February 20, 2004

Teaching Computer Viruses: a Recipe for Trouble?

To the Editor:

I have been teaching information-security courses for over 15 years ("How to Write a Computer Virus, for College Credit," January 16). Graduates of our program are considered to be among the top in the world in information security. ... In all that time we have never taught in a class how to write viruses or specifically how to use attack tools -- it isn't needed, and it isn't appropriate.

Protecting a system requires knowing a lot more than how to attack a

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