"I interned at CITIC (Center for Research in Information and Communication Technologies) at the Universidade da Coruña in Spain. CITIC is a leading research institution focused on AI, cybersecurity, high-performance computing, and intelligent networks. My project was centered around foundational AI models for cybersecurity. I specifically worked on applying Transformer-based architectures to passive OS fingerprinting using network traffic. Over the summer, I worked on fine-tuning ET-BERT, a pre-trained Transformer model designed for classifying network traffic. I built a dataset from scratch by capturing packet data (pcap files) from multiple operating systems—Linux, macOS, and Windows—using virtual machines. I then preprocessed the data to match the model’s expected format and fine-tuned ET-BERT for the OS classification task. All of this was to provide insight to the research group on the strengths and weaknesses of ET-BERT as a generalizable network traffic analysis model."
Jace's story
Jace Lopez '28, a computer science and engineering major, had a chance to explore the intersection and experience hands-on application of AI and cybersecurity. He enjoyed working with his coworkers and peers at the Center for Research in Information and Communication Technologies (CITIC) at the Universidade da Coruña in Spain over the summer of 2025.
"Working in Spain taught me about a different kind of work pace/culture. Here, I would say that conversations, meals, and work were more intentional and less rushed. At CITIC, the research environment was collaborative and laid-back, which was a shift from the more fast-paced, deadline-driven culture I’m used to at MIT. I think this experience opened my eyes to an entirely different culture and way of life."Jace Lopez
Major and Class Year
Computer Science and Engineering (6-3), Class of 2028
MISTI program
Internship
Location
Spain
Host
Centro de Investigación en TIC (CITIC - UDC)