given in "important deadlines" section of relevant defence period. Please complete the steps 1, 2 and 3 of the thesis submission on this page.   
 
Each student will submit the pdf version of the thesis, the relevant thesis metadata and licence information via moodle course page link given in "important deadlines" section of relevant defence period. Please complete the steps 1, 2 and 3 of the thesis submission on this page.   
  
In addition to submission of above materials via Moodle, one paper copy of your thesis will be collected before defence, which you will get back after defence. The details will be announced one or two weeks before the deadline.
 
  
 
If you will defend your thesis in Tartu University, then you should submit final copy according to the procedures and deadlines of Tartu University.   
 
If you will defend your thesis in Tartu University, then you should submit final copy according to the procedures and deadlines of Tartu University.   
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NB! The recommended grades by the reviewer and the supervisor are not binding to the committee, who makes the final decision.
 
NB! The recommended grades by the reviewer and the supervisor are not binding to the committee, who makes the final decision.
  
* After the thesis defence, please visit the Dean's Office for more information about final formalities.
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* After the thesis defence, you may visit the Dean's Office for more information about final formalities if you'd like.
 
* [http://lab.cs.ttu.ee/theses Upload your thesis if you would like to have it public]
 
* [http://lab.cs.ttu.ee/theses Upload your thesis if you would like to have it public]
  
 
== Formal Requirements and recommendations ==
 
== Formal Requirements and recommendations ==
  
Until further notice, please use the formatting guide from the School of Information Technologies (link to the guide is given [https://www.ttu.ee/faculties/school-of-information-technologies/it-studies/thesis-and-graduation-9/thesis-formatting-5/ here]). Please note that you will have to change the title page as of 01.01.2017:
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Until further notice, please use the formatting guide from the School of Information Technologies (link to the guide is given [https://www.taltech.ee/en/thesis-and-graduation-it#p43359 here]). Please note that you will have to change the title page as of 01.01.2017:
 
* write "School of Information Technology" instead of "Faculty of Information Technology"
 
* write "School of Information Technology" instead of "Faculty of Information Technology"
 
* write "Department of Software Science" instead of "Department of Computer Engineering".
 
* write "Department of Software Science" instead of "Department of Computer Engineering".
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Every student must have a supervisor when writing the thesis. The supervisor's role is to provide guidance on topic selection and research methods, as well as to give feedback on your work. It is not the supervisor's duty to correct spelling mistakes or formatting errors - they may point such things out, but the responsibility remains with you. Before a thesis will be accepted for defence, the supervisor has to agree that it is of sufficient quality.
 
Every student must have a supervisor when writing the thesis. The supervisor's role is to provide guidance on topic selection and research methods, as well as to give feedback on your work. It is not the supervisor's duty to correct spelling mistakes or formatting errors - they may point such things out, but the responsibility remains with you. Before a thesis will be accepted for defence, the supervisor has to agree that it is of sufficient quality.
  
Almost any professor and lecturer you have met in your curriculum can act as an supervisor of your thesis. Some of them have some open problems suitable for doing research and writing a thesis, but many may not have a topic to offer right away. It is usually more helpful to have an initial idea of a topic of your thesis and ask someone with interests in the related field to advise you. You can have a supervisor not related to the university, but he can act only as a co-supervisor and you need to agree to somebody related to the curricula or the [http://www.ttu.ee/faculty-of-information-technology/faculty-of-information-technology-1/about-faculty-2/departments/department-of-computer-science-2/ leading institute] of the curriculum to be an official co-supervisor. All (co-)supervisor must have at least a Master's degree.
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Almost any professor and lecturer you have met in your curriculum can act as an supervisor of your thesis. Some of them have some open problems suitable for doing research and writing a thesis, but many may not have a topic to offer right away. It is usually more helpful to have an initial idea of a topic of your thesis and ask someone with interests in the related field to advise you. You can have a supervisor not related to the university, but he can act only as a co-supervisor and you need to agree to somebody related to the curricula or the [http://www.ttu.ee/faculty-of-information-technology/faculty-of-information-technology-1/about-faculty-2/departments/department-of-computer-science-2/ leading institute] of the curriculum to be an official co-supervisor. All (co-)supervisors must have at least a Master's degree.
  
 
When refining a topic idea, make sure it has a clear connection with cyber security.
 
When refining a topic idea, make sure it has a clear connection with cyber security.
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NB!
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Theses supervised by supervisors from the University of Tartu (UT) have to be defended in UT. Exceptions are possible, but need do be approved by the program manager.
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If you will defend your thesis in UT, then you should do your thesis declaration according to the procedures and deadlines of UT. Thesis related guidelines and regulations are available at: https://cs.ut.ee/en/content/thesis-deadlines-and-guidelines In case of any questions contact UT Institute of Computer Science Academic Affairs Specialist Paula Luks (paula.luks@ut.ee).
  
 
== Potential supervisors & proposed topics ==
 
== Potential supervisors & proposed topics ==
 
   
 
   
The topics below are offered by potential (co-)supervisors (in alphabetical order). The list is updated as new offers emerge.
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'''The topics below are offered by potential (co-)supervisors (in alphabetical order). The list is updated as new offers emerge.'''
  
==== From Hayretdin Bahsi, Tallinn University of Technology, hayretdin.bahsi@taltech.ee ====
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==== From Marko Arik, Industry PhD student, Talgen Cybersecurity Ltd. maarik@ttu.ee ====
  
I am interested in various topics which can be categorized as technical, organizational and strategic. If you already have specific topics in your mind, we can discuss them and decide to work together. 
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* Offensice Cyber Operations (OCO) planning and execution
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* Cyber Operations tools (visualization, planning, automation)
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* Motorcycle Drag Racing
  
Technical Topics
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==== From Sille Arikas, Clarified Security ==== 
  
* Application of machine learning and data mining methods to the following cyber security problems: Malware detection, botnet identification, intrusion detection in SCADA or IoT systems and extraction of cyber threat intelligence   
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* Incident Response
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* Offensive Security
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* Cyber Exercises
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* Cybercrime
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* Cybersecurity Management
  
* Cyber security of Industrial Control or IoT systems: Development of a security testbed, honeypots, intrusion detection systems, digital forensics issues
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Accepting up to 3 more students for 2024/2025
  
