Cyber Security in the Age of Large-Scale Adversaries

Career at CASA

Let CASA be your new home for excellent cyber security research. We are constantly looking for national and international scientific talents to join our team. By offering structured support programs and personalized mentoring, CASA aims to help graduates and doctoral students to start their scientific careers.

The Ruhr region is known as one of Europe's hotspots for cyber security. In cooperation with the Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy (MPI), numerous professorships will be created in Bochum over the next few years.

Become a part of our fast growing community.

What we offer you - at a glance!

Open Positions - Doctoral & Postdoctoral Researchers

Open PhD Positions (m/f/d)

We are permanently looking for excellent M.Sc. graduates and PhDs.

► Job advertisement

Open Postdoc Positions (m/f/d)

We are permanently looking for excellent Postdocs.

► Job advertisement

Reasons for CASA

Excellent research
environment

Budget for courses, conferences,
equipment and international exchange

Open team
culture

Opportunities for academic
and professional development

Programs designed
to support parents

Support measures for
equality and diversity

Who we are

Let us tell you our story… While CASA exists since 2019, our origins go back much further. To be more precise: It happened almost 20 years ago, when two visionaries in electrical engineering and cryptology founded the Horst Görtz Institute for IT Security at Ruhr University Bochum: Prof. Hans Dobbertin and Prof. Christof Paar.

Hard to imagine today, but back then, many joked that cyber security as a department would have no future. However, our institute continued to flourish thanks to a lot of enthusiasm and motivation. Over time, more and more top researchers came to Bochum. It became increasingly important for business, politics, and research to focus on cyber security. Our Bachelor's degree in IT security was the first-ever in Germany.

These forward-thinking achievements form the basis for the Cluster of Excellence CASA, which was selected in 2019 from a set of many great applicants to receive a 7-year funding as part of the DFG's Excellence Strategy. Since 2026, CASA has been funded for a further seven years in a second project phase under the motto “Securing the Digital Society.” This funding ensures excellent research conditions and allows us to support the needs and ambitions of our scientists.

Work & Life at CASA

Join researchers from our Cluster of Excellence in our CASA Stories as they go about their daily routines, offering fascinating insights into their ambitions, research approaches, and convictions.

To the CASA Stories

Women in IT Security

In our series Women in IT Security, we introduce inspiring women who conduct research in various fields of cyber security at Ruhr University Bochum and our partner institutes.

To Women in IT Security

What Drives Us

Our mission: To make a lasting contribution to improving cyber security with our exceptional research.

We aim

to conduct pioneering and cutting-edge research and lay the foundations for future cyber security
to provide excellent teaching and job opportunities for young cyber security researchers
to protect the general public, developers and users of cyber security alike
to make results available to the general public and maximize societal benefit of research
to be an important mediator in communication and in creating awareness for cyber security
to be a leader in the transfer of knowledge and in creating startups
to be an orchestrator of cyber security and business for Bochum.

Our mission is based on the Horst Görtz Institute for IT Security, where we are located.

What we stand for:

We are unconventional, innovative, creative and interdisciplinary
We are fair and supportive in working together as a team
We are open-minded and invite a diverse, liberal and cosmopolitan corporate culture
We promote professional discussion and welcome open scientific discourse.

Our Values and Beliefs

We fundamentally believe that scientific excellence requires a tolerant, diverse, and inclusive work environment.

Openness

Within CASA, we work in an interdisciplinary way. We believe that innovation only happens when you think "out of the box". We value creativity and new ideas. We enjoy thinking and developing them as a team with colleagues from different disciplines of computer security as well as psychology. Learn more about our research here.

Teamwork

Years of experience have taught us: We achieve the best results as a team. It is important to us to treat each other fairly and with respect, and we value a culture of open discussion. At CASA, we are guided by the motto: The better argument counts! Besides, we meet annually for the CASA Retreat, a time to reflect on our work, share our knowledge, and get to know each other better.

Authenticity

Authenticity is very important here in the Ruhr region. We prefer to say "Du" (you) rather than "Sie" (sir/ma’am), currywurst usually tastes better to us than caviar, and hoodies look just as good on us as suits.

Equal Opportunities & Diversity

At CASA, a significant priority is given to Equal Opportunities and Diversity. We believe that excellence is not a question of gender. This is why female researchers receive full support for managing their professional careers: they benefit from numerous support measures and programs that CASA has established. In this way, we want to lay the foundations for increasing the proportion of female researchers within cyber security. We also organize the Women in Security and Cryptography Workshop to strengthen the network of female researchers.

Balancing Family and Career

We have many parents working in our team - with both young and old children. So we know how challenging the balancing act between family and career can sometimes be. At CASA, we believe that it is possible to combine both perfectly - when we offer young parents the support they need. That's why we've created special programs to ease the burden on mothers and fathers. Learn more about these services here.

Botanischer Garten der Ruhr-Universität Bochum

Where to Find Us

Ruhr University Bochum

Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) is located in the middle of the Ruhr metropolitan region. With over 43,000 students and 20 faculties, it is one of the largest universities in Germany. True to its motto "Creating Knowledge Networks", the campus university RUB is known for its interdisciplinary research approaches.

Its network with other research institutions in the Ruhr region creates unique opportunities for cooperation in the region.

The Ruhr Region

Paris, London, New York... Ruhr Region! When it comes to urban flair, magnitude, and cultural diversity, the metropolitan region can compete with the world's largest cities. Town borders blend into one another here, which is why the Ruhr region is known as the "city of cities." Thanks to the good infrastructure, travelers can quickly switch from one location to another - and each city has its charm.

This multi-faceted nature means that there is a lot to discover here: swimming in an old colliery, partying on one of Germany's most prominent nightlife spots, cycling through the countryside on kilometer-long bike paths, or would you rather spend the evening at the world's most beautiful theater? The possibilities are as varied as the region itself.

Übersicht über die Ruhr-Universität Bochum

Cyber Security Hotspot

The Ruhr region is considered one of Europe's leading IT security hotspots. With the newly founded Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy and the Horst Görtz Institute for IT Security, the region offers first-class research institutions in close exchange with the TU Dortmund University and the University of Duisburg-Essen.

The number of successful startups in the industry that have settled here is constantly increasing - and with well-established companies like GData, the region creates a unique cyber security ecosystem.