By Andy McCue
Special to CNET News.com
Published: June 19, 2006, 11:06 AM
PDT
A degree course in computer hacking has been launched by a Scottish
university in response to industry demand for IT security experts.
The University of
Abertay in Dundee will run the Bachelor of Science undergraduate
course in "Ethical Hacking and Countermeasures" starting in the next
academic year in October.
Around 30
students will be enrolled in the course, which the university says will provide
a graduate with knowledge of how illegal computer attacks can be performed and
how they can be stopped.
The course
catalog description says: "In the same way that police detectives need to
know how thieves can steal, computer systems administrators need to know what
hackers can do."
The university
said it has launched the degree course in response to demand for people with the skills to
test the security of corporate IT networks. "There are an
increasing number of compliance regulations and insurance policies that insist
businesses carry out security checks on their networks," a representative
for the academic institution said.
The university
also stressed it will be vetting students "very carefully" in
accordance with Home Office guidelines and that they will be monitored closely
throughout the course. "We are not going to give them the full set of
tools on day one," the representative said.
Although many
existing undergraduate computing degrees cover elements of this new course,
Abertay claims to be the first U.K. university to offer a dedicated degree
course in hacking.
There are also
ethical hacking courses and qualifications offered by private sector IT
training organizations such as the Training Camp, which launched a course two
years ago.
Andy McCue of Silicon.com
reported from London.