PhD position in Cross-Platform Tracking and privacy risks in LLMs
Cybersecurity Group
Internet Analytics Group
Deadline for receipt of applications: August 14, :59 AoE (15 August 2026, 13:59h)
The Cybersecurity ( and Internet Analytics Groups ( led by Dr. Guillermo Suarez-Tangil ( and Dr. Narseo Vallina-Rodriguez ( at IMDEA Networks Institute have a joint opening for one PhD student in the area of IoT Security and Privacy.
The research will involve both empirical and methodological contributions :
- Developing automated frameworks to detect and analyze cross-platform data flows using network measurements, static and dynamic app analysis , and large-scale testing infrastructures .
- Studying deterministic and probabilistic tracking mechanisms (e.g., shared identifiers, IP correlation, fingerprinting (see (1)), or behavioral synchronization).
- Investigating how tracking companies and SDKs operate across device and ecosystem boundaries.
- Designing privacy-preserving countermeasures that balance usability, scalability, and effectiveness.





This PhD project offers the opportunity to make fundamental contributions to an emerging research field with high societal, regulatory, and industrial relevance , while working at the intersection of cybersecurity, privacy, data analysis, and network measurement . In fact, the Ph.D. candidate’s contributions will advance our ability to detect and understand how users are tracked across devices, apps, and ecosystems , providing empirical evidence and technical insights to shape privacy engineering and policy at a integral scale, with a special focus on the privacy risks of LM-based architectures.
The position offers:
- Full-time paid position for up to 4 years, with competitive salary and benefits.
- Hands-on training in scalable software/firmware analysis and reverse engineering skills, and data analysis.
- A unique opportunity to work in one of the most active research groups in the field of online privacy.
- The opportunity to explor

📌 PhD position in Cross-Platform Tracking and privacy risks in LLMs (Madrid)
🏢 Fundación Imdea Networks
📍 Madrid