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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. My interest in this area spans research into explots on these systems, the tools used for the research including testbeds, cyber ranges and digital twins, and pedagogical approaches for education in this area. I am a member of the NCSC ICS CoI, and attend the associated RITICS research events where I have been a speaker. 

 

Teaching

Lecturing: 

CMT221 - Topics, Research and Skills in Computing

Year Role
2526 Module lead

CM6112 - Introduction to Web Development 

Year  Role
2526 Module contributor
2425 Module lead 
2324 Module lead 

Supervision: 

CM3203 - Final Year Projects 

I am a supervisor for the BSc Computer Science and BSc Computer Science and Forensics final year projects. 

CMT400 - Dissertation 

I am a supervisor for our masters degree dissertations across our courses including MSc Advanced Computer Science and MSc Computing.

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 

I have been a STEM Ambassador through SeeScience since 2018 and an NCSC CyberFirst Ambassador for Wales since 2023. 

Honours and awards

Enriching Student Life Awards (ESLA):

Year Award Status
2025 Most Outstanding Learning Experience Nomination x 2 
2025 Chamption for Equality Diversity & Inclusion Nomination
2025 Learning & Teaching Collaboration of the Year Nomination
2025 Personal Tutor of the Year  Nomination
2024  Most Outstanding Learning Experience Nomination

Professional memberships

  • NCSC's ICS CoI 
  • BCS 

Speaking engagements

Upcoming:

  • ICERI 2025 - Paper presentation on Game-based Learning for CPS education

Previous:

  • CU L&T Conference 2025 - The human factor of industrial cybersecurity education
  • Advance HE T&L Conference 2025 - Pedagogical approaches for CPS Education Poster
  • Securi-Tay 2025 - Explaining ICS to a Fool of a Took 
  • Ethical Hacking Teaching Workshop 2025 - Teaching ICS through Project-based Learning
  • BSides London 2024 - Explaining ICS to a Fool of a Took 
  • 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 IWD Special 2021 - Getting ready for the quantum world
  • Programmed in Pencil 2020 - Building APIs with Security in mind 
  • Bsides Cymru 2019 - Getting ready for the quantum world 
  • Pycon 2019 - Lightning talk, coding with security in mind

Committees and reviewing

  • Teacher representative on the EDI committee
  • Non-lab based member for SHEW committee
  • Web master on the SIAM committee (2024-2025)

Contact Details

Email [email protected]
Telephone +44 29225 14897
Campuses Abacws, Room Room 3.69, Senghennydd Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4AG

Research themes

Specialisms

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

External profiles