January 30, 1-2 PM, Location In Campus Group.

We are excited to invite you to an upcoming event hosted by the Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) student chapter at UCI! Joann Chen (https://joannqc.com/), PhD candidate in the EECS Department at UCI, will be giving a talk about her research entitled “Envisioning the Future of Digital Privacy: Bridging Theory and Practice in Differential Privacy”. This event will also serve as a rehearsal for Joann’s job talk as she is currently on the academic job market. This event will be beneficial for anyone who is interested in academic or industry research positions to see what a job talk is like and provide feedback. Faculty, researchers, & students are welcome!

Joann’s talk will explore novel technologies related to differential privacy (DP), privacy-enhancing technologies, and privacy in machine learning. Her experience includes work on differentially private DNS resolution, DP for data stream release, differentially private resource allocation, and quantifying privacy risks in machine learning. Please see Joann’s bio and talk abstract below. Snacks and beverages will be provided!

Please RSVP here: https://forms.gle/XKjw5TH1HhofSnR2A. If you would like to join via Zoom, please RSVP and the Zoom link will be provided.

Abstract: In today’s technologically driven world, personal data stands at a crucial juncture, representing both immense potential and significant peril. Such potential, when leveraged properly, can lead to groundbreaking advancements in sectors such as healthcare and finance. Yet, the misuse of this same data can result in severe privacy breaches. This talk is dedicated to navigating the complex terrain of personal data privacy, highlighting Differential Privacy (DP) as a pivotal solution that provides strong, provable privacy guarantees. With a focus on DP-aware system design, this talk delves into the challenges of integrating DP into various systems, emphasizing the necessity for infrastructures that prioritize privacy preservation. It outlines the progression of DP from theoretical concepts to practical implementations, detailing both the challenges encountered and the progress made in applying academic DP concepts to real-world solutions. Moreover, this talk extends beyond the scope of DP, exploring the broader realm of privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs). These technologies are crucial not only for meeting legal compliance and ensuring privacy in systems and machine learning but also for paving the way towards a future where data utility and individual privacy coexist in harmony.

Bio: Joann Chen is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in the EECS department at UC Irvine, advised by Dr. Zhou Li. Her research interests center around Differential Privacy (DP), privacy-enhancing technologies, and privacy in machine learning. She has experience in quantifying privacy risks in machine learning and building DP into DNS resolution, data stream release, resource allocator, ad conversion measurements, and network data synthesis. Her research aims to bridge the gap between DP theory and its practical applications for real-world deployments.

November 15, 2:30-3:30pm, Location in Campus Groups

Join us for a talk by Habiba Farrukh, Assistant Professor in Computer Science. This talk will explore novel technologies for analyzing security and privacy threats on emerging computing platforms through multimodal sensing, computer vision, and machine learning. Prof. Farrukh’s research is focused on mobile and IoT security and privacy  and human-centered computing. Snacks and beverages will be provided! Please RSVP here: https://forms.gle/PnEGNB2Ny4WvijtH6

Abstract: Mobile systems, including smartphones, wearables, IoT devices, and mixed-reality headsets, have evolved significantly from mere communication tools to sophisticated sensing devices that monitor and control various aspects of our lives. While the advanced computing and sensing capabilities of these devices unlock a myriad of useful applications, they also make them attractive targets for attackers, leading to several security threats and loss of users’ privacy. In this presentation, I will explore the integration of multimodal sensing, computer vision, and machine learning techniques to scrutinize security and privacy threats on emerging computing platforms. Further, I will share insights on improving modern mobile and IoT devices’ security and ensuring users’ privacy. In particular, first, I will demonstrate how human interaction with mobile devices and their accessories (e.g., stylus pencils) generates identifiable patterns that reveal sensitive information about users. Second, I will present multimodal and user-friendly methods for mobile and IoT user and device authentication to enhance the security of these devices. Through this research, the overarching aim is to forge tools and algorithms that empower developers to implement effective and user-friendly solutions addressing the security limitations of both current systems and emerging computing platforms.

