Big Data and the Cloud

Lecture: 4:15 p.m. Monday, Nov. 25, Rosenfield Center Room 101
Game: 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26, Rosenfield Center Room 209

Companies, governments, and others are capturing, curating, storing, and analyzing petabytes of data about nearly everything, including you. Consumer, political, or scientific — have you ever wondered how big data is handled?

Mark Gondree, a security researcher associated with the Computer Science Dept. at the Naval Postgraduate School, will explore issues surrounding big data in “Data Sovereignty: The Challenge of Geolocating Data in the Cloud.”

He’ll be covering two popular ideas being discussed in the context of the cloud: data sovereignty — which laws affect data based on where the data is stored — and data provenance, or the source of data.

Gondree will also cover contingency planning, compliance and accreditation, and quality of service. “By pulling apart these requirements,” he says, “I will discuss how some ideas can only be fixed through legal reform and international agreements, while others have the potential of having technological solutions.”

Barbara Trish, chair of political science and an expert in the political effects of big data, recommended his visit. “We wanted to give our campus community a chance to talk about the security issues surrounding the data that we all generate on a daily basis,” says Sarah Purcell ’92, director of the Rosenfield Program.

Trish says, “Citizens and consumers leave a trail of data exhaust that is exploited by businesses and political campaigns. Informed citizens and students of politics should understand the role that big data plays in 21st century life, including the threat it poses to personal privacy.”

Gondree’s talk will be at 4:15 p.m. Monday, Nov. 25 in Rosenfield Center Room 101.

At 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26, in Rosenfield Center Room 209, take advantage of a fun, hands-on opportunity to learn more about network security through [d0x3d!], a network security boardgame. You’ll take on the role of an 1337 (elite) hacker syndicate, infiltrating a network to reclaim valuable digital assets that have been stolen from you. No technical knowledge required!

Both events are free and open to the public.