School declares war on hackers
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, one of Switzerland's top universities, has joined forces with technology heavyweights to declare war on computer viruses and hackers.
Along with IBM, Sun Microsystems Laboratories and Credit Suisse, the Swiss institute has launched a Zurich-based research center to fortify data networks against increasingly potent worms and viruses.
"We are trying to benefit from the synergies...to strengthen Zurich as an international center for research in information security," said David Basin, a senior researcher at the Zurich Information Security Center (ZISC).
Weeks of crippling computer virus attacks in August underlined growing concern over computer security. One virus, for instance, caused a check-in nightmare at Air Canada last month when it infected the airline's reservations systems.
The MSBlast worm caused havoc in the cyberworld when it infected machines running Windows operating systems that had an open security hole. Microsoft said the virus caused millions of dollars in damage.
Fortifying data network security has become a skill in great demand, and the academic world is responding.
The ZISC is hosting a one-week seminar this month and aims to establish a master's degree in information security.
Some of the world's top universities, including the London School of Economics and the University of Hamburg, have already branched into advanced network security curriculae.
"It's become such a hot topic, IT security. The chance of a well-paying career is really strong," said Graham Cluley, a consultant for British security firm Sophos.
The University of Calgary in Canada has a controversial new course titled "Computer Viruses and Malware," believed to be the most advanced course dedicated to virus construction.
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Swiss Institute
Zurich Information Security Center
