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Photo of the Secure Water Treatment (SWaT) testbed Chris Poskitt

Research

I'm interested in software engineering, formal methods, and cybersecurity, with my research broadly addressing the problem of engineering correct and secure software/systems.

I have worked on techniques for testing/defending cyber-physical systems using fuzzing and machine learning, tools for analysing execution models of concurrency APIs, and logics for reasoning about the correctness of graph-rewriting programs.

Get in touch if you fancy a chat on any of the work! We're always keen to collaborate.

Projects

Some recent and recent-ish projects include:

See my CV for project funding details.

Publications

PDF postprints and bibliographic data of papers I have co-authored are available below.

You can also refer to my listings on DBLP, Google Scholar, or ORCID.

Under Submission

Are Existing Road Design Guidelines Suitable for Autonomous Vehicles?
Y. Sun, C.M. Poskitt, and J. Sun
arXiv:2409.10562, 2024
BibTeXarXivUnder submission

Security Modelling for Cyber-Physical Systems: A Systematic Literature Review
S. Huang, C.M. Poskitt, and L.K. Shar
arXiv:2404.07527, 2024
BibTeXarXivUnder submission

2024

REDriver: Runtime Enforcement for Autonomous Vehicles
Y. Sun, C.M. Poskitt, Z. Zhang, and J. Sun
In Proc. IEEE/ACM International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE'24). ACM, 2024
BibTeXarXivACM

ACAV: A Framework for Automatic Causality Analysis in Autonomous Vehicle Accident Recordings
H. Sun, C.M. Poskitt, Y. Sun, J. Sun, and Y. Chen
In Proc. IEEE/ACM International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE'24). ACM, 2024
BibTeXarXivACM

Fixing Your Own Smells: Adding a Mistake-Based Familiarisation Step When Teaching Code Refactoring
I. Tan and C.M. Poskitt
In Proc. ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE'24), pages 1307–1313. ACM, 2024
BibTeXarXivACM

Towards Automated Slide Augmentation to Discover Credible and Relevant Links
D. Dinushka, C.M. Poskitt, K.C. Koh, H.N. Mok, and H.W. Lauw
In Late Breaking Results, International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED'24), volume 2151 of CCIS, pages 200–208. Springer, 2024
BibTeXSpringer

Digital Transformation at Al Hilal Bank: From Bricks and Mortar to a Fully Functional Digital Bank
R.E. Duran, C.M. Poskitt, J. Ang, Y.M. Lau, and S.M. Cheah
Teaching Case. SMU Centre for Management Practice, 2024

2023

Finding Causally Different Tests for an Industrial Control System
C.M. Poskitt, Y. Chen, J. Sun, and Y. Jiang
In Proc. IEEE/ACM International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE'23), pages 2578-2590. IEEE, 2023
BibTeXarXivIEEE

Monadic Second-Order Incorrectness Logic for GP 2
C.M. Poskitt and D. Plump
Journal of Logical and Algebraic Methods in Programming 130:100825, 2023
BibTeXElsevier

K-ST: A Formal Executable Semantics of the Structured Text Language for PLCs
K. Wang, J. Wang, C.M. Poskitt, X. Chen, J. Sun, and P. Cheng
IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering 49(10):4796-4813, 2023
BibTeXarXivIEEE

Specification-based Autonomous Driving System Testing
Y. Zhou, Y. Sun, Y. Tang, Y. Chen, J. Sun, C.M. Poskitt, Y. Liu, and Z. Yang
IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering 49(6):3391-3410, 2023
BibTeXIEEE

Mitigating Adversarial Attacks on Data-Driven Invariant Checkers for Cyber-Physical Systems
R.R. Maiti, C.H. Yoong, V.R. Palleti, A. Silva, and C.M. Poskitt
IEEE Transactions on Dependable and Secure Computing 20(4):3378-3391, 2023
BibTeXIEEE

Boosting Adversarial Training in Safety-Critical Systems Through Boundary Data Selection
Y. Jia, C.M. Poskitt, P. Zhang, J. Wang, J. Sun, and S. Chattopadhyay
IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L) 8(12):8350-8357, 2023
BibTeXIEEE