* Situational Awareness and Cyber Threat Intelligence: Impact of cyber threats on business processes, sophistication analysis of cyber attacks, cyber threat information sharing protocols, privacy preserved sharing of cyber threat intelligence
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NB: Before approaching, make sure you comply with the checklist below:
     
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* you have previous experience in the areas linked to your topic (relevant courses at the university / work experience)
Organizational Topics
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* you have selected one initial thesis topic suggestion, finished your initial research, approach with a 2-pager and can tl;dr ''why is this important to you and how is this novel?''
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* you can meet the agreed deadlines set by your supervisor and accept that there won't be any spoon-feeding
  
* Cyber insurance
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==== From Hayretdin Bahsi, Tallinn University of Technology, hayretdin.bahsi@taltech.ee ====
* Security operation center (SOC) models
 
* Case studies for the improvement of SOC processes such as threat monitoring, incident handling, or vulnerability management
 
  
==== From Aivo Kalu, Cybernetica AS ====
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I am interested in various topics which can be categorized as technical and organizational. If you already have specific topics in your mind, we can discuss them and decide to work together. 
  
1. Comparison of identity/authentication/signing APIs from security and architecture viewpoint
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Technical Topics
  
This might be suitable for student, who is more interested about software developing/architecture aspects, but still related to security as well. In short, there are many competing API-s in the Baltic/Nordic region, which are used in practice, to request the authentication or signatures. For example:
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* Application of machine learning and data mining methods to the following cyber security problems: Malware detection, botnet identification, code security review, intrusion detection in cyber-physical systems, IoT network or robotic systems   
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* Cyber security of IoT, cyber-physical systems: Development of a security testbed, threat modelling, honeypots, intrusion detection systems
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* Digital Forensics: Forensics issues in cyber-physical systems, IoT networks or robotics systems, mobile forensics, blockchain forensics
  
* https://github.com/SK-EID/smart-id-documentation/blob/master/README.md
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Organizational Topics
* https://github.com/SK-EID/MID
 
* https://developers.dokobit.com
 
* https://developer.signicat.com/apis/sign-api/sign-api-v1/
 
* https://github.com/open-eid/SiGa/wiki/Hashcode-API-description
 
  
and also, there are the “canonical” or “standard" ones like OIDC and SAML and DSS (http://docs.oasis-open.org/dss/v1.0/oasis-dss-core-spec-v1.0-os.html). Which one is good? Which one has the best properties from software point of view or security point of view? Which one to use for future integrations? How do we even compare them?
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* Security operation center (SOC) models
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* Case studies for the improvement of SOC processes such as threat monitoring, incident handling, vulnerability management or situational awareness
  
2. Apply Smart-ID authentication and digital signatures (or underlying SplitKey technology) in novel bitcoin/blockchain/SSI/DID use cases.
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==== From Aivo Kalu, Cybernetica AS ====
 
 
For example, last year, there was the master thesis https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Aleksandr-Ts%C3%B5ganov-Integrating-User-Identity-with-Ts%C3%B5ganov-Pintado/30c653214f5a30ed46343058039d4b53a8d326f9?utm_source=email.
 
 
 
If there’s some additional ideas, about where to apply the Smart-ID authentication services or perhaps to do more deeper integration with the SplitKey technology, we could discuss and see, if some interesting project might come out of this.
 
 
 
3. Compare the attack model of the FIDO with the attack model of Smart-ID.
 
 
 
The current Smart-ID authentication API (https://github.com/SK-EID/smart-id-documentation/blob/master/README.md) specifies how the anonymous session with the web-site becomes the authenticated session. Compare the security properties of this authentication flow with https://www.w3.org/TR/webauthn-2/ and https://fidoalliance.org/specs/fido-v2.0-id-20180227/fido-security-ref-v2.0-id-20180227.html
 
  
4. Compare the properties of Smart-ID with framework by Bonneau et al.
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No topics available for 2024/2025 academic year.
  
Take the https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~fms27/papers/2012-BonneauHerOorSta-password--oakland.pdf and the properties described there and analyse, which ones are satisfied by Smart-ID, which ones are not satisfied, which ones are already pointless in the year 2020. Compare with http://fc16.ifca.ai/preproceedings/25_Lang.pdf, which does the same kind exercise for FIDO in the section 6.1.
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==== From Shaymaa Khalil, PhD STudent, TalTech ====
  
==== From Jüri Kivimaa, Tallinn University of Technology ====
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Interested in (but not limited to) topics related to:
* IT security economics
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* Industrial Control Systems: threat modeling, security, testbeds for education, penetration testing and digital forensics
* security cost optimization
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* Digital forensics related topics, especially topics related to IoT,  Windows OS and Digital Forensics tools benchmarking
  
 
==== From Toomas Lepik, Tallinn University of Technology ====
 
==== From Toomas Lepik, Tallinn University of Technology ====
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toomas.lepik@taltech.ee
 
toomas.lepik@taltech.ee
  
=====General areas:=====
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General areas:
  
 
* Network Forensic (related data analysis)
 
* Network Forensic (related data analysis)
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* SCADA security  
 
* SCADA security  
 
* Incident Handling.
 
* Incident Handling.
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* Log Analysis
  
[https://courses.cs.ttu.ee/pages/Thesis/tl/  A bit more specific research ideas ]
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Specific ideas:
 
 
 
 
  
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* Implications of DOH on security and availability + next step from https://www.netmeister.org/blog/doh-dot-dnssec.html
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* Domain name availability and how DNS registrant and registrar policy changes affect cybercrime
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* Heuristics on ip leasing operations
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* Defending organization that does not have internal network
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* Do applications do what they promise
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* Identifying specific applications based network fingerprints
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* Evaluation log collecting methods for Microsoft networks considering log poisoning attacks
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* Log collecting frameworks for organisations without internal networks
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* Information attributes and their  influence on the organisational security beyond CIA
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* Frame works for cybersecurity devices / software evaluation
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* Evaluation specific software /hardware using ATT&CK Framwork
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* ATT&CK -Descriptions and false positives
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* Anatomy of cyber fractions during the Russian-Ukrainian war
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* Forensic Leaked materials of cyber criminal groups.
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* ...
  
