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Students to hack into businesses to aid online security

A team of ethical hackers is set to be deployed against small businesses based in Northumbria in a bid to help them adopt measures to counter hackers as well as avoid online threats, it has emerged.

Technology students of Northumbria University will be used to infiltrate the North East businesses if the scheme, which is aimed at helping them combat cyber crime, receives financial backing, reports nebusiness.co.uk.

Dubbed warning, action and reporting point (WARP), the project is scheduled for launch next month when university representatives meet with law and finance sector players in the North East to seek financial support.

The newspaper reports that companies including HSBC, Lloyds TSB, Barclays, Watson Burton and Dickinson Dees have been invited to the IT security event for the launch of the programme.

Dr Chris Laing from the university is behind the initiative, which will involve students taking Northumbria's ethical hacking course as well as other IT-related subjects at the institution.

Recent research from online security firm GFI Software stated that many companies focus on external internet security threats and ignore dangers posed by employees.

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