75. Learning Hacking to Stop Hackers

Welcome to American Mosaic from VOA Learning English.  I’m Caty Weaver.

People who steal¹ online information cause billions of dollars in damage² every year. These criminals are called³ “hackers.” The damage would be even greater⁴ if there were not⁵ security workers who defend computer systems against⁶ attacks.

Experts⁷ say these workers need to know the weaknesses⁸ of their systems so they can better⁹-defend them.

Earlier this month¹⁰, VOA reporter Mike O’Sullivan visited a week-long¹¹ “hacker” training program¹² in San Diego, California.  Young people were being taught¹³ how to hack¹⁴ computer systems in order to learn¹⁵ how to fight¹⁶ criminal hackers.                                            

About¹⁷ 20 high school students¹⁸ took part¹⁹ in the five-day-long program. They were among the winners²⁰ of a local computer competition. Sixteen-year-old Chloe Chrisostomo is one of the students.

“They set networks²¹ and we can hack into the network, or we can hack into other people’s computers and then mess with them²².” Students are also being taught about online spying²³ and the sale²⁴ of stolen²⁵ information.

This kind of²⁶ training is important to companies²⁷ and governments. They want more young people to enter the information security field²⁸ to help defend against online, or cyber criminals, because attacks are often very costly²⁹. Just one successful³⁰ attack can cost millions of dollars.

It is a problem throughout the world³¹. Police in such countries as³² India and Romania are having a difficult time fighting cyber criminals. A recent computer-industry report³³ said attacks on computer systems will cost more than $350 billion this year. Hundreds of billions of dollars will also be spent³⁴ to stop such³⁵ attacks.

Trainer Cameron Camp is a security researcher³⁶ and writer. He says the students are learning how to attack the kinds of computer systems that companies are now using.

“It's set up³⁷ very similar to³⁸ what would be a typical corporate environment³⁹, so whether⁴⁰ you have wi-fi, whether you have corporate networks that store⁴¹ company information, we actually⁴² replicate⁴³ that.”

Jomarri Salomon recently graduated⁴⁴ from high school. He says the training helped him understand why computer criminals do what they do⁴⁵.

“To learn how to defend against a hacker, you have to know how a hacker attacks or how a hacker thinks or to be able to⁴⁶ defend against that kind of vulnerability⁴⁷ that you are probably going to have in the future.” Mr. Salomon plans to join⁴⁸ the U.S. Air Force and work in computer security.

Liz Fraumann works at the nonprofit⁴⁹ foundation Securing Our eCity, which helped organize the training. She says students in the program learn a lot more than they think they will. “When we look at them initially⁵⁰, they think they know it all⁵¹. They know a lot already⁵². And by Wednesday [they say], ‘I do not know quite as much as I thought⁵³.’”

Cameron Camp says he hopes⁵⁴ the students will use what they have learned to help, not hurt⁵⁵, computer users⁵⁶. “And we would like to convince⁵⁷ these folks⁵⁸ who are skilled⁵⁹ computer people that the rewards⁶⁰ in the end are much better⁶¹ for working for the good guys⁶² rather than⁶³ the bad guys.”

I’m Caty Weaver.  Join us again next week for another American Mosaic from VOA Learning English.

Vocabulary

1. People who steal = pessoas que roubam
2. damage = danos
3. called = chamados
4. would be even greater = seria ainda maior
5. if there were not = se não houvesse
6. against = contra
7. Experts = especialistas
8. weaknesses = fraquezas
9. better = melhor
10. Earlier this month = no inicio deste mês
11. week-long  = de uma semana de duração
12. training program = programa de treinamento
13. were being taught = estavam sendo ensinados
14. how to hack = como "haquear"
15. in order to learn = a fim de aprender
16. fight = combater
17. About = aproximadamente
18. high school students = alunos do ginásio
19. took part = participaram
20. among the winners = entre os vencedores
21. set networks = configuram redes
22. mess with them = "bagunçar" com eles
23. online spying = espionagem on line
24. sale = venda
25. stolen = roubado(a)
26. kind of = tipo de
27. companies = empresas
28. information security field = campo da segurança da informação
29. are often very costly = são frequentemente muito caros
30. successful = bem sucedido
31. throughout the world = por todo o mundo
32. in such countries as = em paises tais como
33. report = relatorio
34. will also be spent = serão também gastos
35. such = tais
36. researcher = pesquisador
37. set up = configuração
38. similar to = semelhante a
39. typical corporate environment = ambiente corporativo tipico
40. whether = se ou não
41. store = armazenam
42. actually = realmente
43. replicate = duplicar
44. recently graduated = formou-se recentemente
45. do what they do = fazem o que eles fazem
46. to be able to = ser capaz de
47. vulnerability = vulnerabilidade
48. join = entrar para
49. nonprofit = sem fins lucrativos
50. initially = inicialmente
51. they think they know it all = eles acham que sabem tudo
52. already = já
53. quite as much as I thought = tanto quanto eu pensava
54. hopes = espera
55. hurt = prejudicar
56. users = usuários
57. convince = convencer
58. folks = pessoas, gente
59. skilled = habilidoso(a)
60. rewards = recompensa
61. are much better = são muito melhores
62. the good guys = "os mocinhos"
63. rather than = ao invés de