Cryptography

​On Saturday, April 12, we hosted our Cryptography Workshop at Logan Heights Library. Our participants learned about the basics of encryption and cryptography by engaging in their own problem-solving simulations.

After learning about the caesar cipher and decoding some top-secret messages, the girls met Bob and Isabelle, a baker and a lover of cake. With their tablemates, they designed solutions to defend Bob and his beloved cake from a malicious delivery man, learning about the mechanism and technology behind security protocols, public key cryptography, and a denial of service attack. One participant shared that “I had a lot of fun trying to protect—and steal—Bob’s cakes!” Participants then learned about how all of these solutions combine to form the Needham Schroeder Protocol, a key security protocol in today’s world. Finally, the girls played a fun game of cryptography-inspired charades!

The Cryptography Workshop was a whole lot of fun, and we look forward to seeing you at our biggest event of the year, our annual All Girls Math Tournament on May 17th, hosted at Mission Valley Library!