Online only: Cyber security

Indiana Daily Student - 08/10/2009 - [ gif ]
Autor :Danielle Fleischman
Assunto: Segurança

Believe it or not, the World Wide Web has encompassed the world as we know it.

It influences how we communicate and is the forum through which we deal with our work and finances. What was once a geek's fantasy island has now become the most important tool of our time.

Of course, new tools do not come without some danger. The very fact that our daily lives depend on the utilization of dotcoms means that the Web has become as much of a vulnerability as an instrument.

Take, for example, the Internet outage on campus on Tuesday. While it did not affect those accessing IU Web sites at home, it did have the effect of disrupting class. In a world where teachers access their PowerPoints through OnCourse and students store their notes on the Web, an Internet shortage may not get class cancelled, but it sure doesn't go unnoticed.

While something like an Internet outage may only be a hiccup in the everyday workings of a university, it could be devastating if it were to happen to a government.

The United Nations has warned that the next world war could be waged not on the ground, but in cyberspace. These are battles that will be over the viral destruction of our national health rather then the bombing of a hospital.

This is not about a globalized economy; this is about a globalized war.

"Loss of vital networks would quickly cripple any nation, and none is immune to cyber attacks," said Hamadoun Toure, secretary-general of the International Telecommunications Union, during the ITU's Telecom World 2009 fair in Geneva. He added that countries are now "critically dependent" on technology.

Everyone is familiar with the concept of "phishing," where hackers obtain personal information online to commit fraud. Imagine this type of information theft and scam on a national scale.

Thankfully, some good progress is being made. Nations are beginning to recognize the impact of a cyber attack and attempting to bolster defenses. U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has just received confirmation that she will be allowed to hire up to 1,000 Internet security experts in an effort to beef up cybersecurity at the White House.

But experts are saying that the real problem is with the Web infrastructure and software.

"The real problem is that we're putting on the market software that is as vulnerable as it was 20 years ago," said Cristine Hoepers, general manager at Brazilian National Computer Emergency Response Team.

Her suggestion was for professionals to be trained in ways more conducive to designing more resilient systems. She suggested that universities begin encouraging students to come up with a stronger, safer Internet.

Governments around the world should make more of an effort to protect themselves in a cyber-environment. It is not enough just to watch out for nukes; it is imperative that Internet security be strengthened so that the country is not caught off-guard.