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Hacker High School Starts to Spread
thelordx writes "Hacker High School, an initiative from the non-profit Institute for Security and Open Methodology, pioneers of the OSSTMM have received some media coverage for their Hacker High School Program. It's a license-free open-source program that provides security and privacy-awareness teaching materials to teachers.
Here's the link to the BBC stream and article about the project."
The concept is interesting, although I hardly see this type of thing ever getting very big. Unfortunately, especially in the U.S., too many people will be against this kind of alternative teaching, probably likening it to getting kids to stay off drugs by encouraging them to try them first. I doubt there'd be much support for this outside the ISECOM, even though this type of experience would benefit anyone going into the network administration sector.
;)
FTA: "The school believes there could be jobs out there for this new breed of ethical hacker."
There are, and have been for quite some time. The FBI employs at least one former hacker, that I know of. There is an article that explores this a bit more, though it's a little dated.
Besides, high school kids already have too many freedoms: open campus lunches, driver's licenses, free thinking. We need to put an end to this now!
Digital Sailor
How many teachers do you think are going to hear about this and react as following: "hacker highshool? why would we want to teach our kids to be hackers (computer criminals)". Perhaps they could have called it something involving the word security or protection.
Philosophy.
I saw this on the news earlier. They seemed to deliver it VERY poorly. Rather than explain how "hacking" is infact "testing the system" as it came across to me, it pretty much played into the steriotype of "we break into computers".
Of course this was "Click online" which never gives you any facts, it just goes "oh look a new iPod" or "theres more security holes, work out for yourself how to avoid being owned".
I like muppets.
Increasing awareness of security related computer problems: Good!
"Hackers" BAD!
Making teens memorize the motto "antivirus / firewall / no pirate programs" BAD
Of course, It doesn't seems to me they can teach anythong useful (like nmap for instance, or how to "smash the stack")
how long until
This might work, teaching kids early about this will make them become more aware of their internet usage. I know a lot of people who will freely post personal information about themselves, leave logs around, etc. With today's problems with viruses, security has become such a big concern and its quite the prize if anyone can manage to control it. It wont be recieved in good light however, thanks to the media. Whenever you hear of the word 'hacker' the average joe will think of crackers, identify thieft, etc.
Oh wahhhhhhh, you missed the point.
In this day and age the "hacker" mentality is exactly what we need to teach kids.
Question Authority!
Figure it out!
This is google - it will help you figure out anything!
The computer is not something to be afraid of.
If ANYTHING can help kids understand these tenants of the hacker culture its useful. Lets teach internet safety and best practices somewhere else, the goal of a hacker course should be something else entirely.
Because this isn't about protecting your individual computer, it's more as a start into bigger and better things. Eventually, someone has to WRITE the firewall and anti-virus.
Also, it uses a live linux cd to teach. You're doing kids a huge favor by teaching linux and linux security in class, and not just telling them to pony up money every year for resource-eating software that doesn't always solve the problem!
What the word hack, hacking et al.. really mean?
hack1 Audio pronunciation of "hack" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (hk)
v. hacked, hacking, hacks
v. tr.
Slang. To cope with successfully; manage: couldn't hack a second job
(removed the other meanings that don't really pertain to its use in with computers)
I always thought of the term hacking as someone who could take what was available to them, and figure out a way while tinkering around to get whatever it was to do what YOU wanted it to. You hacked a solution.
With the word associated with all this security mumbo jumbo now-a-days people lost track of what 'hackers' really were years ago.. some of the very people who pioneered a lot of existing technology we use today.
Excuse me, I don't mean to impose, but I am the ocean
Theoretically speaking is good. Practically speaking is not. I just got out of high school and even though a program like this would've been interesting, I know, that not everyone has the maturity to use this information. Yes, it's good, that they teach you how to protect yourself, but giving this information is as good as if they give you a gun and try to teach you how to use a gun "ethically". Some people will actually serve the purpose of the program, while others simply will not.
Like I said, theoretically speaking, it's OK. Practically speaking, it will fail their purpose.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
I'm part of the ISECOM family, so I'll take a stab at addressing this concern:
The concept of the class is to teach kids about the ethics and legalities of life online. Unfortunately, calling the class "Internet Ethics and Legalities" is going to draw far fewer kids in than "Hacker Highschool".
However, if you look into ISECOM's other programs, such as the OSSTMM Professional Security Analyst (http://www.opsa.org) or the OSSTMM Professional Security Tester (http://www.opst.org), you'll notice a downplay of the whole "hacker" mystique. The OPST/OPSA classes are for the professional adults that are tired of the "come learn how to be a hacker (ie, learn nmap/nessus)" classes.
We'll give them a controlled environment and let the student hacker know what is right and wrong. Now, as a student of hacking some 25 years ago, and knowing the mentality of the hacker (that has changed only in the tools available, and maybe the determination level a bit) then, I suspect a real hacker is not going to be afraid of being caught or care if some 'teacher' embraces their hobby or not. The profile of a hacker is pretty forward, they are loners, lack approval in their real lives, desire greatly to have others worship them, and basically don't take showers and are always looking over their shoulders. That guy on the last photo in the article hardly looks to be someone the hacker I know and endear to heart would give a dime to let alone an hour of their time.
--- Old Time NeXThead
I keep seeing comments along the lines of, "They shouldn't have used the word hacker, teacher's won't appeal to that." I think the entire point is being missed, however, as the target is the students. The inherent problem being that the teachers may not adopt the program and introduce it to the kids.
Consider this, though. If I were in high school, I'd be much more intrigued to participate in a program called Hacker High School than I would Introduction to OS Security and the Internet.
But that's just me.
It was refreshing to see that the term hacker, as it was used in the article, was more closely in line with the original meaning of the term among those who identified themselves as "hackers" in the late 1980's and early 1990's. In the United States the marketers are already conducting a full-scale assault on the hearts and minds of our children in an attempt to breed the next generation of mindless consumers. Any type of program that encourages original thinking, awareness of privacy, and pursuit of full and accurate information is anathema to these marketers. It is ironic that corporations, pushing everything from junk foods, trendy clothing, and mass market entertainment to corporate propaganda that is passed off as factual "classroom materials", have nearly unlimited access to middle and secondary school students while a program which attempts to present an alternative position that encourages students to think for themselves and reach informed conclusions is quickly squelched. Is it any wonder that we are largely a nation of debtors?