acm-header
Sign In

Communications of the ACM

ACM TechNews

Girl Scouts Are Learning to Pick Locks, Hack Computers


View as: Print Mobile App Share:
A Girl Scout practices hacking.

The Girl Scouts are working to teach members the basics of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), including Cyber Camps where such skills as computer hacking are taught.

Credit: Kory Peal

The Girl Scouts are hosting workshops to teach members the basics of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers, including Cyber Camps where such skills as computer hacking are taught.

At a recent Cyber Camp at Collin College, a community college near Dallas, TX, participants were taught to hack within a small network set up in a single room, using Kali Linux penetration testing software. Participants employed laptops to pass in and out of a central server, learning common exploits and how to protect against them. One lesson from this exercise was to show how much information is left exposed on public servers.

"There is a growing crisis in confidence among young girls, particularly when it comes to STEM education and the pursuit of STEM careers," says the Girl Scouts of Texas' Amanda Duquette. "As the largest girls leadership development program in the country, Girl Scouts is poised to fill this gap."

From Popular Mechanics
View Full Article

 

Abstracts Copyright © 2018 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA


 

No entries found