 
==== From Birgy Lorenz, Tallinn University of Technology ====
 
==== From Birgy Lorenz, Tallinn University of Technology ====
 
birgy.lorenz@ttu.ee
 
birgy.lorenz@ttu.ee
  
* human factors in cybersecurity
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No topics as of 2024/2025
* cyber awareness and training (kindergarten, schools, laypersons)
 
* cybersecurity young talents skills and its development and testing
 
* women in cybersecurity
 
  
==== From Mika Kerttunen, Tallinn University of Technology ====
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==== From Seyed Mohammad Hadi Mirsadeghi, PhD Student, Tallinn University of Technology ====
* Mathematical modeling of critical infrastructure protection: priorities and decision-making
 
* From table-top to lap-top: The objectives, methods, and conduct of operational level cyber security exercises
 
* International attribution council
 
* Public-private partnerships
 
* Military cyber defence
 
  
==== From [https://maennel.net Olaf Maennel], Tallinn University of Technology, olaf.maennel@ttu.ee ====
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Students can approach Hadi with topics in the following: adversarial machine learning, deep learning, network security, intrusion detection/prevention, software-defined networking (SDN), programmable networking, distributed intelligence
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seyed.mirsadeghi@taltech.ee
  
Currently only accepting students who have previously passed CNS.073.
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==== From Sten Mäses, Tallinn University of Technology ====
  
==== From Rain Ottis, Tallinn University of Technology ====
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* Creating educational hands-on virtual labs in rangeforce.com platform
  
* national cyber security
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==== From Andrew Roberts, PhD Student, Tallinn University of Technology ====
* serious games in cyber security/cyber security exercises
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Topics:
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1. Evaluation of Methods for Threat and Risk Assessment of Autonomous Self-Driving Vehicles
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2. Design and Development of a cyber range for Autonomous self-driving vehicles
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Contribution:
  
==== From Arnis Paršovs, University of Tartu, arnis@ut.ee ====
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Topic 1: The outcome of this work will form part of TUT contribution to standards and methods research within the International Alliance for Mobility Testing and Standardisation (IAMTS).  
* eID
 
* PKI
 
* TLS
 
* Smart cards
 
  
==== From Mauno Pihelgas ====
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Topic 2: The developed cyber range will be integrated into the EU ECHO-Federated Cyber Range.
* system monitoring
 
* network monitoring
 
* IDS/IPS systems
 
* insider threat detection
 
  
==== From Jaan Priisalu, Tallinn University of Technology ====
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==== From Aleksi Kajander, Tallinn University of Technology ====
  
* TBD
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* legal aspects of cyber security
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* international law
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* Cyber Conflicts and the Law of War/IHL
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* EU-Law
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* Cybercrime
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* Interaction of Law and Technology
  
==== Tiia Sõmer ====  
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==== From Rain Ottis, Tallinn University of Technology ====
  
Currently no topics on offer.
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* national cyber security
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* serious games in cyber security/cyber security exercises
  
==== From Kaie Maennel, Tallinn University of Technology ====
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==== From Mauno Pihelgas NATO CCDCOE ====  
(kaie.maennel@ttu.ee)
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* system and network monitoring
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* observability and situation awareness
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* IDS/IPS systems
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* automating cyber defences
  
- cyber awareness and hygiene
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No spots available for 2024/2025
  
- cyber security learning and teaching (e.g., serious games, cyber defense exercises, etc.)
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==== From Jaan Priisalu, Tallinn University of Technology ====
  
- learning analytics in cyber security training context
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* TBD
  
- human factors in cyber security
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==== From Muaan Ur Rehman, PhD Student, Tallinn University of Technology ====
  
- cybersecurity risk assessment and management
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Research focus is on machine learning in intrusion detection, security monitoring of maritime systems and android malware analysis. Students can come up with their own idea/research topic and contact Rehman through email muaan.ur@taltech.ee
  
- IT and cybersecurity audits
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==== From Nikita Snetkov, Industry PhD Student, Cybernetica / Tallinn University of Technology ====
  
==== From Stefan Sütterlin, Tallinn University of Technology & Østfold University College ====
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* Protocols security in ProVerif
(stefan.sutterlin@hiof.no)
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* Protocols security in CryptoVerif
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* Systematic analysis of quantum-safe cryptography migration strategies in Europe
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* Improving multiplicative-to-additive (MtA) functionality for threshold ECDSA protocols
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* Blind Smart-ID signature protocol
  
- cognitive science and performance in cyber defence
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Topics are not limited by ones above. If a student has a topic in mind, Nikita's research interests are  e-voting, digital identity, cryptographic security proofs and post-quantum cryptography.
  
- human factors in cyber security
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==== From Matthew Sorell, Tallinn University of Technology / Adelaide University Australia ====
  
- cyberpsychology
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Matthew James Sorell <matthew.sorell@taltech.ee>
  
- decision-making
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Topics in digital forensic science may be available.
 
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Students should come with an idea that can be turned into a proposal.
- cognitive biases
 
  
 
==== From Eneken Tikk, Tallinn University of Technology ====
 
==== From Eneken Tikk, Tallinn University of Technology ====
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* network monitoring
 
* network monitoring
 
* intrusion detection
 
* intrusion detection
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* data mining methods for security monitoring
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* machine learning methods for security monitoring
 
* any area that is connected to security monitoring
 
* any area that is connected to security monitoring
* various other system security engineering topics (for example, system hardening or firewalling)
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* other system security engineering topics (for example, system hardening or firewalling)
  
When applying for supervision, preference is given to students who have either passed the Cyber Defense Monitoring Solutions course with grade 4 or 5, or have previous engineering experience in the research area (for example, writing a thesis on network intrusion detection requires previous experience with network IDS systems). Before applying, make sure you have selected at least one initial thesis topic suggestion with a background research about its validity.
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When applying for supervision, make sure you have selected at least one initial thesis topic suggestion with a background research about its validity.
  
