Category / Computer Science

Workshop Metastable Dynamics of Neural Ensembles Underlying Cognition

Is the traditional view on cortical activity dynamics, in which the cognitive flow of information wanders through multiple attractor states driven by task-dependent inputs, still a valid model? This picture has been recently challenged both empirically and from the modelling perspective.

The interpretation of the collective dynamics of neuronal assemblies underlying perception and cognitive processing is a very active debate, touching the essence of our understanding of neural computation, and hence one of the most exciting topics in neuroscience. This workshop will address a range of modelling and data analysis approaches which focus on metastable nonlinear dynamics underlying perceptual and cognitive functions in cortex.

The workshop will take Place in Prague, on the 23rd of July of 2015 in the context of the 23rd Computational Neuroscience Meeting; and will have the participation of some of the world-leading scientists in the area. Please find more information in the following link: https://research.bournemouth.ac.uk/2015/03/metastable-dynamics-of-neural-ensembles-underlying-cognition-workshop/

The virtual and the field: enhancing visualisation in archaeology using serious game technologies

Fusion, Fusion Investment Fund

The FIF funded collaborative project between the Creative Technology and Archaeology Frameworks has produced another output.

Virtual&Field

A visualisation of the Iron Age banjo enclosure discovered in the Bournemouth University Durotriges Big Dig at Winterborne Kingston has been produced using Unreal Engine 4. The system allows users to explore the environment as it may have appeared in the Iron Age at a human scale.

This was a pilot study that was produced as part of a Fusion Investment Fund project at Bournemouth University in collaboration between staff and students on the Archaeology and Games Technology courses. It is anticipated that the environment will be further developed by Games Technology students as part of their final year project studies with enhancements made to the existing environment and with the addition of visualisations of the same site at different historical periods of habitation.

A fly through of the Iron Age environment can be seen at:

For more information about the visualisation please contact djohn@bournemouth.ac.uk.

An overview of Information Security today and into the future

Knowledge Exchange

Kevin Henry is *the* guru in security certifications and training and we are delighted that he will be presenting at the University tomorrow and on Friday 12th of June.  Kevin is going to deliver a handful of lectures which will take you on an enlightening journey through the world of Information Security!

Kevin will present on the following topics:

Thursday 11th June

Shelley Lecture Theatre, Poole House

10.00am – 12.30 pm

Content of the CISSP

What is Information Security and its Role in Business?

2pm – 4pm

How is the face of Information Security Changing?

Hackers versus APTs

Where should my career go?

Friday 12th June

Shelley Lecture Theatre, Poole House

10.00am – 12.30pm

The Value of the CISSP and other Certifications

International Standards and Practices – An Overview of ISO/IEC 27001 and PCI-DSS

If you would like to attend any of the lectures please contact the BU Cyber Security Unit to reserve your place – 01202 962 557 or email 

Kevin is recognized as one of the Leaders in the field of Information Security worldwide. He has been involved in computers since 1976 when he was an operator on the largest minicomputer system in Canada at the time. He has since worked in many areas of Information Technology including Computer Programming, Systems Analysis and Information Technology Audit. Following 20 years in the telecommunications field, Kevin moved to a Senior Auditor position with the State of Oregon where he was a member of the Governor’s IT Security Subcommittee and performed audits on courts and court-related IT systems. The co-chair of the CBK for the CISSP and several other certifications, as well as an author with published articles in over ten books and magazines, Kevin is the principal of KMHenry Management Inc. and served until recently as the Head of Education for (ISC)2 and Vice President of ITPG, responsible for all educational systems, products and instructors for training programs. Currently Kevin is an Authorized Instructor for (ISC)2, ISACA, and BCI.

Visit the BUCSU website for more information on enterprise consultancy, research and education

An overview of Information Security today and into the future

Business Engagement, Knowledge Exchange

Kevin Henry is *the* guru in security certifications and training and we are delighted that he will be presenting at the University on the 11th and 12th of June.  Kevin is going to deliver a handful of lectures which will take you on an enlightening journey through the world of Information Security!

