Cryptography Workshop

On Saturday, March 18, we hosted our Cryptography Workshop at City Heights Library. This workshop was led by Veronica Tang (one of AGSS’s co-founders!). The girls were able to discuss real-life examples of cryptography, such as secret sharing and hash functions. We then explored encryption, which is a tool that can help us to send messages without the public understanding the information sent. For example, what does “rzkkns” mean? Well, “muffin,” once it’s been put through a Caesar cipher!

Next, the girls met Isabelle and Bob, a baker and a customer who try to deliver cakes to each other without the sneaky delivery man eating the cake first. How might we use locks and keys to evade this threat of cake theft? Through a series of puzzles and scenarios, the girls navigated this challenge creatively, demonstrating different methods of encryption. Acting out different scenarios also represented how we might send digital messages to each other on a daily basis, mirroring many encryption concepts. They learned about terms like public key cryptography, certification organization, Denial of Service Attack, and authentication. This hands-on activity brought cryptography protocols to life in a fun way! One participant commented that “Isabelle and Bob made the lesson much more interesting and fun.” 

Look forward to our upcoming events, including Geology on April 29th at Mission Valley Library and the All Girls Math Tournament on May 13 at Logan Heights Library.