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Enthralling talk on “Data to Discovery in Information Security”

Prof N Balakrishnan, Honorary Professor, Super Computer Education and Research Centre, Indian Institute of Science (IISc.), Bengaluru, delivered an enthralling talk on “Data to Discovery in Information Security” under the auspices of University Distinguished Lecture Series organized by SRM University – AP, Andhra Pradesh. Prof V S Rao, Vice-Chancellor, along with Prof D Narayana Rao, Pro Vice-Chancellor, and the conveners welcomed him. Extending his warmest welcome, Prof V S Rao emphasized on the significance of Data and Information Security and the great interest and concerns it imposes in the recent times as well as the future. He says, “In the last two decades, data security concerns have increased exponentially along with emerging data reserves. Abundance of data without proper security with pose more threats than solutions.” On that note, he requested Prof N Balakrishnan to enlighten the audience on various issues pertaining to raw data security.

Prof T Ragunathan, Head of the Department of Computer Science introduced Prof N Balakrishnan to the participants. Prof N Balakrishnan lecture encompassed the explosion in data and the “Revenge of Silicon”, which made the emergence of Artificial Intelligence inevitable. He emphasized on the storage revolution which is reflected in the smaller systems comprising of more complex networks, as compared to the earlier version of computers which were used primarily for computing and processing. He enlightens, “Characterized by explosion in velocity, volume, and variety, the data generated by humans and machines coexist in the big data scenario. Earlier, we spoke of the convergence of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and now we have moved ahead with Nano, Bio, Info, and Cogno (NBIC) convergence.”

Prof N Balakrishnan dedicated the second half of his lecture by explaining the “Revenge of Silicon”. He used the periodic table to explain that although Carbon and Silicon belong to the same 4th group in the periodic table, mankind preferred Silicon over Carbon. Further, the paradigm shifted with the advent of computers which were programmed to mimic humans. In addition, the communication revolution resulted in its enhanced capability along with numbers. Presently, 1.72 billion websites are operative, there are billions of mobile phone users, the Internet of Things (IoT) have been established, wireless networks, and other complex systems. Dr N says, “Technology has become an integral part of the society with emerging Cyber-physical systems, and social networks. In the near future, computers would begin behaving more and more like humans, which is referred to as the Revenge of Silicon. Further, NBIC will enable biological complex systems (human body parts) to be replaced by silicon engineered parts, heralding towards a new doctrine.”

Drawing examples from his research sprawled across four decades, Prof N Balakrishnan expressed concerns about the tremendous data being stored and used across networking platforms. He explains, “Data storage speed doubles every 9 months. All the information known to mankind since the beginning of civilization can be stored in a single computer. The social network of computers has its negatives in the form of terrorism which has recently entered the computer world. Security of such a world is an important issue.” Prof N Balakrishnan concluded his lecture by stating that mathematical predictive models can be used for a better understanding of the data attack detection. He established that Community Detection based BOTSPOT will provide a faster detection algorithm to estimate attacks thereby aiding concerns of data attacks.

Initiation of Faculty Development Programme (FDP) on “Recent Advancements in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence” at SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh

Faculty Development Programme (FDP) orchestrated by the Department of Computer Science Engineering, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh was inaugurated by Prof VS Rao, Vice-Chancellor. The ten-day special programme is designed to provide insights on the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technology. Prof VS Rao said, “AI is the emerging branch of science which has its application in the fields of healthcare, entertainment, banking and finance, and marketing. The country’s progress would be accelerated due to the advent of AI that is so closely linked to human life.”

Similarly, Prof D Narayana Rao, Pro-Vice Chancellor spoke of the immense opportunities provided by the emerging AI technology. He said, “AI will be impacting human life in more ways than comprehendible. Considering its growth, demand for AI skills will continue to rise exponentially. As AI will continue to act as a technological innovator in the foreseeable future, there will be immense opportunities and prospects for the young professionals in this domain.”

The guest lecturer of the inaugural programme, Prof V Masilamani, Associate Professor, Computer Engineering, Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing (IIITDM) Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, India, discussed the importance of Machine Learning for digital image quality assessment. The other technical session was conducted by Prof Dipti Prasad Mukherjee, Professor, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, who demonstrated how computer vision problems can be solved using machine learning techniques.

Further, the event was graced by the presence of Prof T Raghunathan, Professor, and Head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, along with other faculty members, and students as the audience. In addition, the technical sessions were coordinated by Dr Manikandan V M and Dr Sobin C C, Assistant Professors, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh.

Students of SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh bagged the runners up award in the Technological Business Hackathon organized by AIESEC in Amaravati from October 30, 2020, till November 1, 2020. AIESEC is the world’s largest, global youth-run organization which acts as a platform for young minds to explore and develop their leadership potential. AIESEC works in accordance with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) devised by the United Nations and is recognized by UNESCO. Technological Business Hackathon was the first-ever virtual Hackathon hosted by AIESEC in Amaravati that aimed at developing innovative technological solutions for Sustainable Development Goals. It provided an opportunity for students to learn, ideate, solve, and present ideas on how to address some of the global challenges that the world is currently confronting.

30 teams hailing from reputed colleges such as VIT AP, Christ University Bangalore, SRM AP, VVIT, KLU, Bennet, NID AP, NIT AP, JNTU Hyderabad, participated in the hackathon. The competition was split into a technical round and a business round, where 7 teams from SRM AP showcased their expertise in innovative technology. While two teams from SRM AP became the finalist, the second prize for the hackathon was awarded to one of them. The group developed a project inclined towards SDG 2: Zero Hunger, which involved the use of Hydroponics to grow fresh and sustainable food.