Posting Title

Undergraduate/Graduate (Summer) Intern - Formal Verification Methods for Cybersecurity

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Location

CO - Golden

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Position Type

Intern (Fixed Term)

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Hours Per Week

40

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Working at NLR

NLR is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development.

Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NLR stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth.

At NLR, you'll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories. We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being.

Job Description

About the Center 

The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) Cybersecurity Center conducts cutting-edge research to strengthen the nation's energy grid against evolving cyber threats. Pillars of our center are cyber threat emulation, novel Cybersecurity technologies for complex energy systems, Cybersecurity risk analysis, and the development of new Cybersecurity standards, all aimed at securing advanced energy technologies and highly distributed energy systems. 

About the Group 

The Foundational Cybersecurity Sciences group at NLR advances the core science of cybersecurity and translates breakthroughs into field-ready solutions to prepare for a future of advanced cyber threats and diversifying operational systems. Our research encompasses formal methods, artificial intelligence, and cryptographic approaches for verifiable operational technology cybersecurity, with a focus on increasing complexity and interconnectedness in energy systems. 

Project Overview 

The intern will work on the formal verification of system-level properties of energy systems, with a specific focus on verifying the properties of communication paths connecting components of energy systems of systems. Using the Isabelle/HOL interactive theorem proving environment, the intern will help develop and apply Adversarial Logic frameworks to rigorously model and reason about the security of these communication paths. This research contributes directly to NLR's mission of delivering verifiable, high-assurance cybersecurity solutions for operational technology. 

Job Duties and Tasks 

• Use the Isabelle/HOL interactive theorem proving environment to formally specify and verify properties of communication paths in energy systems. 

• Develop and apply Adversarial Logic models to reason about potential attack vectors and system vulnerabilities. 

• Conduct literature reviews on formal methods, interactive theorem proving, and cybersecurity of operational technology systems. 

• Collaborate with research staff to translate system-level cybersecurity requirements into formal specifications. 

• Assist in documenting proof strategies, findings, and formal models for internal reports and potential publications. 

• Participate in team meetings, present progress updates, and contribute to technical discussions on research directions.