Constructing Cyber-Physical System Testing Suites Using Active Sensor Fuzzing
F. Zhang, Q. Wu, B. Xuan, Y. Chen, W. Lin, C.M. Poskitt, J. Sun, and B. Chen
IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering 49(11):4829-4845, 2023
BibTeXIEEE

How Helpful do Novice Programmers Find the Feedback of an Automated Repair Tool?
O. Kurniawan, C.M. Poskitt, I.A. Hoque, N.T.S. Lee, C. Jégourel, and N. Sockalingam
In Proc. International Conference on Teaching, Assessment, and Learning for Engineering (TALE'23). IEEE, 2023
BibTeXarXivIEEE

Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Graph Transformation (ICGT 2023)
M. Fernández and C.M. Poskitt (eds.)
Volume 13961 of LNCS. Springer, 2023
BibTeXSpringer

How Generalizable are Deepfake Detectors? An Empirical Study
B. Li, J. Sun, and C.M. Poskitt
arXiv:2308.04177, 2023
BibTeXarXiv

2022

LawBreaker: An Approach for Specifying Traffic Laws and Fuzzing Autonomous Vehicles
Y. Sun, C.M. Poskitt, J. Sun, Y. Chen, and Z. Yang
In Proc. IEEE/ACM International Conference on Automated Software Engineering (ASE'22). ACM, 2022
BibTeXarXivACM

XSS for the Masses: Integrating Security in a Web Programming Course using a Security Scanner
L.K. Shar, C.M. Poskitt, K.J. Shim, and L.Y.L. Wong
In Proc. ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (ITiCSE'22), pages 463–469. ACM, 2022
BibTeXarXivACMNominated for best paper award

Physical Adversarial Attack on a Robotic Arm
Y. Jia, C.M. Poskitt, J. Sun, and S. Chattopadhyay
IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L) 7(4):9334-9341, 2022
BibTeXIEEE

Mind the Gap: Reimagining an Interactive Programming Course for the Synchronous Hybrid Classroom
C.M. Poskitt, K.J. Shim, Y.M. Lau, and H.S. Ong
In Proc. Conference on Software Engineering Education and Training (CSEE&T'22): Special Track of Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS'22), pages 931–940. ScholarSpace, 2022
BibTeXarXivScholarSpace

Steps Before Syntax: Helping Novice Programmers Solve Problems using the PCDIT Framework
O. Kurniawan, C. Jégourel, N.T.S. Lee, M. De Mari, and C.M. Poskitt
In Proc. Conference on Software Engineering Education and Training (CSEE&T'22): Special Track of Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS'22), pages 982–991. ScholarSpace, 2022
BibTeXarXivScholarSpace

Post-Proceedings of the 13th International Workshop on Graph Computation Models (GCM 2022)
R. Heckel and C.M. Poskitt (eds.)
Volume 374 of Electronic Proceedings in Theoretical Computer Science (EPTCS), 2022
BibTeXarXivEPTCS

Proceedings of the 13th International Workshop on Graph Computation Models (GCM 2022)
R. Heckel and C.M. Poskitt (eds.)
BibTeX

2021

Code Integrity Attestation for PLCs using Black Box Neural Network Predictions
Y. Chen, C.M. Poskitt, and J. Sun
In Proc. ACM Joint European Software Engineering Conference and Symposium on the Foundations of Software Engineering (ESEC/FSE 2021), pages 32–44. ACM, 2021
BibTeXarXivACM

Incorrectness Logic for Graph Programs
C.M. Poskitt
In Proc. International Conference on Graph Transformation (ICGT 2021), volume 12741 of LNCS, pages 81–101. Springer, 2021
BibTeXarXivSpringer
Invited for submission to the Journal of Logical and Algebraic Methods in Programming

Adversarial Attacks and Mitigation for Anomaly Detectors of Cyber-Physical Systems
Y. Jia, J. Wang, C.M. Poskitt, S. Chattopadhyay, J. Sun, and Y. Chen
International Journal of Critical Infrastructure Protection 34:100452, 2021
BibTeXarXivElsevier