==== From Matthew Sorell, Tallinn University of Technology / Adelaide University Australia ====
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==== From Jelizaveta Vakarjuk, Industry PhD Student, Cybernetica / Tallinn University of Technology ====
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Jelizaveta's general research interest includes different privacy-preserving technologies and multiparty computations that are used for digital identity management systems. Additionally, post-quantum cryptography (with a main focus on digital signatures) and migration to post-quantum cryptography.
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* Lattice-based cryptography
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* Privacy Preserving Protocols
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* Threshold Cryptography
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* I-Voting
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She does not have any specific topics to offer for the 2024/2025 academic year, but if something from her research interest sound appealing, please feel free to contact her (jelizaveta.vakarjuk@cyber.ee).
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==== From Adrian Venables, Tallinn University of Technology ====
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* Cyber security aspects of Information Warfare
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* Strategic Communications doctrine development
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* Information Operations doctrine development
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* Cognitive Warfare in the Digital Information Environment
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Note: a background in International Relations, Political Science or Strategic Studies is required
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==== From Gabor Visky, PhD Student, NATO  CCDCOE / TalTech ====
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Gabor Visky <gabor.visky@ccdcoe.org>
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* Network traffic analysis in the maritime cyber-lab
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==== From Kaido Kikkas, Tallinn University of Technology, IT College. kaido.kikkas@taltech.ee ==== 
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* Cyber security risks in telepresence robotics and their mitigation (practical experimenting is possible at IT College; see [https://cm.taltech.ee]
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* Cyber security lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic (incl. surveys in Estonia)
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* Evolution of Cyberwar (Estonia 2007, Georgia 2007, Ukraine 2014/2022
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* Total defence in cyberspace (might try to suggest a strategy for Estonia)
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* Specific traits of cyber capabilities in totalitarian societies
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Some more possible keywords to spark Thesis topic ideas:
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(e-)learning/training, FLOSS/Linux, smart devices, IoT, social engineering, usability/accessibility vs security/privacy
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Also might study cyber counterparts to (legal) self-defence and citizen's arrest
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==== From Ricardo Gregorio Lugo, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonian Maritime Academy ==== 
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Any topic from Human Aspects and cyberpsychology are actual.
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Topics can include:
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* Human performance in cybersecurity
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* Individual and Team Processes in Cybersecurity defense/exercises
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* Human computer interaction in cybersecurity
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* Human-AI trust and decision-making
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* Communication and Decision-making in recognized cyber threat situations
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* Human Perception and Information Visualizations in cybersecurity
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* Cognitive factors in risk perception and decision-making
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* Mental Health in Cybersecurity
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==== From the TalTech IT office ====
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* Security implications in Migrating Taltech Campus LAN to IPv6; Toomas Lepik
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* Improving SOC and Information security processes; Toomas Lepik
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* Auditing  Taltech EITS compliance based on public information; Toomas Lepik
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* Improving Log analysis pipelines; Toomas Lepik
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==== From the TalTech Space Centre ====
 +
 
 +
NB: Please contact Adrian Venables, if interested in any of these topics.
 +
 
 +
*Methods and tools for capturing, identifying, analyzing, and reverse engineering satellite protocols
 +
 
 +
*Study of security features and use of cryptography in nanosatellite communication protocols
 +
 
 +
*Reusable low-footprint cryptographic primitives for microcontrollers with limited resources
 +
 
 +
*Testing framework for nanosatellite communication protocol implementation correctness and robustness
 +
 
 +
*Adaptation of existing protocol or designing a new protocol for the next Taltech nanosatellite
 +
 
 +
*Implementation of a fully reusable and secure protocol stack as part of the platform for future nanosatellites
  
Matthew James Sorell <matthew.sorell@taltech.ee>
+
*Implementation of the new Taltech nanosatellite protocol for ground station
  
1. A risk-based decision approach for handling digital devices at a crime scene.
+
*Security review of TTU100/TTU101 software to identify errors and risks that should be avoided in software for the next satellites
  
It is common for electronic devices such as mobile phones to be discovered at a crime scene, but the means for securing the device is becoming increasingly complex. In spite of this, evidence handling procedures are often static and increasingly out of date, leading to the loss of critical evidence in serious crime.
+
*Suitability, performance, properties, and security of LoRa technologies when used for nanosatellites
  
The phone may be remotely wiped; picking it up may activate motion sensors; and in some cases (such as missing persons) the urgency of the evidence needs to be weighed against securing forensic evidence for investigation and prosecution.  
+
==== From the University of Tartu ====
 +
NB! Theses supervised by supervisors from the University of Tartu (UT) have to be defended in UT.
 +
Exceptions are possible, but need do be approved by the program manager.
 +
If you will defend your thesis in UT, then you should do your thesis declaration according to the procedures and deadlines of UT.
 +
Thesis related guidelines and regulations are available at: https://cs.ut.ee/en/content/thesis-deadlines-and-guidelines
 +
In case of any questions contact UT Institute of Computer Science Academic Affairs Specialist Paula Luks (paula.luks@ut.ee).
  
In this research, we consider the development of a risk-based approach to advising crime scene investigators to handle digital devices in the least-worst way.
 
  
 +
Cybersecurity-related research in the University of Tartu is conducted by the following persons:
  
 +
- Arnis Paršovs, University of Tartu, <arnis.parsovs@ut.ee>
  
2. Feasible route mapping
+
- Danielle Morgan, University of Tartu, <danielle.morgan@ut.ee>
  
When examining timestamped geolocation data, it is often useful to determine feasible routes which could be taken from one location to another.  
+
- Alo Peets, University of Tartu, <alo.peets@ut.ee>
  
Google Maps, for example, provides directions and sometimes provides a small number of alternatives. For criminal investigation, a heatmap of feasible routes would support investigators with a means to rapidly evaluate the context of movement in and around a crime.  
+
- Dominique Unruh, University of Tartu, <dominique.unruh@ut.ee>
  
In this project, we propose to use the Google Maps Platform (https://developers.google.com/maps/gmp-get-started) to build, through statistical sampling, a heatmap of feasible routes subject to time and modes-of-transportation constraints.
+
- Vitaly Skachek, University of Tartu, <vitaly.skachek@ut.ee>
  
==== From the TUT IT office ====
+
- Mubashar Iqbal, University of Tartu, <mubashar.iqbal@ut.ee>
Infrastructure
 
* Migrating TUT Campus LAN to IPv6; Edgars Zigurs
 
* Implementing a freeware SIEM solution in TUT; Edgars Zigurs
 
* Campus WiFi quality and signal strength modeling (3D); Edgars Zigurs
 
  
Development
+
- Abasi-Amefon Obot Affia, University of Tartu, <amefon.affia@ut.ee>
* electronic door signs, room calendars, etc.; Thomas Lepik
 
* VoIP solutions - softphone, integration with existing information systems; Thomas Lepik
 
* integrating last generation BMS (Building Management System); Thomas Lepik
 
* the student view of OIS (usability, security, re-design); Enn Rebane
 
  
==== From the Tartu University thesis topic registry ====
+
- Mari Seeba, University of Tartu, <mari.seeba@ut.ee>
  
You can check the possible cyber security-related topics from the following link:
+
- Sabah Suhail, University of Tartu,
https://comserv.cs.ut.ee/ati_thesis_offers/
 
  
==== From Estonian Police ====
+
- Raimundas Matulevicius, University of Tartu, <raimundas.matulevicius@ut.ee>
* Vaatlustarkvarade EnCase ja Autopsy võrdlus (selgituseks, et Autopsy on EnCase analoog, kuid tasuta. Vajalik oleks täpne analüüs, et mida Autopsy võimaldab ja mida mitte võrreldes EnCase ja/või FTKga).
 
