Tesi - UAS legacy: Verifica vulnerabilità tramite modelli formali

Questa posizione è in Leonardo

Riassunto dell'opportunità da parte della Joinrs AI: Leonardo ricerca un Junior per uno stage di tesi magistrale nel campo della Cybersecurity focalizzato su sistemi UAS legacy. Il candidato svolgerà analisi, reverse engineering e modellizzazione formale delle vulnerabilità, lavorando presso il sito di Ronchi dei Legionari. L'esperienza, della durata massima di sei mesi, prevede un rimborso spese e il supporto di tutor esperti.

Il processo di selezione sarà interamente gestito da Leonardo.

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Job Description:

Leonardo is an international industrial group, among the main global realities in Aerospace, Defense, and Security that creates multi-domain technological capabilities in Helicopters, Aircraft, Aerostructures, Electronics, Cyber Security, and Space. With over 60,000 employees worldwide, the company has a solid industrial presence in Italy, the United Kingdom, Poland, the United States, and operates in 150 countries also through subsidiaries, joint ventures, and shareholdings. A protagonist in the main strategic programs at a global level, it is a technological and industrial partner of Governments, Defense Administrations, Institutions, and businesses. In 2024, Leonardo recorded consolidated revenues of €17.8 billion, new orders for €20.9 billion, and invested €2.5 billion in R&D activities. Innovation, continuous research, digital industry, and sustainability are the pillars of its business worldwide.

Experienced tutors in your field will guide you, allowing you to deepen the theoretical part and develop your thesis, preparing you best for future professional challenges.

The topics proposed for theses to be developed at Leonardo embrace a wide spectrum of technological, research, and innovation areas: from Artificial Intelligence to High-Performance Computing, from Cyber Security to Materials Engineering, passing through aerospace sectors. You will be able to explore the most cutting-edge areas of your field of study, with creativity and a spirit of innovation.

To support you during this experience, which will last a maximum of six months, an expense reimbursement is also provided.

We are looking for n. 1 young student to be included in an internship, with the aim of developing their master's thesis on the topic of Cybersecurity on UAS legacy: "Vulnerability verification through formal models" at the Ronchi dei Legionari site.

The increasing integration of remotely piloted aircraft systems (UAS) in critical operational contexts makes it necessary to systematically address the vulnerabilities of legacy UAS, vulnerable because they were designed without current cyber defenses.

The thesis aims to bridge this gap through a methodological approach based on:

• Reverse engineering hardware/software, identifying vulnerable entry points.
• Formal models that formalize and verify security properties (integrity, authenticity, availability) ensuring the correctness of countermeasures.

Combining these approaches provides a methodology to retroactively strengthen the resilience of existing systems, reducing the risks of attacks and improving the security of the UAS system.

Main activities:

Analysis of the legacy UAS system

• Collection and study of available documentation;
• Reconstruction of software/hardware architecture through reverse engineering techniques;
• Identification of attack surfaces and structural vulnerabilities.

Reverse engineering and formal modeling

• Extraction of functional behaviors and communication flows;
• Definition of formal models for verifying security and resilience properties;
• Validation of models through simulations and static/dynamic analysis.

Cybersecurity and resilience

• Threat assessment according to standards and best practices (e.g., DO 326A, NIST, ENISA);
• Definition of technical and procedural countermeasures applicable to legacy systems.

Support for regulatory compliance

• Analysis of emerging regulatory requirements for UAS and critical systems;
• Contribution to the preparation of evidence, technical reports, and compliance documentation.

Interdisciplinary collaboration

• Interface with engineering, security, certification, and safety teams;
• Participation in technical reviews, internal audits, and governance activities.

Educational qualification: Master's Degree in Computer Science, Electronic Engineering, Automation Engineering.

Seniority: Junior

Knowledge and technical skills:

• Proficiency in major programming languages, with the ability to develop scripts, analysis tools, and small applications;
• Knowledge of TCP and UDP network communication protocols;
• Understanding of fundamental cybersecurity concepts, including common vulnerabilities in embedded systems and network protocols;
• Ability to identify elementary attack surfaces in software systems and communications.

Behavioral skills:

• Proactivity;
• Ability to work in a team;
• Learning orientation;
• Flexibility;
• Communication;
• Result orientation.

Language skills:

• Good knowledge of written and spoken English, B2/C1 level.

IT skills:

• Linux and Windows operating systems.

How does the selection process work?

Following the collection of applications, resumes are evaluated and identified as most in line with the required qualifications.

Selected candidates will have an introductory interview with the Human Resources team and the Business, where technical topics, motivation, and personal aptitudes will be explored.

At the end of the process, feedback will be provided to the person, whether the outcome is positive or negative.

We look forward to your application.

By collaborating with us, you will constantly face the challenges of high technology, increase your skills, and build an excellent professional path.

Seniority: Junior

Primary Location: IT - Ronchi dei Legionari

Contract Type:

Hybrid Working: On-site

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