Australians enrol for hands-on hacker course
Published: 08 Aug 2001 11:04 BST
eSec has partnered with US-based security software developer and trainer Foundstone to take its internationally renowned Ultimate Hacking: Hands On course "beyond the walls of the US," according to Foundstone president and chief technical officer Stuart McClure.
"It's not an issue of demand, it's an issue of supply," McClure told ZDNet. Asia Pacific may be 18 months behind the US in terms of security training and education abilities, but demand in the region for such skills has already caught up, according to McClure. "We can't keep up with the demand...we get two or three legitimate requests out of Asia Pacific every week."
With a AU$4600 price-tag per head, and no alternative course available in Australia, "it's already created a stir," eSec's Keith Glennan said. In the US the "intensive four-day immersion into the way the hacker community works" costs US$3995 per head and is always fully subscribed, according to Glennan.
Whilst local businesses are not as serious about security as the US market, the recent Code Red worm and SirCam virus have caused companies to sit up and take notice, Glennan said, adding that he anticipated the course uptake by the local market to follow the US lead.
"The biggest problem in Australia is the 'it'll be alright mate' attitude," Glennan said. "They think, like lightning, the problem won't strike in the same place twice, but our attitude is if you've been burnt once...you're likely to be burnt again."
"Part of the problem is that security administrators often don't know what they don't know. The beauty of this course is that it shows people security from both sides -- the good guys and the bad guys," he added.
Also under the agreement eSec will resell Foundstone's FoundScan Managed Vulnerability Assessment Service, which delivers automated, intelligent security assessments. Foundstone recently announced a partnership with Taiwan-based Sysware Corporation, a leading information and network security solutions and services company, which will resell the same subscription service.
"Overall, this is a tremendous opportunity to team with a leader in the Australian security market," Foundstone CEO George Kurtz said of the eSec partnership. "We look forward to expanding our market presence as well as educating security managers with the latest Ultimate Hacking tricks."
To register or obtain more information regarding the course go to www.esec.com.au.
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