  
* Erinevate suhtlustarkvarade (WhatsApp, Viber, FB Messenger, Skype jt) jäljed mobiiltelefonides ja nende analüüsimine (selgituseks, et üldjuhul loovad suhtlustarkvarad mingi andmebaasi vestlustega ka telefoni, kas see on krüpteeritud või mitte? Osad vestlused XRY tuvastab, aga millistel juhtudel? Millised võimalused oleks neid faile nö käsitsi uurida?).
 
  
* Tõendiahela kirjeldamine elektrooniliste tõendite fikseerimisel (chain of custody)/Elektroonilise sisu erikohtlemine asitõendi vaatlusel/Digitaaltõendite vaatluse kord – erinevate riikid analüüs ja võrdlus.
+
Some topics are provided at <https://infosec.cs.ut.ee/Main/ThesisTopics>.
 +
For other topics, students can contact directly the supervisors and course lecturers.
  
* P2P võrkudes lastest ebasündsate piltide levitajate tuvastamine/P2P võrkudes illegaalse internetisisu levitajate tuvastamine.
 
  
* Koolituskava väljatöötamine uurijale/menetlejale, kes puutub kokku digitaalsete tõenditega- erinevate riikide praktika võrdlus.
+
A full list of thesis topics offered by the [https://acs.cs.ut.ee/ Applied Cyber Security Group (UT)]
 +
is available in the [https://comserv.cs.ut.ee/ati_thesis_offers/index.php?year=all&keywords=acs thesis topics database].
 +
Students can also get access to various [https://acs.cs.ut.ee/hardware/ hardware] that can be used for research experiments.
  
* Ask Rain Ottis for a POC on these topics.
+
==== From Estonian Police ====
 +
TBD
  
 
== Useful links ==
 
== Useful links ==
 
[https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7yq33Gize8ydEh5X0NxeWtZc3c/edit ITX8040 Thesis advice slides]
 
[https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7yq33Gize8ydEh5X0NxeWtZc3c/edit ITX8040 Thesis advice slides]
  
[https://www.ttu.ee/faculties/school-of-information-technologies/it-studies/thesis-and-graduation-9/thesis-formatting-5/ Format requirements of a thesis and MS-Word Template (TalTech)]
+
[https://www.taltech.ee/en/thesis-and-graduation-it#p43359 Format requirements of a thesis and MS-Word Template (TalTech)]
  
 
[https://gitlab.cs.ttu.ee/templates/phd-thesis LATEX template for master thesis (TalTech) (accessible by UNI-ID)]
 
[https://gitlab.cs.ttu.ee/templates/phd-thesis LATEX template for master thesis (TalTech) (accessible by UNI-ID)]

Viimane redaktsioon: 1. oktoober 2024, kell 10:02

Thesis info for Cyber Security students

Important Deadlines for January 2025 Defence

  • Submission of the problem statement and research design document: 18 August 2024
  • Declaring your thesis topic in your study plan in ois: 9 September 2024
  • Submission of the thesis to the reviewer: 8th December 2024
  • OIS declaration: 16 December 2024
  • Submission of the final version of the thesis: 2 January 2025
  • Defences: TBA (possibly 13/14 January 2025)

Moodle: https://moodle.taltech.ee/course/view.php?id=33513#section-1

Important Deadlines for May/June 2025 Defence

  • Submission of problem statement and research design document: 15 December 2024
  • Declaring your thesis topic in your study plan in ois: 10 February 2025
  • Submission of the thesis to the reviewer: 20 April 2025
  • OIS declaration: 12 May 2025
  • Submission of the final version of the thesis: 18 May 2025
  • Defences: TBA (possibly 28 - 30 May OR 2 - 4 June 2025)

Moodle: https://moodle.taltech.ee/course/view.php?id=33512#section-3

Thesis Defence Overview

Writing and defending an MSc thesis is an important part of the Cyber Security curriculum, as it shows that you can go deep into a specific cyber security research area. This page gives a rough overview of the process, but details should be discussed with your supervisor. This overview part is given according to the assumption that you are following a 4-semester study plan and aim to defend in the May period. If you want to defend in January, then you can adjust the planning phases accordingly.

Generally, the process should start during the first year, by finding a topic-area of interest and by identifying a suitable supervisor. At the end of the second semester, it is highly recommended to have an idea about your topic and have discussed this with your supervisor.

In early December, you should submit a problem statement and research design document (please, find the details, below). Sending this document is considered as a registration to the defence that will take place in next term.

The next step in the process would be conducting the research. As the thesis submission deadline is around the third week of April (for students aiming to defend in January, this deadline is early December), please, plan to finish your work early April, so that your supervisor can review your thesis, give you feedback and you have time to address the feedback before your thesis is being sent to the reviewer/opponent. Jointly with your supervisor, you should then make a decision if your work is ready to be submitted for May defence (or if you need more time and prefer to submit for a January defence). The reviewer will review your thesis and give you feedback. Expect that you should receive the review about a week before the final deadline. You can continue to update your work until the final submission date. You can and should, however, incorporate the review feedback into the final copy of your thesis and defence presentation. This will allow you to make modifications, e.g., fix some typos or clarify some sections, which the reviewer pointed out.

At the final submission deadline, you will have to submit your thesis. On the day of defence, you are expected to give a 15-minute presentation of your work, followed by Q&A from the opponent, committee, supervisor & audience. Make sure you prepare your 15-minute presentation well, this should not be left for the evening before the defence.

Below some more detailed information.

Good luck!

