Matilda Backendal

When one teaches, two learn. –Robert Heinlein

Teaching Activities

I’ve had the opportunity to teach a wide range of different topics, from sailing to English and mathematics. Here are some of the more memorable experiences.

Thesis supervision

Master’s thesis projects:

  • Giovanni Torrisi, “Analyzing Cryptography in the Wild: Bitwarden”, Fall 2024
  • Nicola Dardanis, “Bridging the Gap: Design and Implementation of Secure Shared Folders”, Summer 2024 (co-supervised by Matteo Scarlata)
  • Valentina Iliescu, “Multi-Device Password Hardening”, Spring 2024 (co-supervised by Matteo Scarlata)
  • Léa Micheloud, “Securing Cloud Storage with OpenPGP: An Analysis of Proton Drive”, Fall 2023 (co-supervised by Daniel Huigens at Proton AG)
  • Younis Khalil, “Implementing a Forward-Secure Cloud Storage System”, Spring 2023 (co-supervised by Felix Günther)
  • Miro Haller, “Cloud Storage Systems: From Bad Practice to Practical Attacks”, Spring 2022 (co-supervised by Kenny Paterson)

Bachelor’s thesis and semester thesis projects:

  • Daniele Coppola, “Breaking Cryptography in the Wild: NextCloud”, semester project, Fall 2022 (co-supervised by Martin Albrecht and Kenny Paterson)
  • Younis Khalil, “Implementing a Puncturable Key-Wrapping Library”, semester project, Fall 2022 (co-supervised by Felix Günther)
  • Mirco Stäuble, “Data Structures for Puncturable Encryption”, BSc thesis, Spring 2021

University Teaching

TAing

  • Computer Science I (C++), BSc course at ETH, Fall 2024.
  • Applied Cryptography, MSc course at ETH, Spring 2020, 2022 and 2023.
  • Theoretical Computer Science, BSc course at ETH, Fall 2020.
  • Introduction to Theory of Computability, undergraduate course at UCSD, Spring 2018.

Seminar Supervision

  • Current Topics in Cryptography, MSc seminar course at ETH Zurich, Spring 2024.

Supplemental Instruction

  • Linear Algebra, BSc course at LTH, Fall 2015, 2016 and 2018.
  • Multivariate calculus, BSc course at LTH, Spring 2016, 2017.
  • Mechanics, BSc course at LTH, Spring 2016, 2017 and 2019.
  • During 2016 and 2018-2019, I was also a method supervisor and coach for other supplemental instructors at LTH.