Hacking 101: A Brief History of Cryptography

2,500 Years of Cryptographic History in an Hour

Cryptography has become the singular element of our connected society. Absent its robust and proper implementation, the underlying network of trust that enables service and capability fragments and dissolves, and the Internet as we know it grinds to a screeching halt.

Despite its centrality, cryptography is one of the least well-understood elements of security and secure systems engineering, in spite of the fact that cryptography's central guarantees and challenges haven't changed much since Julius Caesar fought the Gallic Wars between 50 and 58 BCE (or, for that matter, the Greco-Persian Wars between 499 and 449 BCE). This talk will present a tour of cryptography's history and development spanning approximately 2,500 years, from the Classical period through the advent of computer cryptography in the latter part of the 20th century. It will provide a lens through which technologists, enterprise leaders, and developers can view and focus their perspective on what cryptography can offer and how it enables trusted communication and interoperability for the future.

Instructor Bio:
Adam Firestone is Chief Engineering Officer for Secure Channels, Inc. and President of Secure Channels Government Solutions, Inc. In these roles, he leads the design, engineering and implementation of advanced cybersecurity, data protection, and threat mitigation solutions built on advanced cryptography and authentication technology. These solutions cross domains including encryption, authentication and authorization, blockchain, and secure data sharing, among others. Mr. Firestone has more than 23 years of experience as a technologist, engineer, and solution architect. During this time, Mr. Firestone has led large scale solution development efforts, implemented innovative secure engineering practices, and developed patented security technologies. Prior to joining Secure Channels, he led a threat intelligence organization, designing and marketing solutions specifically for United States government (USG) customers, led the defense and federal subsidiary of a global Cloud-native middleware company, and served as the senior engineer on a number of national security system design and development projects. Mr. Firestone’s patents include an invention for ensuring multilevel data security and an encryption protocol that enhances the security guarantees available from standardized block ciphers. Additionally, Mr. Firestone is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, where he teaches graduate courses in systems engineering and cryptography, and the Editor-in-Chief of United States Cybersecurity Magazine. He graduated from Yale University, is a former United States Army officer, and also possesses a legal background, holding a Juris Doctorate, and having practiced law in New York.

Agenda:
6:00pm to 6:30pm | Mix & Mingle
6:30pm to 7:30pm | Hands-on Workshop
7:30pm to 8:00pm| Q&A Wrap up

Suggested Experience:
+ Basic programming or networking skills.
+ ZERO security experience required!

What To Bring:
+ Laptop & Power Cord
+ Curiosity

For Directions:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15LCbLTHlSJvw0AxokmV6NG-mQuHIVQyb/view?usp=sharing

If you consider yourself a cybersecurity n00b, then Hacking 101 is for you. Each event will feature a hands-on workshop designed to boost your cyber-skills. Hacking 101 is an opportunity for you to gain technical knowledge and find out if cybersecurity is something you’re passionate about. No experience is required. Just show up and learn something new!