Registration and submission of problem statement and research design document

Each student is required to submit a problem statement and research design document having a length up to 10 pages. The document must include your name and also the names of thesis and supervisor (and co-supervisor if exists).

About half a year before the defence, the students are required to indicate their intent to defend by this document. See deadlines above set for each semester. Typically this will be around Early December for May defences and Mid June for January defences. You will need to submit this via the TTU Moodle link given in "important deadlines" section of relevant defence period. You'll have to self-enrol yourself in that link. Feedback on the problem statement and research design document should be received within 3-4 weeks via the email account that you defined in TTU Moodle.

The document should include the following sections and content:

• The topic of the thesis

• The name of the author

• The name of the supervisor

• Motivation: An overview of the addressed problem is given here. It should be explained why the problem is important and deserves a research study.

• Research Problem/Hypothesis/Question: It is imperative to write a proper research problem/hypothesis/question statement(s).

• Scope and Goal: This section defines the goal of the study and describes the main outcomes. It is required to specify the scope, limitations and key assumptions of the study.

• Literature Review: This section includes the analysis of similar studies in the literature and gives a discussion of the research gap. It is important to link this research gap explanation with the research problem.

• Novelty: This section justifies the novelty of your study, explains what the main contribution is and what the differences are when compared to similar studies.

• Research Methods: The research methods that you will apply in your study are given here. The data collection and analysis methods are also covered in this section. It is needed to explain how your research outcome will be validated.

• References: The resources referenced in the document are listed here.

This document is evaluated according to the following criteria:

Whether the author

• has a well-defined problem statement,

• successfully presents the significance of the problem,

• knows the literature and the limits of existing solutions,

• have thought about possible methods,

• have thought about how to validate the proposed solution,

• brings a novelty to the literature.

You can find detailed information about research methods here.

Submission to Reviewer

Each thesis will be assigned a reviewer or sometimes called opponent. The reviewer must have at least a Master's degree and relevant knowledge or experience in the field of the thesis topic, and they must not have a conflict of interest (such as being members in the same research group). Students and supervisor may recommend reviewer candidates, but the final assignment will be done by the thesis defence committee.

A reviewer will provide written feedback (typically about two pages) on the thesis. The review should cover the following points:

  • short description of the thesis
  • strengths and weaknesses of the thesis
  • recommended grade (0-5, where 0 is a failing thesis and 5 is an excellent thesis) based on the clarity of the problem and the solution, complexity of the problem, suitability of the chosen solution, proper execution of the solution, and the proper formatting and language use in the thesis.
  • at least three questions that can be asked during the defence.

Based on the student's performance at the defence the reviewer may change the recommended grade.

The reviewer will receive a copy of the thesis about two-three weeks before the final/hard university deadline for submitting the thesis. The reason for this is that typically reviewers point out the typos and small factual mistakes that can be fixed in short time (about a week). The student will receive the review one week before the final submission deadline and therefore is able to address some of the comments before submitting the final version. The student can also still decide not to submit the thesis this round, but rather work on improving the quality and then submit an improved version in the next defence period.

OIS declaration

Before a student can proceed to the thesis defence, they have to declare the thesis topic in OIS and get approval from their supervisor. Please pay careful attention to the OIS declaration deadline, as without this you will not be permitted to attend the defence. If you will defend your thesis in Tartu University, then you should do your OIS declaration to their systems according to their deadlines.

OIS declaration deadlines can be found in the Academic Calendar!

Submission of Final Copy

Each student will submit the pdf version of the thesis, the relevant thesis metadata and licence information via moodle course page link given in "important deadlines" section of relevant defence period. Please complete the steps 1, 2 and 3 of the thesis submission on this page.


If you will defend your thesis in Tartu University, then you should submit final copy according to the procedures and deadlines of Tartu University.


NB! Do not forget that you need to prepare a 15 min presentation for your defence. This should really not be left to the evening before the defence!

The defence procedure

On the day of defence, students will present their theses according to the announced schedule. Generally, the results will be announced at the end of the day.

The defence procedure for each student consists of the following steps:

  • the committee Chairman announces the name of the student, the topic of the thesis, and the names of the supervisor(s) and reviewer.
  • the student presents his or her thesis in 15 minutes.
  • the student answers the reviewer's questions and the reviewer recommends a grade. This recommendation may differ from the preliminary recommendation, based on how successful the defence was.
  • the student answers questions from the committee.
  • the student answers questions from the audience.
  • the supervisor gives his or her opinion of the thesis and recommends a grade.

NB! The recommended grades by the reviewer and the supervisor are not binding to the committee, who makes the final decision.

Formal Requirements and recommendations

Until further notice, please use the formatting guide from the School of Information Technologies (link to the guide is given here). Please note that you will have to change the title page as of 01.01.2017:

  • write "School of Information Technology" instead of "Faculty of Information Technology"
  • write "Department of Software Science" instead of "Department of Computer Engineering".

The thesis code for IVCM is ITC70LT.

The following advices can be considered for a master thesis

  • a title page, an author declaration, an annotation in English and Estonian, a list of contents, and references are required in the thesis
  • 50-80 pages + appendices if needed
  • Times New Roman (or similar), font size 12, 1.5 spacing used for the ordinary text
  • Headings are numbered and no more than 3 levels used
  • Don't forget page numbers

Topic and supervisor

Every student must have a supervisor when writing the thesis. The supervisor's role is to provide guidance on topic selection and research methods, as well as to give feedback on your work. It is not the supervisor's duty to correct spelling mistakes or formatting errors - they may point such things out, but the responsibility remains with you. Before a thesis will be accepted for defence, the supervisor has to agree that it is of sufficient quality.

Almost any professor and lecturer you have met in your curriculum can act as an supervisor of your thesis. Some of them have some open problems suitable for doing research and writing a thesis, but many may not have a topic to offer right away. It is usually more helpful to have an initial idea of a topic of your thesis and ask someone with interests in the related field to advise you. You can have a supervisor not related to the university, but he can act only as a co-supervisor and you need to agree to somebody related to the curricula or the leading institute of the curriculum to be an official co-supervisor. All (co-)supervisors must have at least a Master's degree.

When refining a topic idea, make sure it has a clear connection with cyber security.

NB! Theses supervised by supervisors from the University of Tartu (UT) have to be defended in UT. Exceptions are possible, but need do be approved by the program manager.

