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The UK Telecoms Lab (UKTL), announced in October 2022, will give the UK the cutting-edge technology to keep our telecommunications networks safe, accelerate the roll-out of 5G, and grow our brilliant telecoms sector by bringing in new entrants to diversify the supply chain market.
The role
This role will involve understanding in depth the vulnerabilities and vuln classes present carrier-grade telecoms kit that has just been or is just about to be deployed into the UK. This will include time and space to conduct novel and self-directed research - supported by your team and team lead.
Successful candidates will get to have a unique experience working on or supporting the latest ground-breaking cyber security and networking technologies on a national and international scale. This opportunity will allow those involved to have first-hand exposure to the latest technologies via the research and development that we are undertaking to secure our telecommunications networks, in order to keep the UK the safest place to live and do business online.
As a trusted and independent national capability, the UKTL will interact at the intersection of standards bodies, such as 3GPP, the National Cyber Security Centre and the wider UK intelligence community, academia, Ofcom, as well as Communications Service Providers and telecommunication equipment vendors.
This role will be part of a small team of Vulnerability Researchers, tackling some of the most interesting cyber problems with a meaningful and tangible impact on the national security of the UK. You will be supported by Lab Engineers who will setup and maintain the equipment on site as well as by Software Developers for building/maturing bespoke tooling and improving/scaling testing. You will work closely with the Security Testing team who will run tests that you will have input into and will surface bugs for you to investigate.
You will be instrumental in standing up an industry-leading security facility. The focus of the Vulnerability Researcher role will be to conduct in-depth VR activities, explore boundaries of technology and its development, test hypotheses, and conduct deep dives into the vulnerabilities of telecoms equipment. You will also develop bespoke leading-edge security testing tools to support these activities.
Successful applicants must be able to commute to the UKTL offices in Birmingham at least twice a week. We are now working in a hybrid way, with a mix of remote and office working. We strive to offer a great work life balance - if you are looking for full time, part time or flexible options, we will try to make this work where it is business possible. In addition, there is a wide range of Benefits available to you as an NPL employee.
About you
Examples of technical skills, knowledge, and experience, including:
- An interest and aptitude for vulnerability research (either from a professional background or by demonstrating an aptitude).
- A passion for understanding how things work, testing them, pushing them to their limits, and finding security issues in them.
- Understanding of hardware and software development lifecycles and their impact on security practices.
- Applied knowledge of cryptographic algorithms/standards and knowledge of data structures and distributed systems.
- Understanding of network protocols and how software works from assembly through to interpreted languages, and everything in between.
- Familiarity with vulnerabilities such as memory corruption bugs (stack/heap/integer overflows, format strings), and techniques attackers can use to bypass common security protections (e.g. NX, stack canaries, heap protection, ASLR, etc.)
- Knowledge and experience of embedded systems and operating systems, and hardware techniques for prototyping and debugging these.
- Knowledge of Linux OS internals. Ability to self-learn any language, given appropriate resources to study and practice.
- Knowledge of container internals and kernel features that support container security controls.
- Practical knowledge of common white-hat exploitation toolsets and techniques for common flaws in low-level software, as well as web platforms (e.g. SQL injection, XSS, CSRF, SSRF, upload/download abuse, RCE).
- Reverse engineering experience (e.g. IDA Pro, Ghidra).
We actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but the nature of our work in this specific area means that nationality, residency, and security requirements are more tightly defined than others. To work in this role, you will need to have a DV clearance with no restrictions, or you must have the ability to obtain a DV clearance.
About us
The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is a world-leading centre of excellence that provides cutting-edge measurement science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK.
NPL and DSIT have strong commitments to diversity and equality of opportunity, and welcome applications from candidates irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or age, providing they meet the required criteria. Applications from women, disabled and black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates in particular are encouraged. All disabled candidates (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) who satisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.
At NPL, we believe our success is a result of the diversity and talent of our people. We strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity, as part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we hold memberships and accreditations to ensure we’re creating an environment where all our colleagues feel supported and welcome, please see our Diversity & Inclusion page.
We are committed to the health and well-being of our employees. Flexible working and social activities are embedded in our culture to create a positive work-life balance, along with a broad range of benefits. Our values are at the heart of what we do, and they shape the way we interact, develop our people and celebrate success. To ensure everyone has an equal chance, we’re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.
