Risks of Using the Internet - Coursework Example

My My (i.e. English 101) 9 Mar 2009 Risks of Using the Internet Is it safe to use the internet? Are there enough security measures currently in place against online fraud, cyberbullying and hacking? Or are internet users at a profound risk of deleterious results? These questions will be answered in this paper, by taking into consideration the myriad risks internet users face from cyber criminal activity around the world, and by examining what governments and internet builders are doing to get rid of or alleviate these problems. Online fraud can take so many different guises, that it is probably impossible to never come in contact with it. This online fraud includes: stealing bank account information and funds; email fraud; and identity theft of all kinds. This kind of internet risk can largely be circumvented by introducing better security measures, such as better data encryption. Email fraud can be prevented by using better spam detectors/blockers, and by email users being advised not to open email from someone they don’t know. The United States Secret Service has an Electronic Crimes Special Agent Program (ECSAP) and a network of Electronic Crimes Task Forces mandated by the Patriot Act of 2001 (“Electronic Crimes”), and dedicated to fighting these kinds of online fraud. There are measures outlined on their website about what to do in the case you are a victim (“United States”). There a variety of anti-fraud measures in place, and recommended steps to take to also ameliorate the effects of such fraud. Cyberbullying is a constant threat, especially in chat rooms/ discussion forums. This type of internet risk directly causes harm to the lives of other internet users. It can take many different forms; the most dangerous forms include cyberstalking “using cyberspace to control, harass, or terrorize a target to the point that he or she fears harm or death” (Schell & Martin 30), cyberpornography, and cyberterrorism (the level of which was probably affected by the Patriot Act of 2001). There are trollers who dedicate their time to hurt people’s feelings enough to make them leave an internet forum. Especially with increasingly younger people spending increasing amounts of time online, there is a potential for this type of internet activity to affect the well-being and development of internet users deleteriously. Hackers have been hacking computers for a long time, so that the dire outcomes are now known from this long history of systems under attack. There is the potential to actually bring whole communication networks down. This risk is not only to internet users, but actually a risk to society at large. The attack on January 15, 1990 that caused AT&T’s long-distance phone service to crash and be down for nine hours is one example of the disruption to society that can occur from hacking (Sterling 1). There is also potential for interference with nuclear weapons delivery systems. The threat of hackers disrupting society remains a possibility as long as people rely on the internet. There is some evidence that the hacker culture that existed in the 1980’s has morphed into something else. The Hacker Crackdown of 1990 spurred the creation of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which is dedicated to internet civil liberties (Sterling xiii). Because of increased anti-hacker legislation and the prosecution of hackers, there is probably less hacking going on. But there is always the possibility, especially among young people, that they will want to emulate a famous hacker of the past like Phiber Optik, possibly with dangerous consequences to national security along with loss of individual safety and security of other internet users. Internet users are also under constant threat of having their computer’s operation ruined by a virus and worms. These malicious computer codes can corrupt and erase data, if not effectively shut your computer down. When you are surfing the internet by using your browser, your computer may be under attack without any sign of it. There is plenty of anti-virus software available, but like the billions of years of microbial evolutionary arms race, the stronger anti-virus software becomes, the virus senders just make their viruses successively craftier in return. There are many other types of cybercrime. These include flooding, where there is a denial of service to authorized users of a website; spoofing, where a user’s identity is stolen and fraud is committed; phreaking, where the internet is used to make free telephone calls; and copying of information and software without consent, amounting to “infringing on intellectual property rights and copyright” (Schell & Martin 30). Unfortunately, if the crime can be committed in the real physical world, it has probably already been committed online, and likely to a larger degree. In light of the fact that the internet is composed of humans using technical systems, the internet will never be completely safe. “In no case is it impossible to undermine the security of a system” (Camp 66). Unlike robberies and break-ins in the physical world, these criminal activities are attractive electronically, since breaking into an electronic system can go unnoticed for long periods of time. Because all of the other users we share the internet with are human, it will never be possible to completely eliminate the human tendency to commit crimes online. An interesting question to consider may be: what is the degree to which we can make our technological systems forming the internet secure? Camp quantifies the degree of difficulty in defeating a system’s security as its “work factor” (66). But without utilizing quantum cryptography, this work factor is always a finite number, which can be exerted by a sufficiently motivated individual. In addition, what is the degree to which we can thwart human criminal behavior on the internet? As soon as measures are in place to increase these matters of degree, there will always be humans working to circumvent them. Like an evolutionary arms race, the actual degree of internet safety and security will always be a changing commodity with hackers and online criminals strengthening their offenses in response to law enforcement and system designers strengthening their defenses. In the struggle to make the internet safe for all its users, there is a conflict between creating greater security measures and safe-guarding people’s freedoms and liberties. For instance, most parents would not want their children to be subjected to offensive materials or bad language online. Many people would make it a heavily punishable crime to knowingly share these type of adult words or images with children. Two laws were passed by Congress in the 1990’s to suppress internet material of a sexual nature: the Communications Decency Act and the Child Online Protection Act, which aimed to criminalize certain categories of speech (Heins 100). However, there is also a sizable population, namely the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), who believe this conflicts with their right to freedom of speech as outlined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The ACLU has repeatedly gone to court to get these kinds of acts struck down and won. Where our nation stands today in regards to this conflict, and whether making the internet safe for all internet users including children is going to be a priority in our national legislation, not to mention international legislation, may depend on who you talk to. And freedom of speech is but one aspect of internet safety; the conflict over what the internet will ultimately be and who will control it is very much an alive issue today. It is an issue being fought in courtrooms; an issue requiring endless money and processing time on both sides of the digital divide between systems designers and hackers; and fretted over by sleepless parents. The future safety and security of the internet is being currently shaped in our collective hands. In conclusion, it is relatively safe to use the internet, if enough precautions are taken, and enough legislation and security measures are in place. Internet users must be vigilant enough to keep their computer’s anti-virus software updated with the latest improvements. It is probably wisest if internet discussion forums are restricted to adults, in the inevitable case that cyberbullying, trolling or other malicious predatory behavior takes place. Internet users also need to be careful when entering personal information such as social security number, bank numbers, etc.; when doing this, it is best if only highly trusted websites are used. Although the risks of using the internet are still numerous, the advantages and convenience of doing everything online will still far outweigh those risks for most people. One only has to think of how much more advantageous it is to quickly click and buy online, as opposed to driving all over creation in search of that one special item; with rising oil prices and hectic schedules, most would consider the online choice of action worth the risk. Works Cited Camp, L. Jean. Trust and Risk in Internet Commerce. MIT Press, 2001. “Electronic Crimes Task Forces and Working Groups.” treas.gov. 2008. United States Secret Service. 9 Mar 2009 http://www.treas.gov/usss/ectf.shtml Heins, Margarie. “Criminalizing Online Speech to Protect the Young: What Are the Benefits and Costs?” Crime and the Internet. Ed. David S. Wall. 2001 Schell, Bernadette H. and Clemens Martin. Cybercrime: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc., 2004. Sterling, Bruce. The Hacker Crackdown: Law and Disorder on the Electronic Frontier. New York: Bantam, 1993. “United States Secret Service.” treas.gov 2008. 9 Mar 2009. http://www.treas.gov/usss/criminal.shtml Read More