Communications of the ACM
Stop Computer Prodigies Before They Hack
Jason Spence competes in a hacking competition at the DEFCON 14 Conference in Las Vegas.
Credit: AP
Some U.S. government programs aim to teach kids the wrongness of hacking so they will be less likely to use their computing skills malevolently. For example, the Air Force Association's CyberPatriot contest for high school students teaches cyberethics and cybercitizenship as a first subject, says CyberPatriot commissioner Bernie Skoch. He says the goal of the competition is to "strongly discourage" malicious activity by "explaining the legal consequences, the career consequences of someone in their adolescence doing the wrong thing." Skoch says "we want to reach them very young so that when they confront a potential dilemma it's not a dilemma at all."
Skills taught to young people include configuring network links to remain closed when not in use so hackers cannot access files.
Meanwhile, many universities and nonprofits have hosted school and professional contests that attempt to teach ethical hacking. Officials for the U.S. Cyber Challenge note that the contest provides students with legal information so that they will use their skills in an appropriate manner.
From NextGov.com
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