Teaching IT security – an international disgrace

News in that a school in the States is teaching its students about IT security. I have mixed feelings about this – great that it is happening, yet at the same time, how can we have got to 2006 and this is a news story? As has been reported already, this year sees the 20th anniversary of the discovery of the first computer virus. In IT terms, 20 years is Forever. How can it be that schools are only now beginning to address this vital skill? Plaudits to the school in question for doing this (and making some PR capital of it too), but a big raspberry to national governments (particularly our own in the UK) for not doing enough to put this on the agenda. ‘IT Security Skills or woolly lessons in Citizenship – which is more important? Discuss.’