Errm .....
Words fail me really. Just carry on.....
British schoolkids as young as 11 will be trained in cyber security as part of a new drive to protect the UK from digital threats. The government will produce learning materials designed to get 11- to 14-year-olds up to speed on cyber security. If the kids show a willingness to strap on a keyboard and fight in some foreign …
Teaching physical tactics to a kid like Ender is easy, especially if there are unpleasant physical consequences. If you read the book, it's clear that there is a natural progression from simple Battle Room scenarios to the simulator to actually fighting the Buggers, and Ender did not know then the transition between the last two happened.
Trying to teach kids what cyber security is without some natural, easily observable cause and effect is a hiding to nothing.
Maybe the politicians have watched a film like The Matrix, and think it's a case of putting on some VR kit, and performing cyber-kung-fu in a virtual world!
So they're going to train the next generation of script kiddies, to protect the nation? Not to say, for example, get votes?
"So he believed. Believed, but the seed of doubt was there, and it stayed, and every now and then sent out a little root. It changed everything, to have that seed growing. It made Ender listen more carefully to what people meant, instead of what they said. It made him wise. "
Hmm. Even if they learn nothing about IT security, maybe it'll be a good thing after all.
This post has been deleted by its author
Best way to test *any* system - particularly for security - is to let people who haven't a ****ing clue loose on it.
Worst way to test *any* system - particularly for security - is to let people who think they know what they're talking about loose on it.
So we'll end up with a generation who've been taught the "official" way, and won't think any other way.
Or we would if this hare-brained scheme lasts more than five minutes.
Serious question. Can anyone name any UK.gov "initiatives" in the past 20 years which are still going ?
Already done: Hacker Highschool.
(Disclaimer: I'm one of the authors who rewrote and updated materials and an ISECOM adviser)
Happy to bring that to the UK. I actually happen to be in London for a project..
But...but...children won't get upset if we call them script kiddies!
It's good to train kids in technology at a young age while their brains are like putty but you can't teach years of experience.
Being out of work now I would like the chance at one of these courses but it seems that having a mental age of a child isn't enough to let someone with a hint of grey hair have a chance at doing a job they could probably do well.
HackerHighschool.org, love the ascii counter @ http://hackerhighschool.org/cgi-sys/counterfiglet/nc/f=;echo;w;uname%20-a;id
Might want to check all the cgiwrap stuff you have like: http://hackerhighschool.org/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/~sshd , counterbanner-ord/counterfiglet etc.
Quality! "Replace in all files Created by Artisteer v3.1.0.46558"
For instance
Letting a friend of the minister run it and get paid a shed load of cash, he/she then hires a publicity agency to get the right kind of exposure in the media to this great new idea, then its off to the various software companies (note: usually the HQ in a far flung foreign land), a nice trip to the US/Canada/Russia/Australia/New Zealand or all of them to see how they do it, followed by several hours brain storming when the PM wants a document to wave at the media who've suddenly remembered this great new idea after 6 months, and finally the ICT teacher (or substitute teacher) gets a 19 page document saying "Read this to the kids" and tick all the boxes too.
And of course after the whole thing has gone titsup, we find the minister is been re-shuffled, the minister's friend gets a 100 000 pound pay off and told to lie low for 6 months until another fuckwitted idea springs forth from the backside of said public school tossers who are not qualified to find their own arse cheeks with either hand
"Get into this cyberseat, Sheila!"
What can go wrong?
Boffin Icon, because Scary Shiny Glasses
Dear Sir,
so after teaching common sense successfully out of any pupil, and after making sure that the only way to get University level students is to make the exams easier, gov now wants to teach cyber security.
And they want that because their track record indicates certain success?
<ConspiracyTheory>
Gov is doing this as Step one. Step two: Declare successful network hacking by some far-away millitant group of people, preferably in China. Step three: Declare war on cyber-terror, with backing from US and Israel. Step four: Revive the Cold War, but now against China.
</ConspiracyTheory>
Nice, innit ;) Well, there must be a reason for doing what the article states is the plan...
Regards,
Guus
These children are impressionable and eager to please their minders. Just like any child soldier, they will not ask themselves too quickly if what they are doing is right.
They will be told that they are fighting terrorists, or organised crime. The parents will be so prowd of their child prodigy.
In reality, they may be doing damage to infrastructure and systems of peaceful political activists, environmentalists, the occupy movement, or `Anonymous´. They may expose data and identities of innocent people, who may subsequently be arrested, just dissapear of be killed by drone maybe.
African child soldiers wield machetes and machine guns, and are paid with food, drugs and sex. The UK child soldiers will be offered educational opportunities, and scholarships maybe.
The damage the UK child soldiers may inflict can be worse than that of their African counterparts. Of course they will never really know, because it is all state secrets.
Unless a whistleblower like Snowden comes forth in the UK.