The World I Dare To Ethically Hack
The Issue:
As we near the third decade of the 21st century, we all expect internet on our phones, computers, and even our televisions. However, this reality is only available to certain people. Across the world, government regimes have taken over citizens' abilities to access the internet. There are currently thirteen countries with no internet, or limited internet access: Belarus, Burma, China, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. Unfortunately, many of these countries allow for their leaders (rulers) to access the complete, uncensored internet. Why should people who are restricting the freedoms of millions be allowed to explore endlessly online.
The Solution:
I have a solution which will use my knowledge of programming and business to bring this injustice to an end. The idea is a 4 week online course which will teach students the principles of ethical hacking. The course will conclude with a final project of hacking the internet of a leaders from one of the thirteen countries. I have studied the field of hacking and while there are myriad free videos online, they is no clear way to truly learn the principles of ethical hacking. A four week class that allows us to teach the difference between destructive hacking and ethical hacking will allow for students to have a clear path of progression as well as industry knowledge.
Measuring Success:
The business will have two aspects to measure students success. The long-term measure is whether our efforts coerce a government to change their policies. This would prove that the program has an actual affect on international affairs. However, I realize that causing a few irritating issues may not force a leader to change their country's policies, so we also have the short-term goal of student success. The business will be successful if students leave the course with an understanding in python and C programing as well as an understanding of ethical hacking. We will pride ourselves in student success both short-term and long-term.
Financials:
The costs are rather minimal for this idea. I will have to create an online curriculum and quizzes, but once I have the class running, there will only be minor changes to make. I expect the creating process to cost a few thousand dollars while maintenance afterwards will only be a few hundred dollars a year. I aim to set prices for classes at $20 for month-long class. If we only have 50 students in the first year we will cover our operating costs and even dent our initial costs. The business has tremendous upside -- if we were to have 10,000 students take our course in a given year, the business would generate $200,000 revenue. Also if the class begins to have a following, I can design a second, more advanced class for students who are interesting in learning more.
As we near the third decade of the 21st century, we all expect internet on our phones, computers, and even our televisions. However, this reality is only available to certain people. Across the world, government regimes have taken over citizens' abilities to access the internet. There are currently thirteen countries with no internet, or limited internet access: Belarus, Burma, China, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. Unfortunately, many of these countries allow for their leaders (rulers) to access the complete, uncensored internet. Why should people who are restricting the freedoms of millions be allowed to explore endlessly online.
The Solution:
I have a solution which will use my knowledge of programming and business to bring this injustice to an end. The idea is a 4 week online course which will teach students the principles of ethical hacking. The course will conclude with a final project of hacking the internet of a leaders from one of the thirteen countries. I have studied the field of hacking and while there are myriad free videos online, they is no clear way to truly learn the principles of ethical hacking. A four week class that allows us to teach the difference between destructive hacking and ethical hacking will allow for students to have a clear path of progression as well as industry knowledge.
Measuring Success:
The business will have two aspects to measure students success. The long-term measure is whether our efforts coerce a government to change their policies. This would prove that the program has an actual affect on international affairs. However, I realize that causing a few irritating issues may not force a leader to change their country's policies, so we also have the short-term goal of student success. The business will be successful if students leave the course with an understanding in python and C programing as well as an understanding of ethical hacking. We will pride ourselves in student success both short-term and long-term.
Financials:
The costs are rather minimal for this idea. I will have to create an online curriculum and quizzes, but once I have the class running, there will only be minor changes to make. I expect the creating process to cost a few thousand dollars while maintenance afterwards will only be a few hundred dollars a year. I aim to set prices for classes at $20 for month-long class. If we only have 50 students in the first year we will cover our operating costs and even dent our initial costs. The business has tremendous upside -- if we were to have 10,000 students take our course in a given year, the business would generate $200,000 revenue. Also if the class begins to have a following, I can design a second, more advanced class for students who are interesting in learning more.
I thought Ethical Hacking was basically for the purpose of identifying a business's weaknesses to promote cyber resilience. What does Ethical Hacking look like in this scenario? I like the idea of teaching students how to learn Python and C, but is it possible to learn the basics of these languages in just a month, given that USC has semester-long courses. I know that LinkedIn Learning and similar sites have courses that would more likely mirror your product. How would your price compete with these short-term courses? Creating a business that attacks communist governments sounds pretty radical.
ReplyDelete-Scott
This is a really cool idea and honestly something I have never even thought about before. It's so true that everyone should have access to internet- especially if they want to connect with the world and try to escape poverty. When I was doing work in Uganda the government decided to put a tax on social media sites and the only way to pay for it was through a certain account that I didn't have. Although this tax only lasted around a week or so it definitely had an impact on my experience -facebook allows one to contact people throughout the word instantly and that was taken away from me. I can't imagine what it would be like to permanently not have access to the internet. My only concerns towards your idea is that often governments are corrupt so how do you know they wont trace that hackers and punish them- which would just create more chaos. Also while $20 a month fee seems relatively low to us in america, it actually is a steep price for those in rural parts of developing countries, such as Vietnam and China. If someone has the option of spending $20 on schools fees for a month or paying to take this hacking class, I think many would prefer to pay school fees. Is it possible to lower thus price?
ReplyDelete-Hannah Barach
Garrett,
ReplyDeleteThis is an incredible idea and I love the way you organized your blog. It was very clear and helpful in indentifying what it is you are going after. One, I'd like to say that it seems like you really thought about how you yourself can make an impact. I admire that you're interested in doing something that applies one of your interests and puts it in full motion. I have a couple ideas, or questions for your plan. What type of students are your target audience? Is there an assumption that all of these students will have access to a computer where they will have access to a computer or laptop? If students are studying this course in any of the thirteen countries, could your program potentially get banned (I don't know if you could hack against that though)? I do agree that $20 in some countries will be a bit steep for some, so is there a potential where you could lower the price? Again, I think your idea is terrific and I am excited to see you present!
-Clifton