Kevin will present on the following topics:

Thursday 11th June

Shelley Lecture Theatre, Poole House

10.00am – 12.30 pm

Content of the CISSP

What is Information Security and its Role in Business?

2pm – 4pm

How is the face of Information Security Changing?

Hackers versus APTs

Where should my career go?

Friday 12th June

Shelley Lecture Theatre, Poole House

10.00am – 12.30pm

The Value of the CISSP and other Certifications

International Standards and Practices – An Overview of ISO/IEC 27001 and PCI-DSS

If you would like to attend any of the lectures please contact the BU Cyber Security Unit to reserve your place – 01202 962 557 or email 

 

Kevin is recognized as one of the Leaders in the field of Information Security worldwide. He has been involved in computers since 1976 when he was an operator on the largest minicomputer system in Canada at the time. He has since worked in many areas of Information Technology including Computer Programming, Systems Analysis and Information Technology Audit. Following 20 years in the telecommunications field, Kevin moved to a Senior Auditor position with the State of Oregon where he was a member of the Governor’s IT Security Subcommittee and performed audits on courts and court-related IT systems. The co-chair of the CBK for the CISSP and several other certifications, as well as an author with published articles in over ten books and magazines, Kevin is the principal of KMHenry Management Inc. and served until recently as the Head of Education for (ISC)2 and Vice President of ITPG, responsible for all educational systems, products and instructors for training programs. Currently Kevin is an Authorized Instructor for (ISC)2, ISACA, and BCI.

 

Visit the BUCSU website for more information on enterprise consultancy, research and education

EU Radar – Societal Challenges – Secure societies – protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens

Funding opportunities

The following EU Horizon 2020 Societal Challenges’ calls are all closing after April 2015. If you are thinking of applying to any of these calls, please contact RKEO Funding Development Team as soon as you are able, so that we can help you with your submission.

The date given is the funder’s deadline with all closing at 17:00 Brussels local time, unless stated otherwise

Secure societies – protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens
Digital security,: Cyber security, privacy and trust – please check the specific topics – 27/8/15
Fight against terrorism and crime – please check the specific topics – 27/8/15
Border security and external security – please check the specific topics – 27/8/15

 

General / Multiple Topics

Horizon 2020 dedicated SME instrument phase 1 and phase 2 –  deadlines – 17/6/15, 17/9/15 and 25/11/15

Please check the specific topics within this call which may meet your research funding needs.

For more information on EU funding opportunities, contact Paul Lynch or Emily Cieciura, in the RKEO Funding Development Team.

Cloud and Weather Simulation for computer graphics

PG research, student research

We would like to invite you to the next research seminar of the Creative Technology Research Centre.

 

Speaker: Leigh McLoughlin

Title: Cloud and Weather Simulation for Computer Graphics

Time: 2:00PM-3:00PM

Date: Wednesday 18th February 2015

Room: P335, Poole House, Talbot Campus

 

Abstract:

In this talk I will discuss my work on cloud simulation for computer graphics. This work was designed to provide a means of simulating clouds and weather features, such as rain, using desktop graphics hardware. This involves elements of meteorology, numerical weather simulation and computational fluid dynamics, taken from the sciences and adapted to meet the more artistic requirements of computer graphics in which an element of control is required and the laws of physics may be wilfully disobeyed. The result is a lightweight physically-inspired cloud simulation scheme, capable of emulating the dynamic properties of cloud formation and weather effects.

We hope to see you there.

Guest Talk “Machine Learning and Computer Vision for Intelligent Surveillance”, 11am 06Feb TAG32

Fusion

I would like to invite you to a research presentation by Prof. Bailing Zhang, from Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University. We are hosting Prof. Zhang here for a week under the support of BU Fusion Funding. Please feel free to forward this invitation to your colleagues and PhD students if it is of their interests.

