July 2016 Information Technology Security Dominates NUI Galway IT Summer School

Over 40 second level students attended the annual Computer Science and Information Technology Summer School in NUI Galway recently. The students were treated to a host of guest lectures and workshop activities across a range of exciting themes.

One of the many highlights throughout the day was a practical demonstration of corporate security vulnerability through secret message encryption which was led by Dr Michael Schukat. Students learned of the historical significance of cyphers from early Roman times through to World War 2 and the Cold War. The students got to encrypt secret messages during the session by embedding hidden codes within software files that might appear to be simply basic images but can actually contain hidden information in encrypted format using an approach called steganography. The implications for modern day organisations for this type of communication are huge when dealing with sensitive trading data or intellectual property. 

Academic Coordinator Dr Enda Howley said: “The event was another huge success, with a wide range of schools in the region in attendance from Galway, Mayo, Clare, Cork, Roscommon and Longford. We always look forward to the opportunity of welcoming second level students onto the campus and giving them a sense of university life alongside the huge potential of studying Information Technology. The job opportunities are limitless and industry employers simply cannot get enough software developers at the moment. The enthusiasm and energy of these mostly Transition Year students is almost infectious and we are already looking forward to our 2017 Summer School. ”

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