Learn to H4X0R

As the Local Area Networks class winds down, we've been discussing Network Security. Today's discussion came with mentions of Old School attacks such as Smurf and Fraggle, along with snooping techniques such as traffic analysis that have applications in real life. Example: the surest sign of impending military action is sharply increased orders for takeout at pizzerias surrounding the Pentagon late at night. Cool, huh?

Along with the obvious admonitions against actually using any tools such as Tribe Flood Network in the wild came what seemed like an implicit recommendation to download and look at the source, and perhaps play with it in a closed environment.

We also talked about actually securing networks against such attacks. It was at this point in the class where I seemed to perk up; there's something about fending off attacks from anarchists and pimply-faced h4x0rz alike that grabs me as being a potential career. So long as the Internet exists, there will be people who try to break it, whatever their reasons. There are plenty of opportunities out there for good people who know this stuff, some even in the building where I currently sit.

People ask me exactly what I want to do when I get out of college (only eighteen months away), and I tend to avoid the question. I feel like I might have the beginnings of an answer.

November 25, 2002 - 02:30 PM

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