[System Security & Privacy] 2027 Fall joint PhD program SDSU & UCI

*I am recruiting motivated PhD students in systems security and privacy.*
## Yifan Zhang



**Assistant Professor, San Diego State University**

**Website:** [1phan.com](https://1phan.com)  
**Location:** San Diego, CA  
**[Cybersecurity Center](https://cyber.sdsu.edu/) @ [SDSU](https://www.sdsu.edu/)**

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## Research Directions

My research focuses on system security and privacy, with an emphasis on identifying new attack vectors, building automated binary-analysis tools, and conducting large-scale real-world measurement. Current ongoing projects include:

- **Software Supply Chain Security & Privacy**
- **Mobile & IoT Systems Security**
- **Cybercrime**

I emphasize **analysis methods for systems security**; application scenarios are not restricted.

### How We Work

We find new types of attacks and forms of exploitation in current systems, then combine reverse engineering with static & dynamic program analysis, leveraging formal verification and AI where necessary to detect, measure, and mitigate novel security & privacy vulnerabilities.

## What I Look For in a PhD Student

- **Deep curiosity** about real systems and willingness to dissect complex software stacks.
- **Strong systems skills:** confident with Linux, scripting, and debugging; comfortable reading specs and source.
- **Program analysis:** experience/interest in reverse engineering, static and dynamic analysis (e.g., program slicing, taint flow analysis, fuzzing), and formal methods.
- **Solid coding ability:** able to build research prototypes and measurement pipelines.
- **Team fit:** collaborative, respectful, and proactive; excited to publish in top security venues.

## About SDSU

San Diego State University (SDSU) is a major public research university in Southern California and an **R1 university** (Very High Research Activity).

## PhD Program & Admission

Students join my lab through the [SDSU–UCI Joint PhD Program in Computational Science](https://www.csrc.sdsu.edu/ph-d-program/).

Applicants should meet the program requirements, including:

- **Degree:** Bachelor's degree in a STEM field.
- **GPA:** Minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA and 3.5 GPA in any prior graduate coursework.

## Interested in Joining?

If you are excited about **systems security and privacy** and believe you may be a good fit, please prepare:

- A brief statement describing your research interests and any relevant past projects.
- A CV or résumé with links to code or artifacts.
- A link to any open-source contributions or technical write-ups you are proud of.

**Email subject template:**

`[SDSU Security PhD] Your Name --- [Brief Research Interest]`

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**More:** [https://1phan.com](https://1phan.com) | [Cybersecurity Center](https://cyber.sdsu.edu/) @ [SDSU](https://www.sdsu.edu/)