Re: [school-discuss] Students "hacking"

["Douglas S. Blank" <dblank@brynmawr.edu>]

One method you might try is to tap into the student's motivation, but 
from the other side: challenge him to help make a system more secure.

If you have the resources to set up a small network (not connected to 
the rest of the net) so that you can help show how the hacks work, and 
how to prevent them from happening (e.g., actually edit source code to 
fix buffer overflow). If they feel ownership of the system, they will 
try to protect it, and will try not to lose the priviledge of using the 
special setup.

I wouldn't try to "help" them become betters hackers, but help them 
understand the ethical and technical problems. And let them know under 
no uncertain terms that they will be, at least, kicked out of the group 
if they use their knowledge in harmful ways.

As Spiderman says, "with great power comes great responsibility"...

-Doug

Kyle Hutson wrote:

> I send you this file in order to have your advice.
> 
> Now that I've tripped all your virus scanners... :-)
> 
> Background:
> I have a Jr. High student who has several "how to hack" files. They
> are very outdated and will most likely get him caught on the first
> attempt if he tried to use anything out of them (mostly phone
> phreaking, and modem wardialers).
> 
> Question:
> I'm inclined to let him know that I've seen what he's doing and
> offer to help him if he really wants to learn to hack - introduce
> him to linux and some Perl and C (I'm quite positive he's never used
> anything but Win9x). Is this wise? On one hand, if he doesn't get
> caught, I would hate to be responsible for enabling another 5kr1p7
> k1dd13. On the other, he could become one anyway. Anybody dealt with
> this issue before? Any sage advice?
> 
> --
> Kyle Hutson /  Director of Technology  / Rock Creek Schools:  USD323
> 
> smyle@rockcreekschools.org                              785-494-8591
> 
> Actually I am a laboratory mouse posing as an engineer as part of an
> 
>                elaborate plot to take over the world
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 



-- 
Douglas S. Blank,         Assistant Professor
dblank@brynmawr.edu,            (610)526-6501
Bryn Mawr College,   Computer Science Program
101 North Merion Ave,       Park Science Bld.
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010  dangermouse.brynmawr.edu