From riddles to cryptography
From riddles to cryptography
Even as a child, Georgette Weingärtner loved to solve complex puzzles. Now dedicating her attention to cryptography, the ETH Excellence Scholar’s goal is to help make cyberspace a safer place.
“I’ve always been fascinated by puzzles,” Georgette Weingärtner says, as she explains where her enthusiasm for cryptography all started. “My grandfather used to set me tricky riddles, which I had to solve to open my birthday presents, for example.” The student’s eyes light up when she talks about it. “I love solving a complex problem through creative and logical thinking; that’s why I find computer science and cryptography so intriguing.”
Diving deep
But choosing this route was not a given. Although the computer science student comes from a family of computer scientists – her parents work in the industry and her brother also studies at ETH – her interests are wide: she also thought about becoming a vet or an architect. In the end, the passionate horsewoman decided in favour of ETH. “My maths teacher played an important role in the decision. He was so enthusiastic in the way he taught maths, and he told me about the exciting options at ETH.”
“I want to help more girls find their way into computer science and get rid of the cliché of the nerdy programmer who sits in front of a computer all day.”
Georgette Weingärtner is currently working on a research project led by Professor Ueli Maurer, who heads the Information Security and Cryptography research group at the Institute of Theoretical Computer Science. The project is examining cryptographic procedures: for example, how several parties can carry out joint calculations without disclosing their input data.
This is made possible by an Excellence Scholarship financed by donors. “During my Bachelor’s degree, I was able to earn some extra money as a teaching assistant. Thanks to the support from the scholarship, I can now pursue research alongside my Master’s degree and find out which route I want to go down,” Georgette Weingärtner explains. She owes her decision to apply for the Excellence Scholarship to a former scholarship holder. “I saw a video about David Oort Alonso on ETH’s social media channels and got in touch with him. We had a long conversation and he encouraged me to submit my application.”
Spreading the word
Georgette Weingärtner now appears in the video series featuring ETH students too. “Having the contact to David Oort Alonso helped me a lot. If I can give other young people direction through my own example, that’s great,” is how the student explains her involvement.
Spreading information about her subject is very important to her, especially to schoolgirls. “There are still far more men than women in the lectures I attend. I want to help more girls find their way into computer science and get rid of the cliché of the nerdy programmer who sits in front of a computer all day.” This means that she also speaks to school classes about her passion for computer science and cryptography.
There’s no doubt in Georgette Weingärtner’s mind that cryptography holds great relevance for the future of our digitalised society. “Cyber security is one of the biggest challenges we face. This is not just about encrypted bank transfers. The Internet of Things means that even ovens and baby monitors are ‘smart’ and connected, making them vulnerable to cyber attacks.”
In the future, the student wants to help make the virtual world more secure, whether through research or by working in a company. “Cryptography is an area with a lot of potential for new solutions. I want to use my expertise to help create solutions that are responsible.”
