STEM Cyber-Fest Masterclass

On Wednesday 10th June, HGS took its Year 12 ICDL and Computer Science students to Bromsgrove School’s STEM Cyber-Fest Masterclass. The event featured an excellent lineup of guest speakers, including representatives from QinetiQ, who demonstrated how cyber analysts can trace digital evidence back to an individual; Dr Harjinder Lallie OBE, who highlighted the growing importance of digital literacy in the context of evolving cybercrime; Dr Adrian Burden, who shared thought-provoking predictions on the future trajectory of artificial intelligence; and Dr Andrew Tomlinson, who illustrated the vulnerabilities present in modern autonomous vehicles.

One of our sessions, led by QinetiQ, focused on Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT). It was a particularly engaging and insightful experience, demonstrating how a single image can yield a remarkable amount of information. From one photograph, we were able to determine where and when it had been taken, as well as the type of device used to take the picture.  Elements such as architectural features, branding and embedded metadata, all contributed to building a comprehensive picture analysis. These skills were then applied in a collaborative challenge, which encouraged careful observation and analytical thinking. The session provided a strong appreciation for the importance of detail, particularly those subtle clues that are often easily overlooked.

The opportunity to engage directly with leading experts in the field of computer science, felt both inspiring and highly valuable, offering insights that are not always accessible within a typical classroom setting.

To conclude the day, we applied our newly acquired cybersecurity knowledge in a competitive forensic challenge, where we were tasked with identifying the source of a simulated cyberattack. This involved activities such as hash reversal and code breaking. We are proud to report that HGS secured first place in this competition.

Nihal Sharma and Bikramjit Singh.