Bio: Habiba Farrukh is an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science department at the University of California, Irvine. Prior to joining UCI, Habiba received her Ph.D. at Purdue University, where she was advised by Professor Z. Berkay Celik and was a part of the PurSec Lab. Habiba has conducted research on a variety of topics, including mobile and IoT security and privacy and human-centered computing. Her dissertation focused on leveraging multimodal sensing on mobile and IoT devices to provide rigorous security and privacy guarantees for these systems. She received the Bilsland Fellowship for her dissertation in 2022. She also led a team of graduate students to improve the usability and conformity of Android authorization APIs and the WearOS permission model for the Google ASPIRE (Android Security and PrIvacy REsearch) Award in 2021 and 2022. More information is available at https://habiba-farrukh.github.io/.

Oct 26, 5-6:30pm, Location in Campus Groups

Are you interested in cybersecurity and privacy? Are you interested in learning about research at UCI in these areas? Come to our event to hear from student researchers in various labs at UCI and learn about cybersecurity and privacy research! Food and beverages will be provided!

Please RSVP here: https://forms.gle/9eHeMdNSoEPN28qD8

Oct 11, 3:30-4:30pm, Location in Campus Groups

We are excited to invite you to an upcoming event organized by the Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) student chapter at UCI. Please mark your calendars for our Welcome to WiCyS Social on October 11th at 3:30pm. We invite you to join us at this gathering to connect with the vibrant WiCyS community and get to know our chapter. Feel free to drop by at any time during the event (3:30-4:30pm) at your convenience. Snacks and beverages will be provided!

May 12, 1:30-6pm, ISEB 1200

Join us at our upcoming academic development event designed to help graduate students navigate graduate life and pursue academic careers. The event consists of two panels and a lightning talk series. The full agenda is available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BAaMNZaO5dr4aMZ-bZSEVKj6XeKrSb8m8cjMyclakCM/edit?usp=sharing. 

At the event, you will have the opportunity to meet and interact with professors, PhD students, and postdocs from various disciplines. They will be sharing their insights and experiences on how to succeed in academia.

• Please RSVP!
• Date: May 12, 1:30 pm – 6 pm PST
• Location: ISEB Classroom 1200 and 1st-floor Lobby

April 17, 6:30pm, DBH 6011

Ever had questions about pursuing a career in the IT field? Curious about what it takes to conduct research in cybersecurity? Women in Computer Science (WICS) is hosting a one of a kind coffee chat style event in collaboration with the Women in Tech (WiT) and Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) organizations on campus. On April 17th at 6:30 pm, come out to DBH 6011 with all your questions, and get the exclusive chance to chat in a casual, small group setting with staff members, administration, and grad students from WiT and WiCyS!
Please RSVP here: bit.ly/WICSxWiTxWiCyS

March 3rd, 3pm, ICS1 Room 428

Join us for a talk from Professor Al Faruque (EECS Department and Embedded & Cyber-Physical Systems Lab at UCI) about the current state of cyber-physical systems security and both research developments and challenges in the field. The talk is open to all, including newbies in cybersecurity and researchers in the field. Snacks and refreshments will be provided! See below for more detailed information about the talk and speaker.

Title: Cross-Layer Security of Embedded and Cyber-Physical Systems

Abstract: Cyber-physical systems (CPS) are engineered systems that are built from, and depend upon, the seamless integration of computation and physical components [NSF]. Embedded systems comprising of hardware and software systems are the major enabling technology for these cyber-physical systems. Today, CPSs can be found in security-sensitive areas such as aerospace, automotive, energy, healthcare, manufacturing transportation, entertainment, and consumer appliances. Compared to the traditional information processing systems, due to the tight interactions between cyber and physical components in CPSs and closed-loop control from sensing to actuation, new vulnerabilities are emerging from the boundaries between various layers and domains. In this seminar, Prof. Al Faruque will discuss how new vulnerabilities are emerging at the intersection of various components and subsystems and their various hardware, software, and physical layers. Several recent examples from various cyber-physical systems will be presented in this talk. To understand these new vulnerabilities a very different set of methodologies and tools are needed. Defenses against these vulnerabilities demand also new hardware/software co-design approaches. The talk will highlight recent developments in this regard. The major goal of this talk will be to highlight various research challenges and the need for novel scientific solutions from the larger research community.

