Should we teach cyberwarfare?

Many universities and institutions are starting to teach students how to write viruses, or hack corporate networks. They say it's for educational purposes, but let's get real. Since when are viruses released in the wild good? Some private institutions and companies started teaching people how to hack corporate networks. This was done to "help people understand security better". How will they know that those people won't use what they learned to really break into corporate networks? We got enough people breaking into networks and writing viruses, why do we need to teach others to do so too?

My question is: Should institutions and private companies teach people cyberwarfare? If so, to what extinct should they be allowed to do this?

 

Absolutely no f***in A** way should we be teaching anything even remotely like that to the general public!!!

 

Teaching folks how to write a virus to protect against them is bull!! What a bunch of deep stuff that arguement is....geez.

But I kind of understand the principal behind their position on network security. You can't teach someone to be a really good cop if you don't teach them how crimes are committed. The same principal applies to network security. You need to understand how hacks occur in order to understand how to stop them IMHO.

However, I don't agree with teaching methods of breaking into networks for the sake of breaking networks as a means of learning the principals behind network security, although thisinformation needs to be learned IMHO.

The same arguement could be made about teaching people about anything. You cannot control what folks may do with knowledge and IMO you can't withhold knowledge because they may do wrong with it.

But teaching virus writing is going a bit too far I'd say.

 

i don't doubt the integrety of those who have voiced their objections, however, let's assume it is possible to infiltrate networks and write effective viruses. Let's assume you can know how to but i don't. Then i want to know how. if the situation is not exceptable then fix it.

here is a question: Which of the following is the safest scenario

a) Nobody but those asigned access can control computers on the internet remotely.

b) No one but those asigned access, and some secret high tech government organization whose charter is to defend our freedom.

c) 'a', 'b', plus a few really smart guys.

d) virtually anyone who has a computer and can search google.


i sort of think (d) is safest, only because in the first three cases almost everyone thinks they are safe. And flaws that are exploited widely get fixed...eventually...i hope...maybe


- HandsOff

 

Knowledge should not be restrained by the Fear of knowledge.

Throughout its histroy mankind has shown that it will never tolarate restraint on the learning process. An if that were not the case we would still be sailing the seas in wooden ships and using horse and buggy.


TheSnowGuy

 

I agree. In addition you have to look at what motivates this computer outlaw mentality. Where is the incentive to right, and the disincentive to do wrong. This may be a little off topic but it is a story of something that happened to me that has really disillusioned me. I will try to be brief

-I had debit card info stolen
-A charge appeared with the name of a company that charged me "Tuition"
-I called the banks customer service, told them the name of the company - The bank new the name and told me they did this all the time, they would send me a dispute form to fill out and i would get my money back.
-I asked them if they knew about the company, why dont they refuse to do business with them. The response was that VISA would have to pay them back so they are not hurt.
-I said, well why does VISA put up with it. They said VISA would get the money back from the company or they will not allow them to continue using VISA.
-Okay, I get my money back, the bank gets it back, VISA gets it back, everybody is happy...for a few seconds...but wait...What about the guy who was screwed out of his money but did not catch it? Shouldn't the bank be fighting just as hard for him? shouldn't VISA? Shouldn't WE!!!

Oh yeah, i was trying to make a point...i don't know how they stole my credit banking information, but really, where is the incentive for them to stop?

- HandsOff

(please excuse the giant soapbox)