Security in the classroom

Microsoft supporting secure code initiative at University of Leeds

Microsoft seems to be taking security education seriously these days. The software company has pledged support - both financial and in the provision of resources - for a new course which will teach students to write secure code, at the University of Leeds in the UK. Microsoft will provide material based on its 'stride' methodology, which university staff will incorporate into code-writing classes. Unlike previous instances in which Microsoft has pledged support to educational institutions, the staff at Leeds University will be given free rein to use the Microsoft materials and funding to draw up their own curriculum as they see fit. The university has also been granted all intellectual rights and the freedom to distribute/sell its code-writing course materials to other educational institutions.

While some may snigger at the mild irony of Microsoft, a company famed for producing software with security flaws, embarking upon an initiative to promote secure code writing, the move does indicate a much-needed step towards the introduction of security engineering into mainstream computer education. The course will be available from January 2004

01 April 2003

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