If you will defend your thesis in UT, then you should do your thesis declaration according to the procedures and deadlines of UT. Thesis related guidelines and regulations are available at: https://cs.ut.ee/en/content/thesis-deadlines-and-guidelines In case of any questions contact UT Institute of Computer Science Academic Affairs Specialist Paula Luks (paula.luks@ut.ee).

Potential supervisors & proposed topics

The topics below are offered by potential (co-)supervisors (in alphabetical order). The list is updated as new offers emerge.

From Marko Arik, Industry PhD student, Talgen Cybersecurity Ltd. maarik@ttu.ee

  • Offensice Cyber Operations (OCO) planning and execution
  • Cyber Operations tools (visualization, planning, automation)
  • Motorcycle Drag Racing

From Sille Arikas, Clarified Security

  • Incident Response
  • Offensive Security
  • Cyber Exercises
  • Cybercrime
  • Cybersecurity Management

Accepting up to 3 more students for 2024/2025

NB: Before approaching, make sure you comply with the checklist below:

  • you have previous experience in the areas linked to your topic (relevant courses at the university / work experience)
  • you have selected one initial thesis topic suggestion, finished your initial research, approach with a 2-pager and can tl;dr why is this important to you and how is this novel?
  • you can meet the agreed deadlines set by your supervisor and accept that there won't be any spoon-feeding

From Hayretdin Bahsi, Tallinn University of Technology, hayretdin.bahsi@taltech.ee

I am interested in various topics which can be categorized as technical and organizational. If you already have specific topics in your mind, we can discuss them and decide to work together.

Technical Topics

  • Application of machine learning and data mining methods to the following cyber security problems: Malware detection, botnet identification, code security review, intrusion detection in cyber-physical systems, IoT network or robotic systems
  • Cyber security of IoT, cyber-physical systems: Development of a security testbed, threat modelling, honeypots, intrusion detection systems
  • Digital Forensics: Forensics issues in cyber-physical systems, IoT networks or robotics systems, mobile forensics, blockchain forensics

Organizational Topics

  • Security operation center (SOC) models
  • Case studies for the improvement of SOC processes such as threat monitoring, incident handling, vulnerability management or situational awareness

From Aivo Kalu, Cybernetica AS

No topics available for 2024/2025 academic year.

From Shaymaa Khalil, PhD STudent, TalTech

Interested in (but not limited to) topics related to:

  • Industrial Control Systems: threat modeling, security, testbeds for education, penetration testing and digital forensics
  • Digital forensics related topics, especially topics related to IoT, Windows OS and Digital Forensics tools benchmarking

From Toomas Lepik, Tallinn University of Technology

toomas.lepik@taltech.ee

General areas:

  • Network Forensic (related data analysis)
  • Reverse engineering (including malware analysis)
  • SCADA security
  • Incident Handling.
  • Log Analysis

Specific ideas:

  • Implications of DOH on security and availability + next step from https://www.netmeister.org/blog/doh-dot-dnssec.html
  • Domain name availability and how DNS registrant and registrar policy changes affect cybercrime
  • Heuristics on ip leasing operations
  • Defending organization that does not have internal network
  • Do applications do what they promise
  • Identifying specific applications based network fingerprints
  • Evaluation log collecting methods for Microsoft networks considering log poisoning attacks
  • Log collecting frameworks for organisations without internal networks
  • Information attributes and their influence on the organisational security beyond CIA
  • Frame works for cybersecurity devices / software evaluation
  • Evaluation specific software /hardware using ATT&CK Framwork
  • ATT&CK -Descriptions and false positives
  • Anatomy of cyber fractions during the Russian-Ukrainian war
  • Forensic Leaked materials of cyber criminal groups.
  • ...

From Birgy Lorenz, Tallinn University of Technology

birgy.lorenz@ttu.ee

No topics as of 2024/2025

From Seyed Mohammad Hadi Mirsadeghi, PhD Student, Tallinn University of Technology

Students can approach Hadi with topics in the following: adversarial machine learning, deep learning, network security, intrusion detection/prevention, software-defined networking (SDN), programmable networking, distributed intelligence seyed.mirsadeghi@taltech.ee

From Sten Mäses, Tallinn University of Technology

  • Creating educational hands-on virtual labs in rangeforce.com platform

From Andrew Roberts, PhD Student, Tallinn University of Technology

Topics: 1. Evaluation of Methods for Threat and Risk Assessment of Autonomous Self-Driving Vehicles 2. Design and Development of a cyber range for Autonomous self-driving vehicles Contribution:

Topic 1: The outcome of this work will form part of TUT contribution to standards and methods research within the International Alliance for Mobility Testing and Standardisation (IAMTS).

Topic 2: The developed cyber range will be integrated into the EU ECHO-Federated Cyber Range.

From Aleksi Kajander, Tallinn University of Technology

  • legal aspects of cyber security
  • international law
  • Cyber Conflicts and the Law of War/IHL
  • EU-Law
  • Cybercrime
  • Interaction of Law and Technology

From Rain Ottis, Tallinn University of Technology

  • national cyber security
  • serious games in cyber security/cyber security exercises

From Mauno Pihelgas NATO CCDCOE

  • system and network monitoring
  • observability and situation awareness
  • IDS/IPS systems
  • automating cyber defences
No spots available for 2024/2025

From Jaan Priisalu, Tallinn University of Technology

  • TBD

From Muaan Ur Rehman, PhD Student, Tallinn University of Technology

Research focus is on machine learning in intrusion detection, security monitoring of maritime systems and android malware analysis. Students can come up with their own idea/research topic and contact Rehman through email muaan.ur@taltech.ee

From Nikita Snetkov, Industry PhD Student, Cybernetica / Tallinn University of Technology

  • Protocols security in ProVerif
  • Protocols security in CryptoVerif
  • Systematic analysis of quantum-safe cryptography migration strategies in Europe
  • Improving multiplicative-to-additive (MtA) functionality for threshold ECDSA protocols
  • Blind Smart-ID signature protocol

Topics are not limited by ones above. If a student has a topic in mind, Nikita's research interests are e-voting, digital identity, cryptographic security proofs and post-quantum cryptography.

From Matthew Sorell, Tallinn University of Technology / Adelaide University Australia

Matthew James Sorell <matthew.sorell@taltech.ee>

Topics in digital forensic science may be available. Students should come with an idea that can be turned into a proposal.

