Fifth-generation (5G) cellular networks have significantly impacted many sectors, including communication, transportation, entertainment, manufacturing, and healthcare, due to their extremely low latency and high data bandwidth. From the perspectives of development and operation, one significant advancement in 5G is the emerging Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) paradigm that is informing a next-generation radio access network (RAN). The O-RAN design addresses many limitations of conventional RANs, which are monolithic, all-in-one systems deployed on vendor-proprietary hardware infrastructures. O-RAN brings not only openness and interoperability but also the unprecedented programmability that enables stakeholders (e.g., network operators) and innovators to build novel software-defined services on the RAN. From a security perspective, O-RAN enables tremendous opportunities to design and develop novel control-plane services to secure the RAN data plane. Due to the availability of inexpensive commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software-defined radios (SDRs) and open-source cellular software stacks, there are relatively low economic and technical barriers for practical cellular attacks.

This to be hired postdoc is expected to work with Prof. Lin to design and develop security detection and countermeasure mechanisms on top of the O-RAN architecture to secure the 5G and future G cellular network infrastructure. The research outcome will be integrated into an NSF-sponsored project, “Security-Enhanced Radio Access Network”, in collaboration with SRI International.

Qualifications

Required:

PhD in Computer Science with strong background in security, software engineering, and mobile application analysis and development.

Desired: Expertise in writing research publications and presenting them at research forums (conference and workshops)

The target hiring range for this job profile is $48,000 - $60,000. The actual salary paid to an individual will vary based on multiple factors, including but not limit to, education, years of experience, internal equity, etc.