Detection and Analysis of Advanced Phishing Attacks (DAAPA) MSc by Research
Oxford Brookes UniversityHeadington, United Kingdom
Course overview
In this project our aim is to develop a novel, context-aware, domain-specific NLP framework that protects systems against real-world, low-volume Business Email Compromise and spear-phishing attacks. The objectives are: To identify and characterise the distinct linguistic and pragmatic and AI-generated stylistic features utilised in contemporary advanced phishing attacks across diverse corpora. To develop and curate a large-scale, high-fidelity dataset of malicious and benign communications.
To design and implement the Domain-Adapted Transformer Model incorporating Hybrid Linguistic-Contextual and Anomaly-based features. To evaluate the model against traditional and general deep learning models using comprehensive de facto metrics. To develop an interpretability mechanism to attribute classification decisions to specific linguistic features, and so enhance model trustworthiness and operational utility.
Key highlights
- Research project building a context-aware NLP framework against phishing
- Focus on Business Email Compromise and spear-phishing attacks
- Analyse linguistic and AI-generated stylistic features of advanced phishing
- Develop and curate a large-scale dataset of malicious and benign emails
- Design a domain-adapted transformer model with anomaly-based features
- Build interpretability mechanisms to explain model classification decisions
Entry requirements
- Degree: 2:1 — to include Computing, Computer Science; or above
Scholarships
Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press (FLTRP) Scholarship
Award value: £3,000
Up to £3,000Global Development and Humanitarian Practice Scholarship
Asia, Africa, Middle East and Latin America only are eligible to apply for a single scholarship award of £9,250 to contribute to their course fees.
Up to £9,250Humanitarian Action and Peacebuilding Scholarship
Full and part-time applicants for the MA Humanitarian Action and Peacebuilding are eligible to apply for one of the £1,000 scholarships.
Up to £1,000London Book Fair Scholarship
The London Book Fair is offering a fee-waiver bursary of £1,000 to a full-time or part-time student at the Oxford International Centre for Publishing on the MA Publishing Media.
Up to £1,000
Careers this course leads to
- Cyber Security Analyst
- Machine Learning Engineer
- NLP Research Scientist
- Threat Intelligence Analyst
- Security Data Scientist
Admission
Applications are made through AHZ at no cost. Share your transcripts, English test scores and personal statement, and your AHZ Counsellor will review your profile, submit your application to Oxford Brookes University, and guide you through interview, offer, CAS and visa — right up to enrolment.
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