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Elauterio Eli Salazar Safe Information
The government began using the Internet to send military information between two places. Early Internet was a new more advanced way to communicate top secret military plans. This method of information transfer was used for its safety. Since its birth, the Internet has made great progress. The Internet is now used for communication, researching information, shopping, stock trading, entertainment and much more. With the sudden rise of this interactive media, how safe is a user's personal information? Are social security numbers, credit card purchases, and online banking transactions safe? With potential security risks, the user needs to know what precautions are needed to ensure the protection of valuable information. Therefore, with the expansion of interactive media, and the increasing use of online transactions, it is imperative that consumers know what precautions are available for the security of sensitive data. The Internet today is used for many applications. In the past, use of the Internet was very expensive, but now it is reasonably priced and available for all people with computers. Internet use has been available since 1969, but has gained much more popularity in recent years. This rise in popularity is a result of its availability to everyday people not just large companies and military organizations. The Internet today is definitely an information superhighway. Most individuals that use the World Wide Web have important information on their computers, and the Internet is an incredible tool for everyone. Millions of people use the Internet, but with the positive side of its interactivity, there comes a negative side. With every medium of broadcasting and entertainment people abuse their privileges and use their tools for negative reasons. No other form of media or entertainment has ever been used like the Internet, nor can it be. Hackers have found new ways to make the Internet a place where people need to be careful with their information. Criminals are finding new ways to make trouble or steal information wherever they can in cyberspace. The World Wide Web is a melting pot of technology and information. The Internet is the newest medium for data and resources. The biggest concern for Internet users is the safety of important information like bank records, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers and personal information stored in an online database. A major problem and concern is Internet Hackers (also called crackers) as well as online cyber crimes. A hacker is an amateur user of computers who attempts to gain unauthorized access to files in various systems (Webster's Dictionary 1997). Hacking has been a nuisance for many years mainly for people and companies who own or have access to large computer databases. This has been a problem since the early eighties, according to Dr. K the author of A Complete Hackers Handbook, Everything You Need to Know about Hacking in the Age of the Web. Dr. K was fascinated with computers, but after purchasing his first system he was very frustrated with his denied access into large computer databases. That is when Dr. K began his underground career of hacking computers and the Web. From his early days of learning to evade simple security systems and codes, he learned the art of seeing and taking private information stored in computer memory systems. Dr. K found it relatively easy to obtain information that most people assumed was safely stored. He also helped start hacker groups which traded secrets and information about breaking into computer files. Dr. K dropped out of the hacker scene after some of his associates were arrested for misusing stolen information. He now works as a computer networking and security consultant. Dr. K takes the information that he used to break into systems to help companies secure important data from new hackers out in cyberspace (Dr. K, 2000). Dr. K is one of thousands of individuals who helps companies secure information and helps hackers with some of the hacking tricks. Security is a word that many experts laugh at in the interactive age of the Internet media. According to Ploskina (2001), "Some worry Internet security problems are going to get really bad, really soon." He says that with hackers using new methods like "polymorphic worms," that newer security threats are almost undetectable. A worm is data that uses a systems overflow vulnerability to penetrate the server and the web site while looking for new systems to attach to. Computers will lose information and crash; hackers can steal some of the information after the system shuts down. This is just one of many problems hackers cause when stealing information for illegal use (Ploskina, 2001). Another threat involves hacker groups who use a blended combination to attack a system simultaneously. This method causes the system to deplete its security because it can not deal with the information overload. The hackers build more than one way to attack systems. Sharon Ruckman is a senior director of product management at Symantec Corp. She is an expert on viruses and information security. Ruckman calls this new form of hacking "cyber-terrorism"(Rupley, 2002). Carnegie Mellon University reported in 2001 that Internet security incidents increased 170%. The Computer Emergency Response Team says, "attempts to use or gain unauthorized access to systems or data jumped from 21,756 in 2000 to 52,658 in 2001" (Engineering News Record, 2002). This data shows that security is being pushed in cyberspace, and the government is now wrestling to protect computer users and companies while incorporating hacking into the 2001 "antiterrorism" bill. The bill has not passed at this time. The government is also working on trying to get legislation to stop junk email (spam), stop pornography and put a hold on Internet activities that people find offensive (Farwell, 2002). This is a big deal for our government. They fear that hackers worldwide may try to steal military, political and government information. With the problem of stolen credit card numbers, bank account numbers and other data, many financial companies are working to help victims of stolen information. According to Rash (1996), information on the Net is not safe, but it is not as big of a risk as people think. He feels that using a credit card over the Internet is much like the risk of everyday business. People hope the guy across the counter does not steal your card number and it is the same for the