Studying at Brock University

I am pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Computing and Business (Double major in Computer Science and Business), which provides a unique foundation in business practices for computing professionals. The program begins with core courses in computer programming, basic data structures, and computer organization, supplemented by courses in accounting, management, and economics. In the upper years, the study focuses on databases, advanced data structures, operating systems, computing ethics, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, organizational behavior, and software engineering.

Expense Tracker App

The Expense Tracker project is a Windows Forms application that I developed in Visual Studio, using the C# programming language. The project serves as a showcase of my skills in building functional desktop applications, leveraging the .NET Framework and the Windows Forms library to create an intuitive graphical user interface. The primary feature of the Expense Tracker is its ability to record individual expenses. Users input an expense by typing into text fields for the category and amount, and selecting a date using a date picker. I carefully designed this interface to be as simple and user-friendly as possible, ensuring that new entries could be made quickly and without confusion. To store the expenses, I utilized SQLite, a lightweight and efficient database management system. I integrated SQLite with the Visual Studio environment, creating a database file and writing SQL queries to handle the data. This involved creating a table named "Expenses" in the SQLite database and defining its structure. Each entry in the table corresponds to a single expense and includes fields for ID, category, amount, and date. Another key feature of the Expense Tracker is its ability to view all recorded expenses. I achieved this by creating a "View" button which, when clicked, retrieves all entries from the SQLite database and displays them in a data grid view. This presents the user with an organized and readable summary of all their past expenses, providing valuable insights into their spending habits. Despite its simplicity, this project is a comprehensive demonstration of several key aspects of software development: designing and implementing a graphical user interface, integrating with a database management system, handling data input and output, and creating an overall user experience. Moreover, the Expense Tracker serves as a solid foundation for future enhancements, including adding user accounts, implementing error handling and input validation, and expanding the functionality of the expense management features.

Benchmarking performance of cryptographic algorithms and TLS connections using the Trusted Platform Module

Authors: Redwan Rashid Chowdhury, Macklem Curtis and Jalal Elgadi.
It is well known that Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs) operate more slowly than Central Processing Units (CPUs) due to their simpler, less performant architecture. This design is intentional, prioritizing enhanced security and low power consumption at an affordable price, despite the downside of significantly slower operational speed compared to general-purpose CPUs. This study evaluated the performance of cipher algorithms executed by both the TPM and CPU. The findings confirmed that TPMs perform these operations at a significantly slower pace. This was demonstrated during various tasks: signing cryptographic keys (RSA-2048 and ECDSA P-256), encrypting and decrypting files using RSA-2048 asymmetric encryption and ECDH hybrid encryption, and establishing TLS connections using RSA and ECDSA. In all cases, the CPU outperformed the TPM. However, the performance delta varied significantly depending on the algorithm used. For instance, the RSA-2048 signing was only 4.2 times faster on the CPU on average, while the ECDSA P-256 signing was 608.9 times faster. When establishing full TLS connections, the CPU was 623.3 times faster using RSA-2048 and 804.1 times faster using ECDSA P-256. In partial TLS connections (session re-use), the performance gap was smaller, with the CPU being 65.8 times faster using RSA-2048 and 66.4 times faster using ECDSA P-256. For file encryption and decryption tasks, the CPU was 53.1 times faster than the TPM when using RSA-2048 asymmetric encryption and 67.0 times faster when using ECDH hybrid encryption. Despite the slower performance, using a TPM as part of secure software is attractive for its tamper-resistant hardware-based trust guarantees. However, this increased security comes at a cost. This experiment, involving three end-user computer systems, found that for the tested cryptographic operations, a CPU is between one to three orders of magnitude faster than a TPM on average. The only exception was the signing of RSA-2048 keys, which was less than one order of magnitude faster on the CPU. In conclusion, the decision to prioritize TPM's added security or CPU's superior performance falls on the designer of security and performance-intensive software. In cases where the TPM is over 1000 times slower than the CPU, it might be advisable for applications requiring high cryptographic throughput to forgo TPM usage. Instead, alternative security enhancements should be considered.

MTO Technical Publications

The MTO Technical Publications Website created by myself and Angus Webb, stands as a comprehensive platform housing essential documents for the design, construction, and maintenance of transportation infrastructure across Ontario. Designed in alignment with the Ontario Design System and AODA standards to ensure accessibility and user-friendliness, the site was developed using Sydney Enterprise, Visual Studio Code, HTML, and CSS. It consolidates a wide array of critical resources, including Ontario Provincial Standards, MTO Designated Sources for Materials, technical documents, special provisions, standard and structural drawings, and traffic volume data. This initiative not only facilitates easy access to important infrastructure documentation but also supports the development and maintenance of sustainable transportation networks in Ontario, embodying our commitment to innovation and collaborative project management.