PSIFERTEX
A twenty-second biography
“
Of code, parking lots,
business processes,
modern operating
system protections,
children’s toys. Hacking
is a mindset, not a
toolset.
“”
hacker
teacher
Pretty much whenever I can con someone into listening.
ctf champion
(Sometimes)
ctf champion loser
I lose more than I win
ctf organizer
Go play now!
presenter
Yeah, I got recursive on ya’ll.
family man
Hacking and programming kids is fun!
nerf addict
I can quit at any time.
doer of stuff
ABSTRACT
The 30 Second Summary
few months
corrupting
children
Creative Problem
Solving Class
hacking
Hacking Culture
Ethics
Lock-picking
Office Munitions
Magic Tricks
Social Engineering (Truth and
Deception)
Number Systems
Thanks for coming…
1.Encourage
2.Enable
3.Warn
ENCOURAGEMENT
In which the need is demonstrated.
1.Critical Thinking
2.“Hacker” Rehab
3.Giving Back
Opportunities Exist
•
•
•
•
http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/
Call a school!
Hacker Spaces
Other Non-profits (Community Centers,
Libraries, Churches, etc)
ENABLING
In which the need is demonstrated.
LESSON PLANS
Overview of the lesson plans
Intro / Hacking Culture
Summary:
An introduction into the concepts, cultures, ethics,
and legality of hacking, cracking, and phreaking
Goals:
Awareness, definitions
Materials:
None required, potentially slides.
Preparation:
Write up your own script/notes as needed, focus
on your experiences and favorite stories.
Instructions:
Spend time on the hacker topics, but don’t forget
the mini civics and philosophy lessons. Ethics will
underpin many other lessons, start early.
Resources:
MIT Hacks Gallery, Sample Slides online
Lockpicking
Summary:
The joys of lockpicking, emphasize the joys of
learning inner-workings, strong ethics focus.
Goals:
Practical skill, even more lock-picking
Materials:
Training locks, clear locks, multiple styles
>one pick/tension wrench for each student
Prepared diagrams/videos
Preparation:
Practice on locks and picks, verify difficulty,
homemade wiperblade tension wrenches make
pick-sets go further
Instructions:
Start with ethics, diagrams next, hand out picks
Resources:
Schuyler Towne
southord.com
Office Supply Warfare
Summary:
Good excuse to pop balloons, be “MacGyver-ish”
Goals:
Object repurposing, weapons safety, rules
Materials:
Lots! (pens, rubber bands, bbs, etc)
Targets (balloons, paper, decorate your own!)
Print copies of plans
Preparation:
Build at least one of everything before-hand.
Instructions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Resources:
Pass out directions and materials
Run around helping
???
Shoot stuff
Magic Tricks
Summary:
Because I think they’re fun.
Goals:
Hand-eye? No, just for fun really.
Materials:
Coins
Cards (bulk from amazon)
Rope!
Preparation:
Magic tricks. Learn some.
Instructions:
I can’t tell you the secrets, you might pass them
on!
Resources:
Websites, bookstores.
Deception and Truth
Summary:
Study topics of deception and truth, and practice
them out in a series of games
Goals:
deception detection skills, honesty
Materials:
None
Preparation:
Prepare presentation on ethics,
Decide on a group deception-based game to play
(“Mafia”)
Combine a brief set of slides or presentation with
some fun role-playing games involving deception.
Principles of polygraphs make an interesting topic.
Instructions:
Resources:
Number Systems
Summary:
Studying number systems as a pre-cursor to
Goals:
Familiarity with non base-10 numbers
Materials:
Slide deck or whiteboard notes
Preparation:
A refresher never hurts.
Instructions:
Cover topics (binary, decimal, hexadecimal)
Lots of exercises, competition
Resources:
Your CS degree finally pays off.
Future Topics
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Codes, Ciphers and Cryptography
Logic
Introduction to Programming
Web Fundamentals
Security Fundamentals
Social Engineering Followup
Nerf Modding
LESSONS LEARNED
In which you avoid mistakes psifertex made
computers are hard
“hands on” is a must
“hands on” is crazy
discipline 
get help
prepare
attendance fluxuates
Legal Issues
• State Childcare Requirements
• Freaked Out Parents
PARENTAL NOTIFICATION FORM FOR “CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING CLASS”
XX-YY-ZZZZ
John Doe
john@johndoe.com
(phone) AAA-BBB-CCCC
Dear Parent:
Thanks for allowing your child to participate in this Creative Problem Solving Class.
Some of the topics we plan on covering in this class might be misunderstood or taken out of context, so I hope
to use this letter to communicate the intent of the class, give you a chance to have some good conversations
with your child, and also make sure you have my contact information.
One of the goals of the class is to introduce students to the concept of “hacking”. Contrary to how it is often
portrayed, hacking was originally not about breaking into computers. Rather it’s about solving problems with
unexpected, original, creative solutions--or sometimes just being the first to see a problem at all.
With that in mind, the course covers a lot more than just computers. We plan to cover such topics as lock
picking, puzzles and games, magic tricks, etc, because each can illustrate that same principle.
The most important lesson comes in the first week, however. That’s when we will discuss the history of
hacking as a culture, the ethics of hacking, and being careful to delineate what is beneficial, legal hacking, and
illegal malicious activity. Of course other weeks will also include appropriate reminders and discussions about
relevant legal and ethical behaviors.
If you have any questions about the class, please feel free to contact me via phone or email. I look forward to
any feedback. Additionally, please sign and return the following attachment so we know you understand and
are willing to have your child participate.
Sincerely,
John Doe
I, _____________________________________, understand that my child,
______________________________________ will be attending the creative problem solving class and a
variety of sensitive topics such as lock-picking, computer hacking, and others will be studied and discussed.
Signature: ______________________________ Date: _______________
Recap
• Corrupting Teaching is fun, you should do it.
• Find fun topics you can teach on
• Avoid pitfalls (permission, help, planning)
Resources
http://www.defconkids.org/
http://cty.psifertex.com/ (Corrupt The Youth)
jordan@psifertex.com
Corrupt The Youth by Jordan Wiens is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
CTY Logo used with permission of the artist, Mike Frankl
Website logos copyright their respective organizations
Roadsign icons courtesy openclipart.org under an explicit public domain grant.