Internet. Rash takes a humorous approach to his ideas of Net security, but is Internet security as big of a deal as people make it? Rash says it is easier to steal a credit card number out of the trash than it is to try to get it in cyberspace. Also, credit card companies have inexpensive remedies to deal with theft over the Internet (Rash, 1996). The risk of losing online data is a bigger issue for companies and computer databases. The information stolen about people is usually taken from companies or businesses that have not taken the necessary precautions for storing private information. Most large organizations have very advanced security, but smaller more specialized retailers may have cut corners to save on the cost of expensive online security programs. It is making them easy targets for hackers and cyber-terrorists. Another risk is the security of e-mail. Sending important data through those channels is at a higher risk of theft than traditional methods. Viruses cause Internet trouble that is affecting people daily. A virus is a file program that gets into a computer without the user knowing. The virus infects other files and then it reproduces and moves to another computer. Earlier in the paper the worm was discussed. The Worm is an undetectable sophisticated virus. Viruses have been known to shut down computer grids and wipe out all data stored in certain computers. Viruses also cost companies millions of dollars to fix infected computers and servers. Viruses tend to be sent through deceptive e-mails. With the Internet expanding, many people feel that XML could be a major help in stopping viruses and hacking because the system is more complex and much harder to access illegally. XML is Extensible Markup Language. It is designed to improve the Web by providing easier more adaptable information identification. Researchers are working on Web technologies and web security standards that are evolving to meet new requirements (Connolly, 2001). XML is still not very common, so these security measures are not in practice yet. The best way to keep from losing important information and data is to use basic common sense when sending or downloading data. To avoid viruses, a critical move is not to open suspicious e-mail. Also, mail from people you do not know can be tainted so be careful. Users can also protect vital information by not sending secret data through e-mail. Keeping updated on antivirus programs and other security for the computer will help eliminate harmful viruses, as well. Wayne Rash Jr. says, "It’s a lack of understanding" that gets a person involved in these predicaments (Rash Jr., 1996). Another huge step is for companies to secure their infrastructures. Computers need to have some sort of security installed to be effective. Companies and businesses must look into finding computer security groups who patrol several databases at a time for malicious activity twenty-four hours a day. Knowledge is the best key in keeping private information safe. Taking the time to look at what is being downloaded, or making sure a customer are ordering from a respectable company can save consumers from cyber-terrorism. What does the future hold for this interactive medium? Since the terrorist attacks on September 11th, the government has been very cautious about the Internet. They are pondering if the Internet will be the next site for global terrorism. Instead of crashing jets, will terrorists try to crash the Internet? Or even worse, will global terrorists hack into the government or military computers? The World Wide Web is a whole other battleground, and the United States is taking the steps needed to ensure safety to all Internet users (Strassmann, 2001). These are only a few security measures that the Internet will see in the future. The last issue is a group who patrols the Internet for wrongdoers. Net enthusiasts feel that having cyber police is an attack on free speech. In 1995, Congress had the idea of creating a federal agency to patrol cyberspace. A government task force called the National Information Infrastructure Forum released information about a task force to police the net. The group would monitor hacking and other Internet crimes. The group never took off, but the idea is still in people's minds. People feel that pornography and other offensive material needs to be taken off the Internet. The main reason it has not been taken off is that people do not want to have their free speech restricted in cyberspace (Gillooly, 1995). In conclusion, The Internet is the most innovative medium in recent years. With the interactivity of the user and the content, problems with security will be an issue for the future. The best way for people to protect their information is to be smart and know what to look for. It looks like hacking will get worse before it gets better, and the amount of Internet fraud and security breaks is up. The Internet is designed to be an information superhighway, and security problems arise from the way the Internet is set up. It designed to be this way (Farwell, 2002). Other ways to combat issues and stay ahead of the curve are to get more education on the Internet and information privacy. The government issues helpful information to help educate users to risks of online transactions. The safety of information is kept secure if the user takes a few extra moments to be safe. The Internet is interactive and that is why security issues arise, but the Internet will survive viruses and hackers.
References Connolly, P.J. (2001, September). Getting Serious about Web Security. Infoworld, Vol.23, Issue 38, p.48 Engineering News Record (2002, January) Internet Attack up Sharply in 2001. Engineering News Record, Vol.248, Issue 3, p.26 Farwell, Jennifer (2002, March). The Internet, A New Battleground. Computer Privacy and Security, Vol. 8, Issue 4, p.70-71 Gillooly, Caryn; Panettieri, Joeseph C. (1995, July). Cyber Cops? Information Week, 53 4,p.12, 1/5p K, Dr. (2000). A Complete Hackers Handbook: Everything You Need to Know about Hacking in the Age of the Web. London: Carlton Books Ploskina, Brian (2001, August). A Net Unprotected. Interactive Week, Vol., Issue 30, p.13 Rash Jr., Wayne (1996, February). Net Security: The Ultimate Oxymoron. Communications Week, Issue 598, p.82+ Rupley, Sebastian (2002, February). Cyber Attack: New Tools for Hackers. PC Magazine, Vol. 21, Issue 3, p.26, 1/4p Strassmann, Paul A. (2001, October). Secure the Internet. Computer World, Vol. 35, Issue 40, p.23-24 Webster's Dictionary
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