Expert on Information Security, Privacy to Lecture at Florida Tech

MELBOURNE, FLA.‒ Gene Spafford, widely known for work in information security and privacy, will present Florida Tech’s 2008 Computer Science Distinguished
Speaker Lecture on Friday, Feb. 1. The lecture will be from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the F.W. Olin Engineering Building Auditorium, Room 118EC. It is free and
open to the public.

Spafford will present “The Value in Questioning What You Think You Know.” He will survey some historical elements that have led to current system design.
Spafford also will offer a few examples of how re-examining computing and security technology might generate some new approaches.

“Creativity is sometimes inspired by coming up with new situations and new ideas. However, creativity can also result in looking at familiar items and
questioning their underlying, basic assumptions,” said Spafford.

A faculty member at Purdue University since 1987, Spafford is currently a professor of computer science and executive director of Purdue’s Center for
Education and Research Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS). His additional areas of interest are software engineering and computing policy.

In mid-January, it was announced that a $5 million grant to Florida Tech from the Harris Corporation Charitable Fund, held by the Community Foundation of
Brevard (CFB), will create the Harris Institute for Assured Information at the university. The institute will focus on developing advanced solutions to
help solve the global information security problem.

For more information on the Spafford lecture, call (321) 674-8763.