Zachary Peterson

Associate Professor | Computer Science & Software Enginering Department

Areas of Expertise

Cybersecurity

Secure Systems

Applied Cryptography

Computer Security Education

Contact Information

Email

Website

Biography

Zachary Peterson is an associate professor of computer science. His general academic interests are in building solutions to compelling interdisciplinary problems, particularly those at the confluence of secure storage systems, applied cryptography, law and policy. He is also very interested in engaging students of all ages in science, technology, engineering and mathematic (STEM) disciplines, and in particular, computer security and privacy. He is currently developing non-digital games that are designed to remove traditional barriers associated with using a computer, improve security literacy, and introduce students to new career paths related to security and engineering.

Education

• Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University, Computer Science
• M.S., Johns Hopkins University, Security Informatics
• M.S., University of California at Santa Cruz, Computer Engineering
• B.S., University of California at Santa Cruz, Computer Engineering

Awards, Scholarships, Fellowships

• Cybersecurity Policy Fellow, New America, Washington, DC; 2018-19
• Cyber Security Fulbright Scholar, University College London, London, England; 2016-17
• Cal Poly ACM Professor of the Year; 2014

Research Interests

• Cybersecurity education
• Secure storage systems
• Applied crytography

Recent Publications

• On Stablecoins: Stability Mechanisms and Use Cases for Real People
• Fakesbook: A social networking platform for teaching security and privacy concepts to secondary school students
• Authenticity, Ethicality, and Motivation: A Formal Evaluation of a 10-week Computer Security Alternate Reality Game for CS Undergraduates