Study of Authentication and Network Protocols of Instant Messengers on Mobile Devices (Internship Project)

Duration: 2 - 4 Months

Internship Type: Undergraduate, Pre-University

Security of instant messengers (IM) is increasingly a focal point in today's world where IMs are heavily used for both personal and work matters. This study aims to understand more about security strength of selected IMs and in turn, the best practices to develop a secure IM.

Scope & Deliverables (one or more of the following)

• Reverse engineer a mobile IM app to determine its authentication and/or communications implementation.

• Analyse an IM's authentication and/or communications for possible flaws which could compromise the privacy of the communicants.

• Demonstrate how flaws in IM authentication and/or communications could lead to a compromise of privacy/secrecy through a proof-of-concept.

Prerequisites/Skills Required

• Proficient in Java, Swift.

• Possess understanding of mobile application development.

In your application, please submit the following documents in a single PDF file for 'Resume/CV':

• Resume/CV

• All Education Certificates to-date (from secondary to tertiary education)

• GCE 'O'/'N' Levels, NITEC

• Prelim/GCE 'A' Levels, IB/Diploma

• Latest university transcript from Year 1 (for current undergraduates)

• Student Status Letter/Degree Audit (for current undergraduates)