Thesis Work - Generative AI for Scenario and Injection Design in IT/OT

Realistic cybersecurity exercises help critical infrastructure operators prepare for incidents spanning interconnected IT and OT environments, but creating credible scenarios and exercise injects requires substantial manual effort. This thesis will explore how generative AI can assist with scenario design and adapt exercises to participants’ decisions. Within Vattenfall’s Corporate Security & Resilience function, the students will develop a conceptual framework and workflow, using a qualitative approach and expert feedback to assess their practical relevance.

The assignment

• Develop an academic framework for using generative AI to create cybersecurity exercise scenarios and injects for IT/OT environments.
• Produce a small collection of reviewed example artifacts illustrating the framework.
• Specify a workflow for preparing sources, generating scenarios, tracking exercise state, selecting adaptive injects, obtaining human approval and supporting debriefs.
• Build a limited demonstrator or simulation showing how participant choices influence later injects and scenario outcomes.
• Evaluate the framework and workflow through expert reviews and walkthroughs, documenting practical relevance, risks and potential adoption barriers.

Who we are looking for

• Students approaching the end of a master’s programme in Computer Science or Software Engineering.
• Fluent written and spoken English, as the project will be conducted in English.
• Interested in applying academic knowledge to practical challenges and aligned with an active, open, positive and safety-conscious way of working.

What we offer

• A business-connected thesis project addressing cybersecurity challenges in the energy sector.
• Collaboration with experienced specialists and supervision from a designated Vattenfall supervisor.
• An opportunity to work within a flexible and agile security and resilience function.

Practical details

The project is intended for two students and covers 30 credits at master’s level. Planned start: 11 January 2027, with other dates possible by agreement. Location: Göteborg or Stockholm. Upload your CV and academic transcripts together in one file. The advertisement states an application deadline of 18 November 2026; the supplied listing metadata gives 17 November 2026. Contact and supervisor: Elpidoforos Arapantonis, elpidoforos.arapantonis@vattenfall.com, +46 70 284 19 86.