Hey Reddit,

I’m currently a college student considering my options for a degree in cyber security, and I came across the SANS Technology Institute. I’ve been researching the school and its program, and I’d like to know the real-world value of a SANS Tech bachelor’s degree in the job market.

I’m curious to hear from those in the industry, specifically cyber security professionals (especially those who currently hire or have experience hiring), on your thoughts and experiences with SANS Tech graduates and if you have any insight.

Does a SANS Technology Institute Bachelor’s degree open doors to a career in cyber security, or is it viewed as less valuable than a degree from a traditional university?

I’ve seen SANS come up here and there, and it’s seemingly always talked about positively regarding their certifications. So, if it is respected for its certifications, it would be interesting to hear feedback on how a full degree might be perceived in comparison.

I would greatly appreciate any knowledge or advice you can offer. Thanks!

Hoping someone can point me in the direction of ideas to try or a better group here on Reddit about reverse engineering an activation code.

I’ll preface by saying that we have a license, however the manufacturer stopped producing this software component many years ago and cannot locate the activation key builder tool and hence cannot generate a new key for us. The key is tied to the serial number of the hardware and we’re trying to activate on the new hardware that replaced the old.

The activation code looks to be MD2 or MD4 encrypted (32 character alpha-numeric) . I tried running it through a couple online decrypts, but I didn’t come across anything useful.

Code appears to be generated from a combination of the license key (static) and the hardware serial number.

As a bonus, I have 2 sets of codes with the supporting license key, serial, and activation codes. Software was created in 2002, so I doubt it’s a very complex algorithm. Hardware is not connected to the internet and does not require connection to activate. Everything is alpha-numeric.

Any reverse online decrypters I should play around with at least a direction I can look in to?