Pros and Cons of an Ethical Hacking Course

The issue of teaching students to hack has been under discussion in the past few years. In this presentation, Dr.Thorna Humphries will discuss some of the pros and cons for teaching a hacking course to students. Dr.Thorna Humphries will also discuss possible topics for an ethical hacking course and lab setup.

Broadening Information Assurance Awareness and Competence:
The FAMU Roadmap

Information assurance (IA) is one of the fastest growing areas of information technology. IA addresses concerns ranging from individual privacy and information protection in commerce, entertainment and social interaction, to national security. IA has become one of the most popular tracks of study in the CIS Department at Florida A&M University. Since its inception in 2004, nearly 80 students have completed the track and received professional certificates recognized by the Department of Homeland Security and the Committee for National Security Systems (CNSS). 

The Florida A&M University Department of Computer and Information Sciences (CIS) was recently awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Education through the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP). This three-year project, “Broadening Information Assurance Awareness and Competence (BIAAC),” will be used to move to the next level in the evolution of the information assurance track. Project goals include the following: (1)  establishing the FAMU Center for Secure Computing and Information Assurance (FCSCIA) for research, outreach and service; (2) increasing the number of CIS graduates who receive IA certificates and pursue IA-related advanced degrees and careers; (3) meeting the requirements to be designated a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAEIAE); and (4) enhancing and strengthening student and faculty research in IA; and broadening collaborations between the IA program and other academic programs, such as Criminal Justice.

This presentation will outline the strategies used to achieve the goals of this project, and will identify opportunities for collaboration and synergy among institutions that are committed to expanding the participation of underrepresented population groups in information assurance careers.

Challenges in Creating Ethical Hackers

Although ethical hacking has been with us for many years, there has been a raging debate as to whether the topic should be taught in the classroom or laboratory. Many of its opponents believe that some students could become rouge agents (or “Black Hats”) using their skills and knowledge for malicious reasons rather than becoming “White Hats”—using their skills for the discovery of vulnerabilities with the aim of helping an organization to protect its information systems against illicit entry, abuse, and misuse.  Another school of thought disagrees, and believes that ethical hacking is a necessity for the computer security professional.