Microservices Orchestration vs. Choreography: A Decision Framework
A. Megargel, C.M. Poskitt, and V. Shankararaman
In Proc. IEEE International Enterprise Distributed Object Computing Conference (EDOC 2021), pages 134–141. IEEE, 2021
BibTeXIEEE

Deriving Invariant Checkers for Critical Infrastructure Using Axiomatic Design Principles
C.H. Yoong, V.R. Palleti, R.R. Maiti, A. Silva, and C.M. Poskitt
Cybersecurity 4:6, 2021
BibTeXSpringer

LGB Bank: Composite Microservices in a Large Global Bank
A. Megargel and C.M. Poskitt
Teaching Case. SMU Centre for Management Practice, 2021

2020

Active Fuzzing for Testing and Securing Cyber-Physical Systems
Y. Chen, B. Xuan, C.M. Poskitt, J. Sun, and F. Zhang
In Proc. ACM SIGSOFT International Symposium on Software Testing and Analysis (ISSTA 2020), pages 14–26. ACM, 2020
BibTeXarXivACM

Securing Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) Programming Exams
O. Kurniawan, N.T.S. Lee, and C.M. Poskitt
In Proc. ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE 2020), pages 880–886. ACM, 2020
BibTeXarXivACM

Towards Systematically Deriving Defence Mechanisms from Functional Requirements of Cyber-Physical Systems
C.H. Yoong, V.R. Palleti, A. Silva, and C.M. Poskitt
In Proc. ACM Cyber-Physical System Security Workshop (CPSS 2020), pages 11–22. ACM, 2020
BibTeXarXivACM

2019

Learning-Guided Network Fuzzing for Testing Cyber-Physical System Defences
Y. Chen, C.M. Poskitt, J. Sun, S. Adepu, and F. Zhang
In Proc. IEEE/ACM International Conference on Automated Software Engineering (ASE 2019), pages 962–973. IEEE, 2019
BibTeXarXivIEEE

2018

Learning from Mutants: Using Code Mutation to Learn and Monitor Invariants of a Cyber-Physical System
Y. Chen, C.M. Poskitt, and J. Sun
In Proc. IEEE Symposium on Security & Privacy (S&P 2018), pages 648–660. IEEE, 2018
BibTeXarXivYouTubeIEEE

A Semantics Comparison Workbench for a Concurrent, Asynchronous, Distributed Programming Language
C. Corrodi, A. Heußner, and C.M. Poskitt
Formal Aspects of Computing 30(1):163-192, 2018
BibTeXarXivSpringer

2017

Anomaly Detection for a Water Treatment System Using Unsupervised Machine Learning
J. Inoue, Y. Yamagata, Y. Chen, C.M. Poskitt, and J. Sun
In Proc. IEEE International Conference on Data Mining Workshops (ICDMW 2017): Data Mining for Cyberphysical and Industrial Systems (DMCIS 2017), pages 1058–1065. IEEE, 2017
ErrataBibTeXarXivIEEE

SafeGPU: Contract- and Library-Based GPGPU for Object-Oriented Languages
A. Kolesnichenko, C.M. Poskitt, and S. Nanz
Computer Languages, Systems & Structures 48:68-88, 2017
BibTeXETH E-CollectionElsevier

2016

A Graph-Based Semantics Workbench for Concurrent Asynchronous Programs
C. Corrodi, A. Heußner, and C.M. Poskitt
In Proc. International Conference on Fundamental Approaches to Software Engineering (FASE 2016), volume 9633 of LNCS, pages 31–48. Springer, 2016
BibTeXETH E-CollectionarXivSpringer
Invited for submission to the Formal Aspects of Computing journal

An Interference-Free Programming Model for Network Objects
M. Schill, C.M. Poskitt, and B. Meyer
In Proc. International Conference on Coordination Models and Languages (COORDINATION 2016), volume 9686 of LNCS, pages 227–244. Springer, 2016
BibTeXETH E-CollectionarXivSpringer

Towards Learning and Verifying Invariants of Cyber-Physical Systems by Code Mutation
Y. Chen, C.M. Poskitt, and J. Sun
In Proc. International Symposium on Formal Methods (FM 2016), volume 9995 of LNCS, pages 155–163. Springer, 2016
BibTeXarXivSpringer

