PhD – Software Protection – Belgium

In the Computer Systems Lab, Ghent University aims to hire multiple PhD students on national and international research projects in the domain of man-at-the-end software protection, i.e., techniques such as software obfuscation that aim to prevent reverse engineering of software and tampering with it. Both offensive research and defensive research is possible, or a combination of the two.

Topics of interest on which they plan to work are

• decision support for the use of software protection tools (i.e., to decide which protections to apply where in a program);
• novel obfuscations and obfuscation recipes to defeat LLMs and other AI-based reverse engineering tools;
• the use of AI techniques and LLMs to optimize reverse engineering strategies;
• modeling techniques to assess the required effort to mount reverse engineering and tampering attacks;
• integration of software protection techniques in industrial development life cycles.

Requirements

Candidates have a Master of Science in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or equivalent. Experience in any of the following are highly relevant: software development and programmer tool boxes (e.g., debuggers, compilers, software analysis and rewriting tools and techniques), software protection (obfuscation), software hacking (reverse engineering, tampering), machine learning, advanced use of LLMs. Experience with Unix-like environments and software development in the context of large (open-source) software projects is highly valuable.

The applicant should be highly motivated by applied research involving conceptual evaluation as well as experimental evaluation by means of prototype implementations, able to work well in a diverse group, comfortable giving and receiving constructive criticism, and be strong in analytical, innovative, and critical thinking and in judgement making. Work attitudes including structured result-focused working, and open research discussion and communication. Being proficient in spoken and written English is an absolute requirement.

Benefits

Our funding covers 4 years of PhD research as a PhD student, with a possible 5th year extension, at any possible starting date. Furthermore, you will also become an employee of Ghent University with a net income of around 55k Euro/year that allows for comfortable independent living in Belgium and hence focus on the research.

Organization/Company –Ghent University.

Research field – Computer science » Other.

Research profile – First Stage Researcher (R1).

Country –Belgium.

Application Deadline – 14 Nov 2025 – 00:00 (UTC).

More information: Euraxess.