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FSU News Information security conference offers scholarship, job opportunities by Jill Elish As society's dependence on computers grows, so does the need for specialists trained to secure them. That's why Florida State University's computer science department and the National Science Foundation are once again teaming up to host the Information Security Summer School on May 3-5. The three-day conference is designed to attract undergraduate and graduate students to the burgeoning field of information security and identify prospects for full scholarships, according to Alec Yasinsac, assistant professor of computer science and a conference organizer. Currently there are more funds than there are qualified applicants. The Information Security Summer School will include lectures, panel discussions and workshops on topics such as digital forensics, Web security, wireless network security, cryptography and legal and ethical issues of information security. In addition, representatives from federal and state agencies and companies such as Datamaxx and Cisco Systems will be on hand to meet students at a job fair. The conference also is a great opportunity for community members, people interested in a career change and information security professionals to learn about security issues from internationally recognized experts. "FSU is fortunate to be one of the first National Security Agency Centers of Excellence in Information Assurance Education," Yasinsac said. "One benefit of this distinction is the opportunity to participate in our Information Security Summer School and interact with some of the best security researchers in the world." A keynote address will be given each day at 11 a.m. in Room 101 of the Love Building on the FSU campus. Antoine Joux of the University of Versailles will address the conference on May 3; Jim Davis, interim director of the Office of Academic Information Technologies and associate professor in electrical and computer engineering at Iowa State University, will be the speaker on May 4; and Virgil Gligor, a professor at the University of Maryland at College Park, will be the speaker on May 5. The job fair will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on May 3, and a reception for conference participants will be held the following evening. Both evening events will be held in Room 151 of the Love Building. The conference is free and open to the general public, but registration is required. In addition, funds are available to qualified students to cover travel expenses to the conference. To register, visit www.sait.fsu.edu/conferences/2005/is3/index.html. |