Dr. Harald von Fellenberg
PhD, MSc Physics
Schützenrütistr. 19
CH-8044 Gockhausen
Switzerland
Email: hvf (at) hvf (dot) ch
I try to write this web page according to the current HTML5 specs - a small exercise, so to speak. I am now in retirement and have given up my professional activities, but I follow the technical and social developments with vivid interest. Internet courses (MOOCs) and lectures at universities are part of my activities.
TopMy first contact with the topic of computer security was in 1986, when first reports about computer viruses appeared in the newspapers. I tried then to create a self-replicating malware code, and I was surprised how simple this turned out to be. After that I started to analyze the security mechanisms of the operating system (UNIX System V) from the view point of a nuclear engineer (principle of barriers). From then on, I was always considered a UNIX security expert.
During my time with UBS I authored the OpenLAN Security Concept and was project manager of the Umbrella Project OpenLAN Security. During this time the bank's in-house smartcard solution PERSAUTH was being developed and deployed on some 40'000 workstations. PERSAUTH was used to securely manage logins and passwords for the numerous banking applications.
Here is my sales pitch from that time.
Security technology has degenerated to a pure product selling business over recent years. The relevant questions, namely the meaning of security, the definition of threats and countermeasures to be taken, are not asked anymore. This leads to a false sense of security. Quacksalvers and charlatanes profit from it.
However, if you are interested in real security for your IT infrastructure, I will be happy to write a security concept with you that is up to standards with the leading Swiss banking institution.
I like interesting projects in the realm of C, C++ on Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD and all other UN*X platforms, which the younger generation is not enthusiastic about (Perl, Fortran, Make). Windows and GUI programming are not on my radar.
TopMy first job after my PhD graduation was with Electrowatt Enginnering in Zurich, where I worked in the realm of nuclear fuel management. For a project about the planned German nuclear waste repository in Gorleben I performed calculations about the composition of nuclear waste (nuclide inventories and their evolution over time). Some years ago some friends and I wrote an important treatise about the complete inventory of nuclear waste in the Federal Republic of Germany (including the new East-German Länder). This work was sponsored by the Federal Office of Radiation Protection, Braunschweig.
Here my sales pitch about my nuclear skills.
As a trained nuclear engineer with long standing experience I perform nuclide inventory calculations for radioactive waste, that are used in the assessment of security relevant questions for planned nuclear waste repositories. I also perform criticality calculations for spent nuclear fuel transport casks. All these calculations are done with internationally recognized and licensed codes.
Here my offering in the realm of consulting, training, programming.
I am interested both in topics from computer science and topics
from physics and astrophysics. Therefore the two areas are listed
separately. Topics that apply to both areas (like quantum computing)
are listed within computer science.
Courses from Physics and Astrophysics
A refreshing course that conveys the concepts of probability
with good examples.
Starting with problems from radio astronomy and the classification
of galaxies, the course shows methods and mistakes in the analysis
of large data sets and gives an introduction to machine learning
for the classification of galaxies.
A fascinating yet difficult course to learn the application of
Monte Carlo methods in the area of statistical mechanics.
All sample programs are written in Python2, I have converted them
to Python3.
The evolution of basic ideas and models in physics from Maxwell
over Einstein up to the standard model of high energy physics
plus the description and discovery of the Higgs Boson are nicely
explained. Peter Higgs comments his memories for each of the
topics in the course.
Here I could refresh and expand my knowledge on the fast track about
the discoveries since my student days, especially about the Standard
Model, electroweak interaction, and the Higgs Boson.
Up to now one of the most challenging and rewarding courses for me
as a (non-active) pilot.
One of the assignments was the development of a computational
model for a water rocket, as we have known it as children.
My physical model is
here.
Courses in Computer Science
Introduction into four different technologies that are research
topics for qubits and later quantum computers, including the
required quantum mechanics for spin operations in ket notation.
After the course I can better assess the potential of QC.
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC),
CERN, Geneva, Switzerland is the largest data generation
machine for the time being, it produces terabytes of data every
second.
The course elucidates modern methods for patteren recognition, particle
identification, triggers, and the search for rare decays.
Upon completion of the course I understand both the principles of the
Experimental Physics and Machine Learning much better.
This course uses modern tools like Jupyter notebooks and
powerful libraries like numpy, pandas, matplotlib for processing
of large datasets. Text and Twitter analysis is also included.
Two individual projects have to be made, which are then graded
in a peer review.
© hvf