At DEF CON Kids convention, computer hacking is child's play

Whether most parents like it or not, their children know more about computers than they do. That doesn’t apply to the offspring of computer savvy parental units, mind you, but it’s true of the average Bob and Mary you’re likely to bump into at the corner market. Some kids know more than others — far more — and while little Billy’s advanced hacking skills might frighten the neighbors who discourage such pastimes, mom and pop would be wise to encourage it by planning a vacation to DEF CON Kids in Las Vegas.

Everything about that scenario probably sounds counter-intuitive to anyone who has ever read a parenting manual. Las Vegas, otherwise known as Sin City, is home to casinos and gambling, legal brothels, and scorpions. To be fair, kid-friendly locales like Kansas City have casinos too, along with tornadoes and illegal prostitution, but the point is well taken. One thing Las Vegas has that other locales don’t, however, is a convention that aims to teach computer savvy kids anywhere from 8 to 18 years old the benefits of white-hat hacking.