Bernhard Degen, PhD candidate in the Design and Analysis of Communication Systems (DACS) department at the University of Twente, was awarded the prestigious Fulbright scholarship on June 28. This scholarship offers unique academic exchange opportunities and is globally renowned for its selective and prestigious nature. The scholarship allows Degen to research the early detection of internet attacks at the University of California, San Diego.
Research on Internet attacks
Degen will conduct his research at the University of California, San Diego, specifically at CAIDA (Center for Applied Internet Data Analysis). This renowned institution is known for its expertise in Internet studies and possesses the advanced measurement infrastructure necessary for this research. Within the DACS department at the University of Twente, Degen focuses on the early detection of internet attacks, such as DDoS attacks. The research focuses on proactively identifying and tracing attacks, despite the anonymity provided by the internet, through spoofed IP addresses.
Impactful research for cyber security
This work is crucial for improving cyber security by making attackers on the internet visible. "This is a major challenge due to the lack of address verification on the internet. This allows spoofed IP addresses to be used as a weapon, while the attacker's identity remains hidden," says Degen. Later this year, he will leave to spend six months in California to continue and deepen his research.
Currently, Degen is in his third year and is supervised by promotor Roland van Rijswijk-Deij and supervisors Mattijs Jonker and Raffaele Sommese. Degen: "They have played a significant role in preparing the successful research proposal".
The Fulbright scholarship offers him a unique opportunity to further develop his research and gain valuable international experience. This will benefit both his personal development and the scientific community.
About the Fulbright scholarship programme
The Fulbright scholarship programmme is a prestigious exchange program for international study and research, aimed at promoting mutual knowledge and understanding between the United States and other countries. The scholarships are intended for talented Dutch and American students, researchers, and teachers who want to spend a period studying, teaching, or researching in each other's country.
