Congratulations - Durham College and UOIT

24 The Chronicle November 6, 2007
By Colin Boucher
Chronicle Staff
In a non-descript room, tucked
away in the UB building, UOIT students
are dissecting worms and viruses,
and learning how they work.
But these aren’t the kind that can
make you sick. Th is is the Hacker
Research Lab, and it is used by IT
Security students.
Th e Bachelor’s degree in IT security
program and its Master’s in
IT counterpart are run by the Faculty
of Business and Information
Technology at UOIT.
Miguel Vargas Martin, a professor
with a doctorate in computer
science from Carlton University,
teaches cryptography in the
master’s program and math in
the bachelor’s program and has
worked for UOIT since 2004.
“Th e need for security professionals
is huge,” said Vargas Martin.
He says graduates from the
program can design networks,
computer systems, security systems
for networking, and lead security
teams.
One of the major attractions
to the program is the Hacker Research
Lab, located on the second
fl oor of the UB building.
Th e lab gives master’s students
and, likely fourth year bachelor
students next year, a chance to
learn through hands-on experience.
“To learn something well, you
have to put your hands on it,” said
Vargas Martin, adding that studying
books and concepts will only
get students so far.
“By dissecting the worms and
viruses, you see how they behave
in a natural environment,” he said.
“We use worms and viruses that
are found in the wild, and capture
them on the internet and use them
as they are.”
Th e lab consists of eight workstations
that have the ability to run
CAMPUS NEWS
Caffeine fix may be stressful
By Alyshia Higgins
Chronicle Staff
As the semester progresses and
assignments pile up, caff eine becomes
a student’s best friend.
Caff eine is a stimulant and students
rely on it for giving them a
morning boost, to stay awake during
an all-nighter, or just to help
them stay focused during the day.
Lidia Abbott, a registered nurse
at the health and wellness centre,
said although students may think
caff eine helps them get things
done and stay focused, it can actually
have the opposite eff ect.
“People who have too much
caff eine may think they’re under
more stress than they actually are,”
she said. “Stress and caff eine provide
a lot of similar eff ects on the
body.”
According to the National Sleep
Foundation, moderate doses of
caff eine can increase alertness,
cause insomnia and increase nervousness
and dizziness, which are
all synonymous with being under
stress.
It can also result in increased
heart rate, irritability, and a “crashing”
feeling when it wears off .
Caff eine can be found in not
only coff ee and tea, but also chocolate,
cocoa, energy drinks and
many soft drinks.
Abbott said consuming the
stimulant may off er short-term
relief, but can lead to long-term
concerns.
“It increases your heart beat
and could lead to cardiac problems
in the future,” she said.
While caff eine is most commonly
consumed by way of coff ee
or tea, Abbott said some people
don’t realize it’s in another popular
drink too.
“It’s important for people to realize
that energy drinks have caffeine
too and provide the same
eff ects.”
Teresa Engelage, another registered
nurse at the health and wellness
centre, recommends students
wean themselves off caff eine and
use other methods to gain energy.
“It’s best to reduce caff eine
consumption gradually,” said
Engelage. “It’s also important not
to drink coff ee or colas late in the
day, otherwise it can aff ect your
sleep.”
She recommends a tried, tested
and true method of relieving stress
and boosting energy.
IT security program in UOIT
diff erent platforms, such as Windows,
Linux and Unix.
“We understand that the predominant
platform is Windows in
the workplace, however we don’t
want to focus on that because we
know it is not the only, and we
want to prepare students to perform
in a universal environment,”
Vargas Martin explained.
He said the lab has the ability to
turn its connections to the Internet
on and off , so when releasing
worms and viruses it’s done in a
closed environment.
Vargas Martin is careful to explain
that the program trains students
in part to be hackers, but
stresses that in the industry, there
is a distinction between computer
hackers and computer crackers,
saying there is a misunderstanding
of the terminology.
“A cracker is someone who is
breaking the security of a system
with a malicious intention, whereas
a hacker is someone who trying
“Exercise would give you that
increase in alertness,” she said. “It
also gives you a break from your
work and can help relieve stress.”
Abbott adds that exercise
to break the system with the only
intention to improve it under the
consent of the owner of the system…
A hacker is a good guy, a
cracker is a bad guy.”
Th e Master’s of Information
Technology program is fully focused
on security whereas the
bachelor’s has a number of courses
that are not pure security.
For example, bachelor’s students
take courses such as math,
programming, and computer architecture.
Th e Masters program is entirely
focused on security, which is
unique in all of Canada.
“All of the courses are oriented
to security. If you go to Carlton
University, for example, you have
a number of courses, not all of
which have to do with security.
UOIT’s master’s program is the
best course to take if you’re interested
in that as a career,” Miguel
Vargas said.
Th e diversity of courses in the
Photo by Alyshia Higgins
CAFFEINE-FILLED PRODUCTS: Caffeine has the same effect as stress on the human
body. People who consume too much caffeine may feel may feel under pressure.
doesn’t have to mean going to the
gym.
“It can be something as small
as going for a short walk outside,”
she said.
bachelors program, however, has
caused some students to become
concerned that their degree will
not be career-specifi c enough, and
they will have to take the master’s
program.
“I think there is a lot that our
program teaches us as far as learning
the skills necessary to put us
on that path, but like with most
professions, there is still some extra
training that would be benefi -
cial that I need to seek outside of
school,” said one third-year bachelor
student, who did not wish to
be named.
Th ough the bachelor’s program
is only in its third year, and therefore
no employment rate data is
available, he said a number of students
fear the courses they take are
too vague and don’t focus enough
on IT security directly.
“I just hope and pray I can
amaze employers with my charisma
and the vagueness of my degree
to win them over,” he said.