Virus/Spam and Education
Is it a good thing to teach about writing virus, spamware, worm and spyware?
Why not? Without classes like this, people are figuring out by themselves how to write such program anyway. I believed virus/spymware/worm is not a very hard piece of software to write, any decent programmer with good knowledge on the platform can write one. And a good evil coder can write some very damaging software, as history had shown.
However, I have one reservation on the idea. The emphasis of the course should be on how this type of software works and how one can counter it. If I'm teaching such a course. I will set up a closed network and release tons of virus, worm, and spyware for students to find them, disect them, and find fix for it. I will also have them write post motem report to explain why such problem exists and how to prevent such problem in future design. I do believed many of these security problems are origin from a poor design that didn't consider from the security point of view. Such a class can drill in the idea how to design a secure software, IMHO.
This is how we raise the next generation of virus/spam/worm fighter.
Way to Go, UoC.
p.s. For the record, I graduate from UoC in 98'
CBC News: University to offer e-mail spam course
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(Last updated 19/03/09)
Why not? Without classes like this, people are figuring out by themselves how to write such program anyway. I believed virus/spymware/worm is not a very hard piece of software to write, any decent programmer with good knowledge on the platform can write one. And a good evil coder can write some very damaging software, as history had shown.
However, I have one reservation on the idea. The emphasis of the course should be on how this type of software works and how one can counter it. If I'm teaching such a course. I will set up a closed network and release tons of virus, worm, and spyware for students to find them, disect them, and find fix for it. I will also have them write post motem report to explain why such problem exists and how to prevent such problem in future design. I do believed many of these security problems are origin from a poor design that didn't consider from the security point of view. Such a class can drill in the idea how to design a secure software, IMHO.
This is how we raise the next generation of virus/spam/worm fighter.
Way to Go, UoC.
p.s. For the record, I graduate from UoC in 98'
CBC News: University to offer e-mail spam course
tags to del.icio.us: virus, opinion
tags to Technorati: virus, opinion
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