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Master’s Thesis Position: Implementation of 5G EAP-AKA Authentication Protocol for IoT Equipment

The Department of Information and Communications Engineering at Aalto University is seeking applications for a Master's thesis position in the area of mobile communication security and protocol implementation. The work will be conducted in the research group of Professor Riku Jäntti, under the supervision of Senior University Lecturer Kalle Ruttik.

Thesis Topic
With the increasing maturity of open-source 5G base station and core network implementations, integration with commercial mobile devices has become feasible. This integration requires robust and standards-compliant authentication mechanisms. The thesis focuses on the implementation of the EAP-AKA (Extensible Authentication Protocol - Authentication and Key Agreement) protocol, a critical component of 5G authentication, particularly relevant for Wi-Fi access to 5G core networks.

The selected candidate will develop the user equipment (UE)-side implementation of the EAP-AKA protocol, replicating the authentication logic typically handled by SIM/USIM modules. This work contributes to the broader objective of enabling secure and interoperable communication between IoT devices and 5G infrastructure.

Requirements
Applicants are expected to meet the following criteria:

• Strong proficiency in C programming, particularly for low-level or systems-level development tasks.
• Experience with Linux-based development environments, including the use of command-line tools and typical development utilities.
• Familiarity with mobile network architectures and authentication mechanisms (e.g., 3GPP specifications, EAP-AKA protocol, SIM/USIM operations) is considered an asset.

Terms of Employment
The thesis work is offered as a full-time, fixed-term contract for a duration of six (6) months. The monthly salary is 2,500 EUR.

Join us!
If you want to join our community, please submit your application through our recruitment system, “Apply now” by May 23rd, 2025. To apply, please share the following application materials with us:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Official transcript of academic records

For more information regarding the open position, please contact Professor Riku Jäntti, riku.jantti@aalto.fi. In any questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact HR Advisor Monika Mäkinen, hr-elec@aalto.fi.

Please note: Aalto University’s employees should apply for the position via our internal HR system Workday (Internal Jobs) by using their existing Workday user account (not via the external webpage for open positions).

Aalto University reserves the right for justified reasons to leave the position open, to extend the application period, reopen the application process, and to consider candidates who have not submitted applications during the application period.