2015

Contract-Based General-Purpose GPU Programming
A. Kolesnichenko, C.M. Poskitt, S. Nanz, and B. Meyer
In Proc. International Conference on Generative Programming: Concepts and Experiences (GPCE 2015), pages 75–84. ACM, 2015
BibTeXETH E-CollectionarXivACM
Invited for submission to the Computer Languages, Systems and Structures journal

Towards Practical Graph-Based Verification for an Object-Oriented Concurrency Model
A. Heußner, C.M. Poskitt, C. Corrodi, and B. Morandi
In Proc. Graphs as Models (GaM 2015), volume 181 of Electronic Proceedings in Theoretical Computer Science, pages 32–47, 2015
BibTeXETH E-CollectionEPTCSEPTCS Proceedings

The AutoProof Verifier: Usability by Non-Experts and on Standard Code
C.A. Furia, C.M. Poskitt, and J. Tschannen
In Proc. Formal Integrated Development Environment (F-IDE 2015), volume 187 of Electronic Proceedings in Theoretical Computer Science, pages 42–55, 2015
BibTeXETH E-CollectionEPTCSEPTCS Proceedings

2014

Verifying Monadic Second-Order Properties of Graph Programs
C.M. Poskitt and D. Plump
In Proc. International Conference on Graph Transformation (ICGT 2014), volume 8571 of LNCS, pages 33–48. Springer, 2014
BibTeXExtended (arXiv)Springer

Towards Rigorously Faking Bidirectional Model Transformations
C.M. Poskitt, M. Dodds, R.F. Paige, and A. Rensink
In Proc. Workshop on the Analysis of Model Transformations (AMT 2014), volume 1277 of CEUR Workshop Proceedings, pages 70–75. CEUR-WS.org, 2014
BibTeXETH E-CollectionWorkshop Proceedings

2013

Verification of Graph Programs
C.M. Poskitt
PhD thesis, University of York, 2013
BibTeXWhite Rose eTheses Online

Using Contracts to Guide the Search-Based Verification of Concurrent Programs
C.M. Poskitt and S. Poulding
In Proc. International Symposium on Search-Based Software Engineering (SSBSE 2013), volume 8084 of LNCS, pages 263–268. Springer, 2013
BibTeXETH E-CollectionSpringer

Applying Search in an Automatic Contract-Based Testing Tool
A. Kolesnichenko, C.M. Poskitt, and B. Meyer
In Proc. International Symposium on Search-Based Software Engineering (SSBSE 2013), volume 8084 of LNCS, pages 318–323. Springer, 2013
BibTeXETH E-CollectionSpringer

Verifying Total Correctness of Graph Programs
C.M. Poskitt and D. Plump
In Selected Revised Papers, Graph Computation Models (GCM 2012). Electronic Communications of the EASST 61, 2013
BibTeXETH E-CollectionECEASST Volume

2012

Hoare-Style Verification of Graph Programs
C.M. Poskitt and D. Plump
Fundamenta Informaticae 118(1-2):135-175, 2012
ErrataBibTeXIOS Press

Verification of Graph Programs (Extended Abstract)
C.M. Poskitt
In Proc. International Conference on Graph Transformation (ICGT 2012), volume 7562 of LNCS, pages 420–422. Springer, 2012
BibTeXSpringer

2011

Proceedings of the Fourth York Doctoral Symposium on Computer Science (YDS 2011)
C.M. Poskitt (ed.)
Technical Report YCS-2011-468, Department of Computer Science, The University of York, 2011
BibTeX

Preparing Future Academics Portfolio
C.M. Poskitt
Researcher Development Team, The University of York, 2011

2010

A Hoare Calculus for Graph Programs
C.M. Poskitt and D. Plump
In Proc. International Conference on Graph Transformation (ICGT 2010), volume 6372 of LNCS, pages 139–154. Springer, 2010
BibTeXSpringerWon K M Stott Memorial Prize (best York CS student paper, 2010)

Hoare Logic for Graph Programs
C.M. Poskitt and D. Plump
In Proc. Theory Workshop at the International Conference on Verified Software: Theories, Tools, and Experiments (VS-THEORY 2010). 2010
BibTeXWorkshop Proceedings