Protect Yourself by Hacking in Class

EEL4806, or Ethical Hacking and Countermeasures, is an FIU class that teaches students the techniques hackers use and how to protect themselves against hackers. Photo courtesy of FIU Flickr

Maritza De Armas/Contributing Writer

The internet has become a platform that cannot be lived without in today’s society. People depend so much on the internet that it results to sharing sensitive data, such as passwords and credit card numbers. The idea of information getting hacked scares people, and is a situation nobody ever wants to find themselves in.

Fortunately for students, The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is one step ahead of countering cyberattacks.

EEL4806, or Ethical Hacking and Countermeasures, teaches students the techniques hackers use to access people’s valuable data through replicating hacking methods and what countermeasures they can use to protect their own data.

Alexander Perez-Pons, an FIU engineering instructor, teaches this course during the fall, spring and summer semesters both online and in the Engineering Center.

Computer Engineering student Alexander Perez, a student who is currently taking the course, recalled the time when his personal data was hacked.

“I lost a lot of important accounts. I got them back, fortunately, but in those two hours my heart was racing,” said Perez. “This course gives me insight on how I got hacked. It’s really easy for people to get your information if you are not careful.”

Another Computer Engineering student, Shaneka Lewis, discussed how interactive the course has been for her.

“I enjoy learning the nitty gritty of certain aspects and learning new facts about certain topics that I had a good understanding of before,” said Lewis.

EEL4806 is a course that is open to all majors as long as the prerequisites have been met.

“It’s a fun class but it is a realization of what can happen and how vulnerable you can be,” said Perez-Pons.

Perez-Pons hopes that his students not only learn how to create hacks and how to counterattack them, but he also hopes that his students realize how we are easily willing to give up our information online and how that could serve as a vulnerability of that information falling into the wrong hands.

If you are interested in taking this course, you can learn more information at https://ece.fiu.edu/ or you can speak to your academic advisor.

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