About Me
I am a Computer Science Master's student from Belgium, studying at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. My research experience lies in security, specifically in vulnerability analysis of network protocols and Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs). Currently, I am working on my master's thesis in collaboration with Nokia Bell Labs, where I am investigating bugs in ZKP programs. Previously, I completed a research internship at KU Leuven’s COSIC group, where I conducted a security analysis of the Matter standard for smart home devices. My main research goal is to make technologies more secure in order to protect our privacy and data.
Research Experience
Security Research Intern
September 2024 - Present · Nokia Bell Labs, Antwerpen
- Conducting research focused on the security analysis of Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs), under the supervision of Prof. Coen De Roover and Dr. Janwillem Swalens.
- Part of my Master’s thesis.
- Developing a language-agnostic bug detector for ZKP programs.
Security Research Intern
July 2024 - September 2024 · COSIC (KU Leuven), Leuven
- COSIC is a leading research institution in cryptography and software/hardware security.
- Conducted an in-depth security analysis of the Matter standard for smart home communication, with the aim of identifying potential security weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
- Performed formal verification of Matter’s protocols using automated tools, which involved modeling and verifying the protocols.
- Worked under the guidance of Dr. Dave Singelée, Georgio Nicolas, Sayon Duttagupta and Prof. Bart Preneel.
- This experience strengthened my skills in protocol security analysis and formal verification, and expanded my understanding of security challenges within the IoT field.
Summer School Participant
September 2024 · Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany
- Attended the ACM Europe Summer School on Distributed and Replicated Environments (DARE) 2024 in Germany.
- The summer school was focused on advanced topics in distributed systems.
- It offered me both theoretical and practical knowledge, with lectures focusing on CRDTs, Byzantine fault-tolerance, distributed systems, verification techniques for consistency, and programming/debugging/testing distributed applications.
- Participated in hands-on sessions and conducted a small research project on enhancing decentralized access control algorithms with a focus on security.
- Took classes from esteemed experts in this field, including Prof. Martin Kleppmann, Prof. Carlos Baquero, Prof. Antonio Fernández Anta, Prof. Mira Mezini, and Prof. Elisa Gonzalez Boix.
- Fully funded by the Erasmus+ grant.
Bachelor's Thesis
November 2021 - November 2024 · Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels
- Conducted research on enhancing the speed of modular static analyses, under the supervision of Prof. Coen De Roover.
- Identified limitations in existing worklist heuristics.
- Designed more efficient ones.
- Benchmarked all new and existing worklist heuristics.
Teaching Experience
Programming Lecturer
November 2021 - November 2024 · Vrije Universiteit Brussel
- Lecturer for additional programming classes (in the programming language Scheme), organized for first year Computer Science students at my university.
- Always prepared slides to help the students refresh the necessary theory. Then we solved exercises in preparation for the exam.
- During the coronavirus period, I gave a session online and an on-campus session every other week.
- If the session went online, I had the students share their code via a code-sharing website where I provided comments to help them make progress.
Lecturer of Mathematics
September 2022 - September 2023 · Vrije Universiteit Brussel
- Taught the following topics of mathematics for both mathematics and non-mathematics background students: Linear Algebra, Analysis, Functions, Plane Geometry, Three Dimensional Geometry.
- This was my first experience teaching a class of more than 40 students.
Teaching Assistant of Preparation/Bridge Course in Mathematics
August 2021 - September 2021 · Vrije Universiteit Brussel
- During the coronavirus pandemic.
- Organized live question sessions.
- Answered students’ questions on discussion fora.
- Corrected mathematics tests.
- Updated the solutions of exercises on the website of the mathematics book ‘Wiskundige basisvaardigheden’ (basiswiskunde.be).
Teaching Volunteer
December 2021 - Present · Infogroep Student Association
- Infogroep is the student association dedicated to supporting Computer Science students at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
- Organized and taught classes on various subjects, including a preparation workshop for my university’s Capture the Flag (CTF) security competition.
