Computer Science/Systems Engineering: How much information does your phone know about you? With Dr Iñaki Esnaola from The University of Sheffield

Phones that collect our biometric data, consumption aware appliances, and shoes that track our running performance are just a few of the examples that contribute to the current exponential explosion of data.

We are told that this extensive adoption of sensing hardware and data collection will improve our wellbeing and quality of life. However, this deployment also opens the door to cybersecurity threats. Confidentiality, integrity, and authentication issues are just a few of the problems that arise as a result of this new paradigm.

In this talk, Dr Iñaki Esnaola from Sheffield’s Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering will give a brief overview of the historical approaches to information and will present some of the latest results in cybersecurity that affect our everyday life.

NB. Please note that, if this time is difficult and a 14.00 to 15.00 session on the same day is better for you, there may be an option to run a second session at this time if enough schools express an interest (See Booking a Place below).

Suitable for: This lecture would be appropriate for Year 12 students studying or interested in studying Computer Science, Systems Engineering, Maths and Science.

Lecturer Biography (Please click): Dr Iñaki Esnaola

Preparation or Pre-Reading: We recommend that students consider some questions in advance relevant to the subject matter.

The IT Setup: The setup is similar to Skype, using a pc and webcam, although students take part as a group with the image projected on a whiteboard rather than as individuals in front of lots of pcs. Dedicated videoconferencing equipment is also compatible if available to the school. We will work with your IT department to ensure everything is set up and working prior to the event. The sessions are generally limited to 3 to 5 schools to maintain the interactive nature of the experience.

Booking a Place: If you have a group of students that you would like to take part in this event, please contact us via email or via the contact form at the top right of this webpage (or at the bottom if you are on a mobile device). Subject to availability we will book a place for you. Please also let us know if you would like to be considered for an identical session between 14.00 and 15.00 on the same day and we will confirm dependent on whether we have enough other schools interested.