Internship “Software Engineering in Rust”

CENTER FOR DIGITAL SAFETY & SECURITY

As Austria's largest research and technology organisation for applied research, AIT works on substantial contributions to solving the major challenges of our time, climate change and digitalisation.

The Center for Digital Safety & Security located in Vienna invites applications for an internship. Its experts develop state-of-the-art information and communication technologies to ensure highly secure and reliable systems in the context of digitalisation and global networking.

The Cyber Security Research Field, part of the Competence Unit Security and Communication Technologies, specialises in applied research for digital security and develops innovative concepts, algorithms and systems for anomaly detection, cyber threat intelligence, penetration testing and cryptography.

Your tasks

• Under the guidance of an interdisciplinary team, you will implement research concepts as proof-of-concept tools in Rust for high-impact cybersecurity projects with real-world visibility.
• Together with the research team, you will extend a protocol fuzzer to discover vulnerabilities in cyber-physical systems, such as drones.
• You will gain hands-on experience in building advanced security tools, from design to evaluation, within a research-driven environment.
• You will have the opportunity to collaborate with experienced cybersecurity researchers working on cutting-edge topics in industrial and cyber-physical system protection.
• You can apply your academic knowledge to real-world security challenges and contribute to applied research that shapes the next generation of defense mechanisms for connected systems.

Your qualifications as an Ingenious Partner

• You are studying in the field of Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a similar technical field, and are already enrolled in your master’s studies.
• You have a strong grasp of data structures and algorithms.
• Advanced proficiency in Rust or strong C++ experience with a willingness to learn Rust.
• Solid understanding of Rust fundamentals, such as ownership, borrowing, and lifetimes, is a plus.
• Experience with Linux, for example system administration and scripting.
• Familiarity with asynchronous programming in Rust, for example using futures, tokio, or async-std.
• Analytical thinking and a strong interest in innovative research.
• Sound software engineering practices, including version control, testing, and documentation, as well as a keen eye for scalability, reliability, and security.
• Interest in working in a multidisciplinary team and collaborating on different topics.
• Good verbal and written English and/or German skills.

What to expect

• Duration of the internship: minimum 2 months
• Start date: summer 2026, with some flexibility concerning the start date
• A remuneration of EUR 1.415 gross per month for 38.5 hours per week.
• Additional company benefits, flexible working conditions and work experience in a highly innovative environment.

At AIT, an inclusive and family-friendly working environment promotes equal opportunities and strengthens diversity across the workforce and in leadership positions. Applications from female applicants are particularly welcome.

Please submit your application documents including your CV and cover letter online.