- Taught an introductory session on using LaTeX (Overleaf) for writing academic essays and reports.
Work Experience
Webmaster
April 2022 - September 2022 · Vrije Universiteit Brussel
- Helped with the development of the new website of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).
- Regularly made small adjustments to the site, created new events, etc.
- Followed up a ticketing system and resolved tickets from VUB staff and external people.
Integration of Usolv-it Exercises into the Canvas Learning Platform
July 2022 · Vrije Universiteit Brussel
- Wrote mathematics problems in LaTeX format.
- Managed mathematics assignments in Usolv-it.
- Converted Usolv-it assignments into tests and then migrated these to the Canvas learning platform.
Organization of Pretests in Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics
September 2021 · Vrije Universiteit Brussel
- Corrected pre-tests (which test the prior knowledge of first-year university students).
- Supervised when the students took their tests.
API Inventarisation
August 2022 · Argenta, Antwerpen
- Argenta is a Belgian bank and insurance group offering financial services in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
- Spent a month in their IT Shared Service Integration department, assisting with the identification of available APIs.
- Created a comprehensive list of technical and functional descriptions of APIs and researched optimal tools for inventory setup and maintenance.
- Worked three days per week at the headquarters in Antwerp and two days from home, with weekly follow-ups.
- This role brought me a first business experience in IT, improved my skills in conveying information smoothly and correctly, enhanced my ability to ask targeted questions to colleagues, and introduced me to agile/scrum methodologies.
Logistics and Outlet Employee
July 2020 - September 2020 · ZEB, Merchtem
- RFID, Sorter, Optical Scanning.
Helpdesk
March 2019 · FAMIFED, Brussel
- Famiris is the federal agency responsible for managing child benefits in Belgium.
- Assisted its staff with technical problems.
Education
Master's degree in Software Engineering
2023 - 2025 · Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Distinction: currently Greatest Distinction (summa cum laude)
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science
2020 - 2023 · Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Distinction: Greatest Distinction (summa cum laude)
Science-Mathematics (8 hours of math per week)
2014 - 2020 · GO! Atheneum Emanuel Hiel
Distinction: Greatest Distinction (summa cum laude)
Publications
In-Depth Security Analysis of the Matter Protocol
2025 · (in preparation)
This paper is based on the work I conducted during my internship at COSIC. We are currently preparing it for submission to a top-tier security conference (name omitted to comply with the double-blind review policy).
How to Become a Memory Champion?
July 2020 · EOS Wetenschap
EOS Wetenschap is a renowned Belgian monthly magazine that covers the latest advancements in science for a broad audience. "Arman Kolozyan is 19 years old. He graduated in Science-Mathematics from GO! Atheneum Emanuel Hiel and has always dreamed of having a fantastic memory. Can anyone become a memory champion? He researched this question and wrote an article on his findings."
You can read the article here (it is in Dutch).
Honors
Winner Cyber Security Challenge Belgium 2024 (qualifiers)
March 2024
National team competition for students about cyber security. We advanced through the qualifiers, securing first place out of 286 teams. We later finished 8th in the finals. My main contributions were to the cryptography category.
Finalist Cyber Security Challenge Belgium 2023
March 2023
National team competition for students about cyber security. We successfully advanced through the qualifiers and secured 7th place out of 289 teams in the finals. My main contributions were to the cryptography and forensics categories.
Pre-Finalist Cyber Security Challenge Belgium 2022
March 2022
National team competition for students about cyber security. We successfully advanced through the qualifiers and secured 43rd place out of 253 teams in the pre-finals. Unfortunately, we did not progress to the finals. My main contributions were to the cryptography and forensics categories.
Winner Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) CTF 2021
November 2021
Capture The Flag (CTF) is a competition in which teams solve tasks related to cyber security. This competition was organized by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. My contribution was mainly on the cryptography category, where I successfully solved all of the crypto challenges.
