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Information Technology

University offers Ethical Hacking course

By Derek Sooman, TechSpot.com
Published: June 19, 2006, 10:01 AM EST
Something really rather cool caught my eye on the train to work today. The chap next to me had his paper open, and a headline on it read "UNIVERSITY TO OFFER HACKING COURSE". I tried to read more of it, but the chap quickly turned over the page, and started to read something about the World Cup, so I was left to check in at The Register to get the full details.

The University of Abertay in Scotland will indeed be offering a course in Ethical Hacking. Students will be taught everything they need to know about penetrating networks, cracking passwords and so forth, with a view to them going off into the real world to be security professionals who will harden the defences of company’s networks. They will be taught how to crack sophisticated security systems so they can advise organisations how to protect their network infrastructure from attack. Naturally, of course, full background checks will be required.

Course leader professor Lachlan McKinnon said: "We will monitor students closely because we want them to become ethical hackers. But there is no guarantee. Harold Shipman qualified as a doctor, after all, before deciding to become a murderer."

The course will be led by tutor Colin McLean, who is currently the only academic in the UK with an ethical hacking qualification. McLean believes that, in this day and age, the need for an ethical hacking qualification is paramount; he is looking to prepare undergraduates for jobs where they will be employed to go in and test computers for any kind of security flaw.

It almost makes me wish I was back in High School, getting to choose my degree subject all over again. If they had had the choice of a course like this when I was first going to University, I would have jumped at the chance.

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User Comments (13)

Post a comment
DragonMaster
on June 19, 2006
10:53 AM
They're not joking! Is there a course for commiting crimes correctly?

nathanskywalker
on June 19, 2006
1:15 PM
I'm so signed up.

ColinMcLean
on June 19, 2006
4:15 PM
Derek...really nice article. If I was 18 I would love to have done this course as well. But since I'm the Program tutor for the course - I can't sign up.

Nathanskywalker...see you at the interview when you apply...

Colin McLean
Program Tutor BSc Ethical Hacking and Countermeasures
University of Abertay Dundee

canadian
on June 19, 2006
10:09 PM
I would love to go to this!

blue_dragon
on June 19, 2006
11:44 PM
i am gonna do this!!

Phantasm66
on June 20, 2006
1:15 AM
Originally posted by ColinMcLean:
Derek...really nice article. If I was 18 I would love to have done this course as well. But since I'm the Program tutor for the course - I can't sign up.

Nathanskywalker...see you at the interview when you apply...

Colin McLean
Program Tutor BSc Ethical Hacking and Countermeasures
University of Abertay Dundee


Cheers, and thanks for posting.

Rage_3k_Moiz
on June 20, 2006
6:48 AM
Is this entirely unheard of? New Horizons here already offers a diploma in CEH. Or maybe its new in Scotland.(no offence)

Rage_3k_Moiz
on June 20, 2006
6:51 AM
Is this entirely unheard of? New Horizons here already offers a diploma in CEH. Or maybe its new in Scotland.(no offence)

ColinMcLean
on June 21, 2006
1:44 AM
The EC-Council CEH qualification is a professional qualification (one which I hold). The BSc (Hons)in Ethical Hacking at Abertay is the first undergraduate course with hacking in the title (we believe its the first undergrad course in the world but may be wrong??).

Colin

PS Look like I'm gonna be doing a bit of interviewing for the course :-) Hope you all have your ethical head on for it...

DragonMaster
on June 21, 2006
10:22 AM
I just can't believe it. Hacking class, niiice!

Phantasm66
on June 21, 2006
3:19 PM
Its an amazing opportunity I think and one that I would love to take if I was not now at the time in my life where I am best working.

If I was 18 again, I would have loved to have done this.

http://www.abertay.ac.uk/Courses/CDetails.cfm?CID=363&Key=002


[Edited by Phantasm66 on 2006-06-21 15:23:59]

ColinMcLean
on June 22, 2006
3:06 AM
Thanks for advert. Whats been interesting is that most of the phonecalls / E-Mails I have had are from older guys. I spoke to a 37 year old and 47 year old yesterday.

I suppose us old geeks can remember how cool the film Wargames was. LOL

X543
on June 26, 2006
8:39 AM
Sounds good. Don't wish to pour water on the bonfire here, but the University of Glamorgan and 7Safe Information Security brought out the actual first University Level qualification (Postgraduate Certificate in Penetration Testing & Information Security) last year:

http://www.7safe.com/PGC-Postgraduate_Certificate.html

This includes separate certifications in ethical hacking (CSTA, CSTP) for those who do not wish to complete the full PgC.

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