Digital forensic researcher invasive hardware and access methods

Immerse yourself in research projects covering the analysis, reparation, and accessing of modern integrated circuits at various levels, from packages to components. In addition, contribute to law enforcement in the Netherlands. You will only find that unique combination at the Netherlands Forensic Institute, where you get to work as a digital forensic researcher and examiner.

As a digital expert in the field of invasive hardware and acquisition methods, you will strengthen the Digital Technology team. Your challenge? Develop and apply methods to analyse (reverse engineer) integrated circuits, repair them and modify them at the transistor level so that they can either be read once again, or divulge their secure information.

You will get to work in a well-equipped failure-analysis laboratory (X-ray, RIE, Micro-Mill, Dual-Beam) that you will also help to maintain and modernise. You will work with experts from the Digital Technology team who are proficient in, among other things, reverse engineering, engineering, cryptography, data analysis, silicon analysis and silicon editing. These experts endeavour to extract and interpret forensic information from complex secure embedded systems, such as mobile phones, with hardware-assisted cryptography. Initially you will prepare samples for them on which to conduct their research, and your analysis will help them discover and connect important signals. The scientific research you conduct will help serve case examinations at the Netherlands Forensic Institute.

Our research laboratory collaborates on various projects with similar specialists in foreign forensic laboratories.

What you bring

• You have a university degree in electrical engineering or an equivalent experience level, preferably in a 'hard' electrical engineering field, such as (HF) electronics, IC design, embedded systems or robotics.
• You have demonstrable knowledge, and preferably practical experience, of IC technology and integrated components. Knowledge of hardware security and root of trust circuits is a plus.
• You have demonstrable knowledge, and preferably practical experience, of silicon (failure) analysis and the equipment used for this (X-ray, RIE and FEG-SEM).
• You have experience with electronic hardware reverse engineering.
• You have low-level knowledge of embedded systems (hardware as well as firmware).
• You have a broad general interest, especially in the field of integrated circuits, signal analysis, cryptography, electronic security, physics and chemistry.
• You enjoy using equipment and methodologies in a broader sense than for which they were intended and show creativity in this area.
• You can independently give substance and direction to your research, but you consult carefully with your colleagues.
• You are a team player and are energized by collaboration and like to take initiative.
• You have an affinity for small-scale chemical experiments (etching), hardware development (FPGAs, PCB development), software development (VHDL, C, Python)
• You have an affinity with the work in the field of justice and examination.

Competencies

• analytical ability
• judgement
• persuasiveness
• collaborate
• planning and organising
• creativity

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