QHack is a relatively new club at the University that allows internet s to discuss and participate in workshops regarding computer and network security issues.
Joel Howard, ArtSci ’07 and president of QHack said the security issues we are all faced with today are a result of the principles on which the Internet was originally built.
“The Internet was built on gentlemen’s principles and was never meant for public consumption,” he said. “This leads to the types of security problems we are witnessing today; a myriad of worms, virii and malicious code plague our online experience.” Due to the rapid speed at which these security problems transform, it is difficult for a to keep up with protecting his or her computer and network, he said.
Worms and malicious code are not the only things to worry about either. As many students are already aware, the legal system is rapidly falling behind expanding technological advancements and leaving “legal holes and ambiguity to be exploited by the equivalent of privateers on the internet,” Howard said.
“On top of this, the legal system is not able to cope with the rapid pace of technological advancement. The Internet is still affected by legislative bodies trying to regulate the international network,” he said.
This year, QHack is aiming to move its approach toward discussion of current events in regards to security issues, and is encouraging more in-depth talk about these issues, he said.
QHack is currently organizing two workshops. A wireless security workshop will discuss available security schemes, and a second workshop will concentrate on how to lock down a computer that is running a fresh installation of Windows XP.
Howard said he promises the workshops will be easy to understand and discussion will be kept as simple as possible. However he warns that an interest in security and an intermediate knowledge of computers is helpful.
“Know what T/IP and UDP are, or stand for? It will help.”
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