From Eneken Tikk, Tallinn University of Technology

  • Technical and organizational implementation of the GDPR
  • Monetization of personal data
  • Economics of cybersecurity (the cost of implementation relative to the anticipated and evidenced gains)
  • Cyber insurance
  • Non-military strategies for national and international cybersecurity
  • Legal aspects of cybersecurity

From Risto Vaarandi, Tallinn University of Technology

Here are potential areas for selecting a thesis topic:

  • event log collection
  • event log analysis
  • event correlation
  • network monitoring
  • intrusion detection
  • data mining methods for security monitoring
  • machine learning methods for security monitoring
  • any area that is connected to security monitoring
  • other system security engineering topics (for example, system hardening or firewalling)

When applying for supervision, make sure you have selected at least one initial thesis topic suggestion with a background research about its validity.

From Jelizaveta Vakarjuk, Industry PhD Student, Cybernetica / Tallinn University of Technology

Jelizaveta's general research interest includes different privacy-preserving technologies and multiparty computations that are used for digital identity management systems. Additionally, post-quantum cryptography (with a main focus on digital signatures) and migration to post-quantum cryptography.

  • Lattice-based cryptography
  • Privacy Preserving Protocols
  • Threshold Cryptography
  • I-Voting

She does not have any specific topics to offer for the 2024/2025 academic year, but if something from her research interest sound appealing, please feel free to contact her (jelizaveta.vakarjuk@cyber.ee).

From Adrian Venables, Tallinn University of Technology

  • Cyber security aspects of Information Warfare
  • Strategic Communications doctrine development
  • Information Operations doctrine development
  • Cognitive Warfare in the Digital Information Environment

Note: a background in International Relations, Political Science or Strategic Studies is required

From Gabor Visky, PhD Student, NATO CCDCOE / TalTech

Gabor Visky <gabor.visky@ccdcoe.org>

  • Network traffic analysis in the maritime cyber-lab

From Kaido Kikkas, Tallinn University of Technology, IT College. kaido.kikkas@taltech.ee

  • Cyber security risks in telepresence robotics and their mitigation (practical experimenting is possible at IT College; see [1]
  • Cyber security lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic (incl. surveys in Estonia)
  • Evolution of Cyberwar (Estonia 2007, Georgia 2007, Ukraine 2014/2022
  • Total defence in cyberspace (might try to suggest a strategy for Estonia)
  • Specific traits of cyber capabilities in totalitarian societies


Some more possible keywords to spark Thesis topic ideas: (e-)learning/training, FLOSS/Linux, smart devices, IoT, social engineering, usability/accessibility vs security/privacy

Also might study cyber counterparts to (legal) self-defence and citizen's arrest

From Ricardo Gregorio Lugo, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonian Maritime Academy

Any topic from Human Aspects and cyberpsychology are actual.

Topics can include:

  • Human performance in cybersecurity
  • Individual and Team Processes in Cybersecurity defense/exercises
  • Human computer interaction in cybersecurity
  • Human-AI trust and decision-making
  • Communication and Decision-making in recognized cyber threat situations
  • Human Perception and Information Visualizations in cybersecurity
  • Cognitive factors in risk perception and decision-making
  • Mental Health in Cybersecurity

From the TalTech IT office

  • Security implications in Migrating Taltech Campus LAN to IPv6; Toomas Lepik
  • Improving SOC and Information security processes; Toomas Lepik
  • Auditing Taltech EITS compliance based on public information; Toomas Lepik
  • Improving Log analysis pipelines; Toomas Lepik

From the TalTech Space Centre

NB: Please contact Adrian Venables, if interested in any of these topics.

  • Methods and tools for capturing, identifying, analyzing, and reverse engineering satellite protocols
  • Study of security features and use of cryptography in nanosatellite communication protocols
  • Reusable low-footprint cryptographic primitives for microcontrollers with limited resources
  • Testing framework for nanosatellite communication protocol implementation correctness and robustness
  • Adaptation of existing protocol or designing a new protocol for the next Taltech nanosatellite
  • Implementation of a fully reusable and secure protocol stack as part of the platform for future nanosatellites
  • Implementation of the new Taltech nanosatellite protocol for ground station
  • Security review of TTU100/TTU101 software to identify errors and risks that should be avoided in software for the next satellites
  • Suitability, performance, properties, and security of LoRa technologies when used for nanosatellites

From the University of Tartu

NB! Theses supervised by supervisors from the University of Tartu (UT) have to be defended in UT. Exceptions are possible, but need do be approved by the program manager. If you will defend your thesis in UT, then you should do your thesis declaration according to the procedures and deadlines of UT. Thesis related guidelines and regulations are available at: https://cs.ut.ee/en/content/thesis-deadlines-and-guidelines In case of any questions contact UT Institute of Computer Science Academic Affairs Specialist Paula Luks (paula.luks@ut.ee).


Cybersecurity-related research in the University of Tartu is conducted by the following persons:

- Arnis Paršovs, University of Tartu, <arnis.parsovs@ut.ee>

- Danielle Morgan, University of Tartu, <danielle.morgan@ut.ee>

- Alo Peets, University of Tartu, <alo.peets@ut.ee>

- Dominique Unruh, University of Tartu, <dominique.unruh@ut.ee>

- Vitaly Skachek, University of Tartu, <vitaly.skachek@ut.ee>

- Mubashar Iqbal, University of Tartu, <mubashar.iqbal@ut.ee>

- Abasi-Amefon Obot Affia, University of Tartu, <amefon.affia@ut.ee>

- Mari Seeba, University of Tartu, <mari.seeba@ut.ee>

- Sabah Suhail, University of Tartu,

- Raimundas Matulevicius, University of Tartu, <raimundas.matulevicius@ut.ee>


Some topics are provided at <https://infosec.cs.ut.ee/Main/ThesisTopics>. For other topics, students can contact directly the supervisors and course lecturers.


A full list of thesis topics offered by the Applied Cyber Security Group (UT) is available in the thesis topics database. Students can also get access to various hardware that can be used for research experiments.

From Estonian Police

TBD

Useful links

ITX8040 Thesis advice slides

Format requirements of a thesis and MS-Word Template (TalTech)

LATEX template for master thesis (TalTech) (accessible by UNI-ID)

Databases, books, research papers accessible from the TTU network

An Overview of Research Methods

Previously Defended Theses