Join the Network Security Group at ETH Zurich
The Network Security research group, led by Professor Adrian Perrig in the Department of Computer Science at ETH Zurich, is seeking passionate individuals to contribute to our innovative research on a secure inter-domain routing architecture known as SCION.
Position Overview
The starting date for this position is as soon as possible. The initial contract is for 12 months, with the possibility of extension.
About SCION
Our inter-domain routing architecture is designed to provide route control, failure isolation, and explicit trust information for end-to-end communications. Autonomous Systems (ASes) are grouped into independent routing control sub-planes called isolation domains, which interconnect to form complete routes. This design offers:
- Natural isolation of routing failures and human misconfiguration.
- Strong control for both inbound and outbound traffic for endpoints.
- Meaningful and enforceable trust mechanisms.
- Scalable routing updates with high path freshness.
Consequently, our architecture embodies strong resilience and security properties arising from sound design principles, avoiding the need for piecemeal add-on protocols as security measures.
Your Responsibilities
As a member of our team, you will focus on the implementation of software for the control and data plane of network infrastructure devices, as well as applications and network stack components for endhosts using SCION. Your tasks will include:
- Designing systems and collaborating on code development.
- Engaging in software release and testing activities.
- Conducting testing and evaluation of prototypes using the global production network.
- Maintaining local testbed resources and contributing to documentation.
Ideal Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate is passionate about development and open source contribution, embraces hands-on work, and thrives in a research organization. You should be adept at developing large systems, enjoy collaboration, and rise to meet unforeseen challenges. Required qualifications include:
- Understanding of network security and computer networks.
- Advanced degree in computer science, engineering, or relevant work experience.
- 5+ years of experience in design, implementation, and testing of large-scale systems with a focus on security, scalability, and high-performance implementation.
- 5+ years of experience in the administration of Unix-style machines and managing complex networks.
- Experience with Go, Rust, C++, and C programming in a Linux environment; solid experience writing Python scripts.
- Familiarity with maintaining/contributing to open-source software and large codebases.
- Comfort with Unix/FreeBSD/Linux system administration fundamentals of security, installation, and configuration.
- Understanding of software engineering and design principles.
- Familiarity with Git, containers, CI/CD, Ansible, Prometheus, and Grafana.
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and enjoy supervising students.
- Fluency in English.
Additional Beneficial Experience
- Deep knowledge of low-level networking and Linux network internals (e.g., network stack implementation, TUN/TAP devices, Netfilter Queue).
- Extensive knowledge of network protocols and techniques (e.g., QUIC, TCP/IP, NAT, VPNs).
- Understanding of cryptographic operations and protocols.
- Active participation in relevant communities (e.g., IETF, Golang/Rust meetups, NOGs).
- Experience with Linux Kernel or mobile programming is a plus; knowledge of DPDK, AF_XDP, or eBPF is appreciated.
What We Offer
The Network Security group provides engaging challenges in the field of inter-domain networking and network security within a vibrant university environment. Our offerings include:
- A wide range of inter-domain routing and network security-related projects.
- Opportunities for collaboration with industry.
- Independent work alongside international partnerships.
Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.
Contact Information
For more information about the Network Security research group, please visit our website. Questions regarding the position can be directed to Professor Perrig at aperrig@inf.ethz.ch (please note that we only accept applications through the online form).