University students looking for ways to hack into a computer network might sound like a movie plot but a team from Charles Sturt University (CSU) will do just that as part of the Inaugural Cyber Defence University Challenge.

 

The competition is being run by the Australian Government to raise awareness of cyber-security and highlight the career opportunities in information and communications technology.

 

Four Bachelor of Information Technology students from CSU’s School of Computing and Mathematics will take part in the 24 hour challenge beginning on Tuesday 3 April.

 

The team will work in the virtual computer network of a fictitious Australian business set up by the organisers.

 

They will have to identify vulnerabilities in the network’s security systems and recommend ways to fix the problems.

 

Senior Lecturer Dr Tanveer Zia said the competition is a chance for students to put their skills into practice.

 

“It will give students an understanding of the real life threats in the cyber world while giving them an opportunity to integrate workplace learning into their studies.

 

“Cyber-security is a growing area of concern because it is impacting not just organisations but individuals, due to increasing use of online social networks,” he said.

 

CSU team captain, Mr Andrew Littlewood said his interest in digital security comes from running his own computer repair business.

 

“Taking part in this challenge will complement my studies as I have an interest in penetration testing and security management,” he said. “Having a physical challenge allows us to practice in a realistic environment and not rely purely on theory.”

 

Competition organisers, including Telstra’s Chief Information Security Officer, Mr Glenn Chisholm, will meet with students and staff at CSU on Friday 23 March.

 

The winning team will win a trip to the United States to attend the 2012 Black Hat Conference in Las Vegas, and participants will also be considered for potential work experience opportunities with the Australian Government and Telstra.

 

Cyber-security is a key area of research for CSU’s School of Computing and Mathematics, which has established the Information and Communications Technology Security Research Group (ISRG). 

 

“This group aims to research the security aspects of critical IT infrastructure and the practical implementations of security measures,” Dr Zia said. “We hope to make a significant contribution to the world readiness and response to various security threats and attacks.”

 

Current research includes IT security governance, security issues in e-commerce, cyber-warfare, computer network security, security issues in wireless sensor networks, trust and identity management, digital forensics, privacy in social network sites and security threats in cloud computing.