Seminar

Drafts for a seminar series on using computing and telecommunications technology as a method of autonomous practice that treats security as a lynchpin, not an endpoint, for each topic.

We would like to develop the skills amongst our peers and comrades that enable meaningful and global resistance to the existing status quo as it relates to the mass de-skilling of a layperson. Current educational modes are either insufficient or actively obstructing a deep understanding of important (sometimes foundational) topics. For instance, a general push towards “code bootcamps” effectively imports the industrial (and militaristic) paradigm of the past onto current technologies. This creates a hyper-focus on one skill set, notably the skill set needed by multinational corporations, at the expense of others. This is how you create experts and specialists, the antithesis of the self-empowered generalist.

We understand that this educational method is the intentional design of an educational paradigm useful for long-term societal engineering, rather than true self-empowerment through knowledge and community. We aim to develop a pedagogy that results in the direct counter to the above, and at the same time provides specialist skills that far surpass those that are promised by the traditional educational methology, and in far less time.

Structure

The structure of the Seminar series is partly dependent on the topic of the seminar, but in general will follow the below outline:

Registration

Enrollees must first register for access to the Seminar. Registration will require a minimum financial deposit. The amount will be specific to the Seminar topic and course length. We estimate $100 to $250 USD as a starting collateral per enrollee. This deposit will be returned to the enrollee in full after satisfactory completion of their Capstone project (see below).

Part 1

TODO: Basically, an introduction to the material at hand, foundations, first projects.

Mid-point

The mid-point is a special session during which enrollees will take a break from their current projects and switch gears to a Mr. Robot’s Netflix ‘n’ Hack style session. A specific exercise relevant to the Seminar topic will be chosen.

Part 2

TODO: Further sessions and skill refinement, etc.

Capstone

Each Seminar will have a Capstone project that must be attempted before an enrollee’s deposit is returned. The capstone project is specific to the Seminar topic but will require a broad understanding of the Seminar topic in order to successfully complete.

Pedagogy

The value of this pedagogical style is that, by treating security as a lynchpin, and not as an endpoint, both defense and offense are taught simultaneously, therefore cutting the time needed to comprehend each topic from both perspective down to half the average time, or less.

Topics

Web Development

For your capstone project, you will launch a phishing site that mimics, with as much detail as possible, the login page of a popular website and attempt to trick one of your fellow Seminar enrollees into using your fake site instead of the real site.

Network Engineering

For your capstone project, you will translate a network diagram into a functioning network and be tasked with finding, remediating from, and reporting on a sample of network-borne malware that will be introduced to the network.

Network engineering study materials

System Administration

For your capstone project, you will be tasked with building out a network cluster running a set of applications that you need to keep running at optimum efficiency as well as prevent a sample of benign cryptomining malware from stealing the CPU cycles from your cluster.