Bio: Mohammad Al Faruque is currently with the University of California Irvine (UCI), where he is a full professor and directs the Cyber-Physical Systems Lab. He has been nominated as the IEEE CEDA Distinguished Lecturer for 2022-2023. Prof. Al Faruque is the recipient of the School of Engineering Mid-Career Faculty Award for Research 2019, the IEEE Technical Committee on Cyber-Physical Systems Early-Career Award 2018, and the IEEE CEDA Ernest S. Kuh Early Career Award 2016. He also received the UCI Academic Senate Distinguished Early-Career Faculty Award for Research 2017, the School of Engineering Early-Career Faculty Award for Research 2017, the EECS Professor of the year 2015-16 Award, and the 2015 UCI Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Fostering Undergraduate Research. He served as an Emulex Career Development Chair from October 2012 till July 2015. Before, he was with Siemens Corporate Research and Technology in Princeton, NJ.
His current research is focused on the system-level design of Internet-of-Things (IoT), Embedded Systems, and Cyber-Physical-Systems (CPS) with special interests in design automation methodologies, data-driven modeling techniques, including machine learning for design, CPS security, etc. His work involves novel hardware and software design for various CPS application areas, including mobile health (mHealth), Industry 4.0 (manufacturing), smart-grid, and autonomous vehicles.
Prof. Al Faruque received 4 best paper awards (ACSAC 2022, DATE 2016, DAC 2015, and ICCAD 2009), 5 additional best paper award nominations, several paper/poster awards, and the Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award 2016 from the Edison Foundation for his research and innovations. Besides 150+ IEEE/ACM publications in the premier journals and conferences, Prof. Al Faruque holds 11 US patents. Prof. Al Faruque has published 2 books in the area of Embedded and Cyber-Physical Systems.
Prof. Al Faruque served as the Program Co-Chair in the ACM/IEEE International Conference on Cyber-Physical Systems in 2021 (ICCPS’21), the General Co-Chair for the ACM/IEEE International Conference on Cyber-Physical Systems 2022 (ICCPS’22), and the Program Chair of the ACM/IEEE International Conference on Hardware/Software Codesign and System Synthesis (CODES+ISSS’22, and CODES+ISSS’23).

Feb 28th, 7-8pm, DBH 6011

SWE (Society of Women Engineers) at UCI is hosting a Research Mixer on Tuesday, Feb 28th, 7-8pm, in DBH 6011. Among the many professors and graduate students who will be tabling at the event, a few of our WiCyS officers will be there as well to talk about our research, our research labs, and undergraduate research opportunities in our labs. RSVP using the QR code in the flyer.

Nov 16th, 6pm-7pm on Zoom

Join us for our Fall Alumni Mixer that we are co-hosting with Women in Leadership (WIL)! We have 6 wonderful alumni (details in the flyer below) from Business and Computer Science (CS), and two of them are WiCyS alumni (Evita Bakopoulou and Sumaya Almanee) who recently earned their PhDs in CS and are now at Microsoft and Google! Hear from our panelists about their journeys and learn about grad school, internships, career paths, and navigating UCI.

Come check out our table at the Fall Involvement Fair!

May 20-22, 2022, DBH 6011

WiCyS will be tabling at the VenusHacks hackathon, which is UCI’s largest women-centric hackathon hosted by Women in Computer Science (WICS) and Hack at UCI. Their mission is to empower underrepresented groups by providing an inclusive environment for hacking and creativity in computing. The 36-hour hackathon is open to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students.

May 3, 11:30am-1pm at DBH 6011 and Patio

We’re excited to have our first social event in 2022! It’s open to any undergrad and grad students interested in security and privacy!

July 30, 2020, 5pm-6:30pm PT (Virtual)

We are excited to announce our virtual event co-organized with UCI CPRI.

Join us for an engaging virtual event featuring a keynote by Shabnam Jalakian, Chief Information Security Officer and Senior Vice President of First American Financial Corp., followed by a panel discussion and opportunity to connect as a community.

For more information and to register please visit CPRI website

December 4, 2019, 3-4pm

We are honored to have Prof. Qi Alfred Chen, Assistant Professor in CS Dept., who will be giving an invited talk from HotSec’19 on self-driving and smart transportation security. His talk won 2 out of 4 awards (Most Amusing & Most Engaging)! Please find more information and RSVP here.

We will be hosting our first WiCyS meeting for this quarter on Wednesday Nov 6th from 3:00-4:00 pm. It will be a casual meeting to welcome new members and talk about our next plans. We will also have pizza!

Please RSVP here. 

Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/403921090305124/