Interview in BRUZZ (Belgian magazine)
September 2021
After I successfully completed my first academic year, I was interviewed in this Belgian news article about the Computer Science major and my academic achievements. I was also later invited for a radio interview.
Finalist Wiskunnend Wiske Wedstrijd 2020
March 2020
Competition where hard mathematics questions must be solved by students in their final years of secondary school. I solved the three challenges on my own and, upon hearing that my submission qualified for the finals, gathered a team to compete in the next stage.
Volunteering
Corporate Relations, CTF, iLAN
September 2024 - Present · Infogroep
Infogroep is the student association dedicated to supporting Computer Science students at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. At Infogroep, we organize activities such as classes and seminars, competitions, a gaming tournament, a job fair, etc. Currently, I manage our corporate relations with companies such as Deloitte and PwC, assist in organizing the yearly Capture the Flag (CTF) security competition, and help organizing our annual LAN party event.Student Representative in Study Programme Committee
October 2022 - Present · Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Serving on the Study Programme Committee as Student Representative, actively contributing to the enhancement of academic programs and the overall student experience. Collaborating with faculty, administration, and fellow students to advocate for student needs, voice concerns, and promote positive changes within the educational institution.Corporate Relations, Lectures & Seminars
September 2023 - September 2024 · Infogroep
Infogroep is the student association dedicated to supporting Computer Science students at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. At Infogroep, we organize activities such as classes and seminars, competitions, a gaming tournament, a job fair, etc. I managed our corporate relations with companies such as Deloitte and PwC. I also organized and taught several lectures and seminars on topics such as using LaTeX (Overleaf) for academic writing.Student Volunteer at Computer Science Workshop
March 2024 · Brussels Workshop on Real-Time Scheduling and Operating System Synergies
Assisted attendees in navigating the university campus.Job Fair Organizer
December 2021 - September 2023 · Infogroep
I served as the head of the annual job fair organized by our student association. In order to make the job fair a success, I ensured extensive promotion across various academic disciplines, which involved promotion at the beginning of lectures, running paid Facebook advertisements, and more. I dedicated significant effort to attracting a diverse range of appealing companies to participate. Ultimately, the job fair proved to be a great success, with over 100 attendees, 15+ participating companies, and with more than 150 student resumes submitted.Student Volunteer at Gaming Event
October 2022 · GameForce
GameForce is the largest gaming event in the Benelux. As a volunteer, I had the responsibility to stand at various (gaming) booths, attract visitors to these booths, and provide the necessary assistance to the visitors.Student Volunteer at Computer Science Conference
September 2022 · International Conference on Managed Programming Languages & Runtimes
I provided room support by assisting presenters in the conference room, troubleshooting technical issues, and passing the microphone for audience questions. Additionally, I offered outside support in the main hall, where I helped at the registration desk and assisted in setting up coffee breaks.
Favorite Motivational Quotes
Below is a collection of my favorite motivational quotes (well... some might be more inspirational than others). I have included links for more information about the authors, though for a few lesser-known ones, I simply referenced where I first encountered them.
Setting a goal, giving your all, and coming up short is scary. That’s what makes it great, that’s what makes you give your all to the project. And I think my fear is why I have done so well.
Fate loves the fearless.
Destiny doesn't make mistakes.
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.
It’s tough to get out of bed to do roadwork at 5 am when you’ve been sleeping in silk pajamas.
I’ll be fine once I get it. I’ll be good.
Destiny doesn't do home visits.
If it’s meant for me, it won’t miss me.
Men are haunted by the vastness of eternity.
It was time to marry the game and I said, "Yeah, I do."
It’s the curse of the standard.
Now the sky's blackening. I know the mark’s high, butterflies rip apart my stomach.
If you want it, you gotta see it with a clear-eyed view.
To me fearless isn't not having fears, it's not that you're not afraid of anything. I think that being fearless is having a lot of fears, but you jump anyway.
Perfection is not just about control. It's also about letting go.
It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!