 

Title: Machine Learning and Computer Vision for Intelligent Surveillance

Time: 11:00-12:00

Date: Friday, 06 Feb 2015

Room: TAG32 (Talbot Campus)

 

Abstract:

The aim of intelligent video surveillance is to develop a way to provide reliable real-time alarms and situation awareness from existing surveillance networks without the enormous cost of intensive human monitoring. The tasks of video surveillance often include the detection of  the presence of people and vehicle and tracking them, and the subsequent analysis of their activities. Such research projects have broad implications for Homeland Security, law enforcement and many other types of military applications. There are many challenges to analyse a vast number of video streams in real-time to detect a range of events relevant to security needs. Computer vision and machine learning are the two interwove technologies for most of the modeling issues in video surveillance, for example, recognizing human behaviors. In this seminar, Dr. Bailing Zhang will briefly outline the ongoing projects with his group at XJTLU and discuss some relevant issues.

 

Biography:

Bailing Zhang received the Master’s degree in Communication and Electronic System from the South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China, and Ph.D. degree in Electrical and Computer engineering from the University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia, in 1987 and 1999, respectively. He is currently Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China. He had been a Lecturer in the School of Computer Science and Mathematics in the Victoria University, Australia since 2003. His research interest includes machine learning and computer vision, with applications in surveillance and biometrics. Bailing Zhang has over 100 referred papers published.

————–

Dr. Xiaosong Yang

Senior Lecturer in Computer Animation National Centre for Computer Animation
Faculty of Media and Communication
Bournemouth University
Email: xyang@bournemouth.ac.uk
http://staffprofiles.bournemouth.ac.uk/display/xyang

Cyber Security Seminar: Persuasive Technology for Information Security – Today, 4pm

REF Subjects

Our next Interdisciplinary Cyber Security Seminar will take place TODAY (Tuesday, 27th January) at 4pm. The seminar will take place at Poole House in P335 LT, and will be free and open to all.

Our speaker will be Marc Busch. Marc is scientist at the AIT – Austrian Institute of Technology and is active at the intersection of persuasive technology and usable privacy and security. Furthermore, he is specialized in advanced quantitative and qualitative usability and user experience methodology, research methods and statistics in Human-computer interaction. Marc is involved in several international and national research and industrial projects, such as MUSES – Multiplatform Usable Endpoint Security. Before joining AIT, Marc was at CURE – Center for Usability Research & Engineering, where he focused on user experience and usability.

Abstract: Persuasive Technology is a vibrant field of research and practice, aiming to change the attitude or behavior of people. Persuasive technology has various different application areas, e.g. games motivating physical activity. An emerging application area is persuasive technology to increase information security and to engage people to protect their privacy. In the seminar, participants will hear about design principles for persuasive technology for promoting information security and also about methods to evaluate persuasive technology. Concrete examples and “best practices” will be given from a recent research project, in which persuasive technology is used in organizations to make employees comply with information security policies.

Secure and cross border digital identity: issues and perspectives

Staff and students are invited to join us for the next cyber security seminar on:

‘Secure and cross border digital identity: issues and perspectives’

Tuesday 25th November, 4pm – 5pm

Room: P335

 

The talk will discuss requirements, issues and perspectives for an interoperability solution that allows citizens and organizations to establish new e-relations across borders, just by presenting their national eID.

Our speaker will be Dr Andrea Atzeni, from the “Dipartimento di Automatica e Informatica, Politecnico di Torino” who is based in the TORSEC Security group.

Dr Atzeni’s work addresses the definition of security requirements and mobile security, plus, investigation and modelisation of user expectation on security and privacy; risk analysis and threat modeling for complex cross-domain systems; specification of functional and security architectures; development of cross-domain usable security; development and integration of cross-border authentication mechanisms (including legal and technical issues).

Three for the price of one: Keynote Talk, Outstanding Contribution Award and Media Appearance.

