Keeping cyberspace safe
RAVI BHASIN
Keeping cyberspace safe
The Hindu
5th February, 2007
The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum highlighted threats to cyberspace security
Botnet caution sounded
One dominant concern is how to keep surfing the Net still a pleasurable and innocuous activity that promotes human development and understanding.
The numbers of botnets (subverted computers) that have immense potential to unleash spam and launch DoS attacks are increasing at an alarming pace, and at least one quarter of the computers in use across the globe could be hijacked in course of time for this evil design.
Similar despondency was voiced by another speaker who referred to a botnet called Spam Thru, which had ten times the might of other botnets. Interestingly, Spam Thru has its own anti-virus protection that helps it to sideline other botnets.
The elusive balance
The response to 9/11 of the US Government to start with, and of others elsewhere in the world later sparked a major debate on issues of security and privacy. The debate has not come to any definite conclusion, and every credible forum in the world continues to evince interest in resolving the apparent conflict between regulation and respect for the individual's freedom to use the Internet without law enforcement and one's own personal rivals trying to snoop.
Circumspect in cyberspace
Another interesting observation at this session was that the individual who posts information on the Web would have to be responsible and be also conscious that `potentially embarrassing information' needed to be kept away rather than published to avoid complaining later that one's privacy had been violated.
We are only too aware that all kinds of personal data get into the Net and we are shocked that someone who is not exactly well disposed of towards us employs it against us at the most inopportune time.
Web 2.0 (that includes the now popular YouTube where you can post any video of your choice) is a revolution by itself since it encourages sharing of experiences with a world-wide audience.
VoIP and other technologies
Talking of new technology, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is becoming more and more accepted because it is an inexpensive way to communicate across the globe. VoIP conversations can however be easily broken into, much more than the conventional telephone.
But we must remember at the same time that they also bring in an exponential growth in volumes of information available to be hacked!
And for those making a living out of cyber security and are looking for challenges, exciting times are ahead!
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/ew/2007/02/05/stories/2007020500090200.htm