http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=46138 By Victor Allen Tribune August 14, 2005 Would-be Internet crime fighters are learning how to take on the latest computer viruses and worms in a new class offered at Scottsdale Community College. The class, available for the first time this semester, could also help computer users protect themselves against Internet hackers and attacks. "It's like boot camp for security," said Ron Monroig, a business professor at the school. The demand for students with anti-hacker skills is great, Monroig said. An entry-level position pays $40,000 to $60,000, depending on experience and knowledge, he said. "Hackers are providing us with annuity in this particular technology because they're never going to go away," Monroig said. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is funding research and course studies for similar classes at colleges throughout the country, he said. He was not sure how much money SCC received for its program. Computer crime takes a heavy toll on American businesses and families, said Pinny Sheoran, executive director of the Business and Industry Institute at Mesa Community College. Identity theft can cost an individual $1,000 to $20,000 in property loss, and a business could lose $5 million to $10 million, depending on its size, she said. "There is a deep sort of concern," Sheoran said. "Our entire infrastructure is dependent on networks. How do you train people who are managing them to harden both the infrastructure and the software against attack?" The true cost and depth of damage from computer crime in the U.S. is probably much greater than reports show, said FBI special agent Tom Liffiton at the agency's Washington, D.C., office. Most computer crime is not detected or reported, he said. Companies that have managed network security report only 20 percent of attacks to law enforcement, and they report their losses at an equal frequency to their own legal staffs, Liffiton said. Most individuals and companies, especially smaller firms, have little or no computer security, he said. "They don't even have a clue as to what their losses are or even that they've been attacked," Liffiton said. Classes at SCC begin Saturday. For information on the class, call (480) 423-6610 or visit www.sc.maricopa.edu/cis. _________________________________________ Attend ToorCon Sept 16-18th, 2005 Convention Center San Diego, California www.toorcon.org
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