Strengthening ties with TU Delft to expand our research and output

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is a renowned technical university in the Netherlands, boasting a student population of 28,000 and a continuous growth trajectory. It is highly regarded, being ranked #71 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and #48 globally in the field of Computer Science. With over 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in its Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, and Computer Science and Mathematics (EEMCS) Faculty, we see TU Delft as a crucial partner in our goal to enhance the dependability of internet infrastructure.

Collaborating with universities is vital for SIDN Labs to stay ahead in research and innovation, and to contribute to the academic community and the wider internet community. Our track record reflects the significant impact of such collaborations, as many of our research efforts are joint work with renowned universities, including TU Delft, University of Twente and University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, ETH Zürich, University of Grenoble Alps and TU München in Europe, and University of Southern California and University of California in San Diego in the US.

As with our other academic partnerships, the collaboration with TU Delft provides an opportunity bring together researchers and operators for a shared research goal, benefiting the overall internet user community. For example, industry and organisations like SIDN have access to real-world datasets that can be used in data-driven internet research, while the academic community provides independent feedback based on scientific rigor, works on long-term emerging technologies, and has access to students.

Research statement

Over the next 5 years, our joint research at SIDN Labs and TU Delft will centre on internet infrastructure security (see Figure 1).

Specifically, we will be evaluating the existing systems and design choices for critical infrastructure such as the Network Time Protocol (NTP), which provides essential time services on the internet (SIDN operates time.nl, a free NTP service), and authoritative DNS servers (as demonstrated in RFC 9199 and our evaluation of e-government DNS infrastructure). Additionally, we will continue actively researching the consolidation and centralisation of internet infrastructure and traffic. The ultimate objective is to identify vulnerabilities and improve design decisions, providing recommendations to operators to to make their systems even stronger.

A second aspect of our joint research will be DNS security: types of attack that involve abuse of the DNS, such as phishing, spamming and malware hosting. While such activities are not directly related to the core internet service infrastructure, they have a real impact on end-users and businesses. For instance, in a previous project at SIDN Labs, we successfully took down thousands of suspicious web shops that sold counterfeit goods at high discounts (as described in this research paper). For work of this kind, we utilise several types of dataset and employ various techniques, such as machine learning, to enhance our detection methods. The aim is to provide a safer .nl zone for .nl users, and to offer recommendations, tools and code that can be adapted by other top-level domain operators to improve their services.

Therefore we work closely with Prof. Georgios Smaragdakis and the Cybersecurity group that he chairs, as we share a common background in the fields of internet security and measurements and have aligned research interests. We have very recently successfully co-submitted a top-tier paper to a prominent security conference.

In 5 years, we aim to have a noteworthy record of success in enhancing critical services and mitigating domain name abuses.

Multiple roles

Working part-time as assistant professor at TU Delft involves multiple roles:

1. Student supervision

As part of our collaboration, SIDN Labs and TU Delft will also guide undergraduate and graduate students in their projects and thesis work. SIDN Labs offers paid internships to students, enabling them to tackle real-world problems based on real-world data, which will benefit not only the students, but also SIDN and TU Delft.

Currently, I am overseeing a student’s research into denial-of-service attacks, and I am in the process of supervising another student who is studying DNS traffic analysis. Read more about the possibilities on sidn.nl.

2. Teaching

Teaching is part of my role as a part-time Assistant Professor. This involves delivering lectures and conducting exams for both undergraduate and graduate students. The benefits of my teaching role are mutual – it exposes SIDN to future generations of engineers and researchers who may later decide to do an internship at or even work for SIDN, and it assists TU Delft with their teaching responsibilities.

Currently, I am only authorised to give occasional guest lectures. To take on the responsibility of teaching an entire course, I am gradually working towards obtaining my University Teaching Qualification, which is recognised in the Netherlands as demonstrating mastery of the fundamentals of teaching techniques, assessment, supervision and course development.

3. Expanding network and research goals

Expanding our network and research goals is a key aspect of our collaboration with TU Delft. As an Assistant Professor, I have the opportunity to leverage my colleagues' research networks and participate in research project proposals. This collaboration enables SIDN Labs to further broaden its reach to other projects and calls, ultimately enhancing our contribution to internet security. Additionally, TU Delft benefits from a valuable partner with solid research experience and operational expertise.

Next steps

Our new collaboration with TU Delft presents exciting challenges and opportunities for SIDN Labs and TU Delft, and for me personally to enhance my research and establish a strong career path. I look forward to updating you on our progress and new developments in this partnership soon.