Iran Adds Hacking to Their High School Curriculum

Iran Adds Hacking to Their High School Curriculum

Being previously involved in education, having served students as a teacher, there are classes that I believe would greatly enhance the curricula of all schools. Take for instance money management skills to help students learn how not to create debt for themselves. How about adding a gun safety program so students can learn how to properly Iran Adds Hacking to Their High School Curriculumhandle fire arms? What about adding self-defense classes?

Never would I have thought about adding computer hacking classes, though.

Iran, however, has thought differently.

A mid-August announcement from FARS, the voice of the Iranian Republican Guard Corp. (IRGC), stated that a computer hacking class will be added to the high school curriculum in Iran.

According to General Ali Fazali, acting commander of the Basij militia, this hacking class will be called “Defensive Readiness.” The plan is to simply add this hacking component to the curriculum already in place, “Civil Defense Training,” taught via a manual to junior and senior high school students.

“This year, we will witness changes in the contents, teachers and teaching hours of the defensive preparedness lesson,” said General Fazali.

Basically, Iranian students will be taught how to track and bring down drone aircraft by hacking into their computer systems.

As I sit here writing, shaking my head in disbelief, I can’t help but think of how teaching hacking can and probably will go terribly wrong. It’s highly probable that once students have the skills to hack they won’t stop with drones, hacking anything and everything they dislike in an attempt to make a statement or just to wreak havoc for fun.

Besides that, people are naturally curious. I know that if I learned a new skill, I would want to try it out immediately…not wait for a situation, like a drone to fly into my country/territory, to occur.

Going even a bit deeper, can hacking really be taught? Think about it. Hacking is about knowing each and every detail of a computer system, and being able to find holes and backdoors that give unauthorized access. This takes ingenuity, reasoning and trial and error…and of course, patience. Can characteristics like this be taught, or are these just a part of an individual’s natural chemistry?

Truth of it all is, by the time you have finished reading this article, Iranian students have learned one more element related to computer hacking, bring them closer to their ultimate goal of hacking drones.

Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/micah-d-halpern/iran-hacking-school_b_3836482.html?utm_hp_ref=tw 

 http://hackersnewsbulletin.com/2013/08/iran-will-teach-drone-hacking-in-high-schools.html

About the Author

Ginger Hill is Group Social Media Manager.

Featured

  • Progressing in Capabilities

    Progressing in Capabilities

    Hazardous areas within industries like oil and gas, manufacturing, agriculture and the like, have long-sought reliable video surveillance cameras and equipment that can operate safely in these harsh and unpredictable environments. Read Now

  • A Comprehensive Nationwide Solution

    A Comprehensive Nationwide Solution

    Across the United States, manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, truck yards, parking lots and car dealerships all have a common concern. They are targets for catalytic converters. In nearly every region, cases of catalytic converter thefts have skyrocketed. Read Now

  • Planning for Your Perimeter

    Planning for Your Perimeter

    The perimeter is an organization’s first line of defense and a critical element of any security and surveillance program. Even if a building’s interior or exterior security is strong, without a solid perimeter surveillance approach any company or business is vulnerable. Read Now

  • The Key Issue

    The Key Issue

    It is February 2014. A woman is getting ready in her room on a cruise ship when she hears a knock on the door; it is a crewmember delivering breakfast. She is not presentable so she tells him to leave it by the door. Read Now

Featured Cybersecurity

New Products

  • Schlage RC reader controller

    Schlage RC Reader Controller

    This new innovative device combines the power of the Pure IP™ access control technology pioneered by ISONAS with Schlage’s intelligent hardware and credentials, delivering a comprehensive and cost-effective perimeter solution to customers. 3

  • Dahua 2-Wire IP Video Intercom System

    Dahua 2-Wire IP Video Intercom System

    Dahua Technology is introducing a new line of expandable 2-wire IP video intercom solutions for the North America market. The New 2-wire IP video intercom is more advanced, cost effective, and designed to help businesses increase their security. 3

  • Paxton10 CORE Cameras

    Paxton10 CORE Cameras

    The new CORE Series cameras feature edge processing for ultimate scalability, built-in edge storage, and plug-and-play installation. The addition of the CORE Series gives installers new hardware, better choice, and more value than ever before. 3