Prof Gabrys delivers a keynote talk at the KES 2014 international conference, receives the Outstanding Contribution to the KES International organisation award and appears in two popular Polish TV’s “Panorama” news programmes.

It was a very nice and productive trip to a beautiful Polish seaside city of Gdynia where the 18th International Conference on Knowledge-Based and Intelligent Information & Engineering Systems took place between the 14th and 17th of September 20014.

I thought that I was only going to deliver a keynote talk which in itself was a nice recognition of the ongoing work that we are doing in the areas of robust adaptive predictive modelling and data science and a great opportunity to talk to over 200 delegates from over 30 countries attending the conference but as it turned out there were some other attractions awaiting.

This very well organised conference attracted the attention of the Polish TV and the topics of data science, artificial intelligence or big data, all in the focus of our Data Science Institute at BU, were judged to be of considerable interest to the general public. Not only I had an opportunity to talk briefly about the conference topics during the TV coverage at the conference venue (which was aired in the evening news programme on the 15th of Sep) but together with one of the local organisers we were invited to the “Panorama” programme studio to take part in the morning news programme the following day (aired on the 16th of Sep). The interaction with the journalists and the production teams brought to my attention how important is our role in informing and educating about this very dynamically changing field and related technological innovations which have already had such a huge impact on our lives and will play even bigger role in the near future.

So whatever next, I thought. Well, there was another surprise around the corner. Though I have been involved in the KES International for a number of years it has come as a very pleasant surprise and an honour to receive the Outstanding Contribution to KES International award during the conference dinner.

An icing on the cake, you could say. 🙂

Cyber Security seminars for 2014-2015 start with a bang

Fusion

Yesterday, we held the first of this academic year’s cyber security seminars.  We hosted Dr John Lyle from Facebook, who spoke to a packed audience in the Barnes Lecture Theatre about some of the challenges fighting spam at Facebook.  After his talk, John described how impressed he was with some of the thought provoking questions raised by audience.

Our next seminar will be on Tuesday, 25th November and will be delivered by Dr Andrea Atzeni from the Computer and Network Security group at Politecnico di Torino.  Andrea will be visiting us that week as part of our Fusion funded Bournemouth European Network in Interdisciplinary Cyber Security (BENICS) project.  Watch this space for more details about  Andrea’s talk.

Our interdisciplinary seminar series on Cyber Security is a wonderful opportunity to hear interesting, thought-provoking talks on a variety of topics related to security and privacy.  Although some of these speakers will be academic, their talks will be approachable and require nothing more than a general interest in security, and an enquiring mind.  We’re also interested in ideas about possible speakers or seminar topics, so please get in touch if you have any suggestions.

BU helping to evolve security and privacy by design

On Monday, BU researchers co-organised a workshop on Evolving Security and Privacy Requirements Engineering (ESPRE) at the 22nd IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference (RE 2014) in Karlskrona, Sweden.  The workshop brought together practitioners and researchers from around the world, who shared their thoughts about how security and privacy can be incorporated into the design of software as early as possible, without compromising productivity or sacrificing innovation.  The RE conference series is one of the premier conferences in software engineering, and the ESPRE workshop is the successor of several successful secure software engineering workshops.  Shamal Faily (SciTech) organised this workshop, together with colleagues from Germany (University of Duisberg-Essen), South Korea (Ajou University), and the USA (Carnegie Mellon University).

The workshop began with a keynote talk from Professor Angela Sasse (UCL), who described some recent research examining how companies build security into products they develop, and the need to change the discourse around usability and security.  Three technical paper sessions followed, before the workshop was concluded with an invited talk by Aljosa Pasic (Atos Research & Innovation) on some of the market trends and business challenges in security engineering.  Further information about the workshop itself can be found at http://espre2014.org .

We’re grateful to the Faculty of Science & Technology for co-sponsoring this workshop, and to all the workshop attendees for sharing their work.