Hariri Institute Hosts Student Poster Session for E-Commerce and Network Security Courses

Login security at Netflix.com, vulnerabilities on the Starbucks site, the effect of Uber on the NYC taxi business, and the accuracy of Zillow home value estimates – these are just a sample of the topics students in the E-Commerce and Network Security classes (Computer Science, College of Arts & Sciences) explored during the semester.

Students in Professor John Byers’ E-Commerce course (CS591) spent the fall gaining fluency in big data through experimentation with collection, mining, and analysis methods. From assessing the accuracy of Kayak.com price predictions to measuring the effects of price setting and auction duration on eBay sales, students tackled core issues of E-Commerce and its ability to disrupt and transform marketplaces. Network Security (CS558), taught by Foteini Baldimtsi and Sharon Goldberg, prepared students to use tools and techniques to  evaluate the network security, privacy, and cryptographic tools utilized by major companies such as LinkedIn, Tumblr, AirBnB, and Shopify.

The event attracted several industry representatives, including Alex Steiner of Cogo.Labs. Steiner was “especially impressed with the data collection and ability of students to go out and find difficult data sets.” Steiner also noted the wide diversity of projects as well as the creativity and passion in the students’ presentations.

In addition to showcasing student work, the poster session facilitated an idea exchange between students, faculty and industry, further strengthening a community of scholars and practitioners who believe in the transformative potential of computational perspectives in research and education.

Photos from the event are available on the Hariri Institute Facebook page.