First in Defcon, Hacker Classes for Children

Defcon, the world-level conference for the hackers (hackers) held Kids Defcon, hackers class specifically for children. This performance is the first time in 19 years of organizing Defcon.

Class discussions and tutorials are intended for children ages 8 to 16 years. Not a few interested persons, 60 children attend classes that took place during the 6 to August 7, 2011 last. Defcon is itself a convention attended by some 10,000 hackers to share their knowledge about the techniques to penetrate and secure computers and other devices.

In the event that was held in Las Vegas, USA, 4-7 August 2011, these children are divided into two classes. Here they met the veteran hackers, security experts from Homeland Security and the National Security Agency. They also listened to the history of hacking and cryptography lesson.

The participants also had the opportunity to follow demonstrations and workshops with various themes such as learning to unlock the Master, Google Hacking, Making Electronics, Social Engineering, Coding in Scratch and Communicating in Code. The committee provides work space for children who want to participate in hacking activities, including codebreaking museum, Makerbot and Hardware Hacking Station.

Children are welcome to participate in a hacking competition held specifically for them. One is the competition reveals the key to be used for example when they forget the key combination of storage cupboards. They are also challenged to find vulnerabilities in a number of devices, ranging from games to computer devices.

The race committee require that parents accompany children who follow this particular class. "Defcon Kids not childcare. Children are the responsibility of parents so they must be accompanied throughout the session in both the classroom and work space," reads a warning in the official site Defcon Kids.

Participants of this special class is mostly a children who were born and raised in environments that are very familiar with the computer world. There are even already have a certificate in information technology. One of them is Xavier, a man 14 years this has got two certificates in IT. Xavier is the son of Rey Ayers, 42, an information security specialist from one of the companies in San Francisco, and won the Defcon.

To participate in this class, parents and children should have the Defcon badges, which can be obtained at enrollment and costs 150 U.S. dollars. (National Geographic Indonesia / Ni Ketut Susrini)