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Jenny Highfield

Jenny Highfield

(she/her)

Teams and roles for Jenny Highfield

Overview

I work at the National Software Academy and am grateful to be able to bring my industry experience into my teaching role. I have worked in several development jobs, using languages including C#, Python, Ruby on Rails, PHP, Go and a limited amount of C++. I also studied at the National Software Academy myself as a postgraduate, and used both Python and Java on the course. I am a member of the Cybersecurity and Privacy research group, where my research looks at the security of the systems behind the running of society, whether these be signalling systems in the transport industry, temperature control systems in the civil nuclear industry, or robotic arms in the manufacturing industry.

I like to bring my full personality to my job, which some might find endearing, others overbearing, but to me it means being authentic. I've been a lot of things, in school I loved science and technology, I write songs and play instruments, I draw and paint but I don't find much time for it anymore, and one thing that never changes is that I always have at least one novel on the go. It's true what they say about the Welsh: "To be born in Wales, not with a silver spoon in your mouth, but with music in your blood and with poetry in your soul, is a privilege indeed." 

Research

My research looks at Operational Technology (OT) Security, specifically the Industrial Control Systems (ICS) behind Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) such as the systems used for sigaling within the transport sector. 

Teaching

I am module lead for CM6112 - Introduction to Web development. This is taught in the first semester of our degree in Applied Software Engineering, alongside Computational Thinking and Software Development Skills. The module teaches web development using the Python Flask framework. I ensure that we teach secure and accessible coding from the first lecture.

Biography

I teach at the National Software Academy and research OT Security within the Security and Privacy Group. I have worked at Cardiff University since November 2022.

I have worked on software solutions in industry including: 

  • An Intrusion Detection System black box for affordable network monitoring for GDPR compliance 
  • A phishing simulator at an Information Security Awareness Training company where I also wrote content 
  • An Incident Response Playbook solution for companies to both track and be guided through an incident 
  • A statistical dashboard displaying new sign ups and renewals for a cyber security certification consortium 

 

Honours and awards

  • Nominated for an ESLA (Enriching Student Life Award) for most outstanding learning experience 2023/2024 

Speaking engagements

  • RITICS Fest London 2024 - Time to dumpster dive: Building authentic OT testbeds
  • PGR Presentation Series 2024 - Analysing cyberattack data using timeseries analysis
  • SIAM PGR Talks 2023 - From the human side of cyber to the cyberphysical 
  • Cardiff Cyber Series 2023 - How the Internet created a gap in OT literature
  • CyberWales OT Cluster 2023 - Human Side of SCADA Security
  • DTX London 2022 - Human Side of SCADA Security
  • InfoSec London 2022 - Women in Cyber Panel
  • BSides Cymru Bach 2022 - Access controls vs security 
  • Programmed in Pencil 2022 - Access controls vs security
  • Programmed in Pencil - Building APIs with Security in mind
  • Bsides Cymru 2019 - Quantum Encryption
  • Pycon 2019 - Lightning talk, coding with security in mind

Committees and reviewing

  • Non-lab based member for SHEW committee
  • Web master on the SIAM committee 

Contact Details

Email HighfieldJM@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone +44 29225 14897

Research themes

Specialisms

  • Cybersecurity
  • Cyberphysical systems and internet of things
  • Software and application security
  • Automated software engineering
  • Distributed computing and systems software

External profiles