Computer Security Research - Essay Example

Computer Security Research Computer Security Research Introduction Computer security has been an issue of major concern ever since the advent of these machines. The development of computers made work easier for many people and countries. Critical information was still being sent via telegram or physical mail, with an exception of messengers in different parts of the world. However, with the changing times, and the development of technology, there has been a lot of information stored and transmitted through computers and the associated networks. This information can vary from simple, friendly emails and files to complex data and secretive emails and conversations that may be a threat to national security (Curtin, 2005). The biggest challenge to the transmission of information by the use of computers in a network is its security. It is not easy to establish a channel through which one can send data online and not have it intercepted. There are many features that involve online data transfer. These channels include emails, messaging and voice calls. Transfer of information is essential for the maintenance of communication on an international level, in consideration of the additional effort that would be required in the absence of computers. The same case applies to the storage of this information for computers and secondary storage devices. There is a need to secure stored information in a manner that unauthorized access is prohibited. Such information can be too personal to risk exposing it to the public, or too confidential, such as that of companies. To secure communication across the internet, and its subsequent storage, it is important to come up with solutions that would ensure their security. Many programs have been coded and developed with the aim of enhancing this security. The best of these security technologies that has been adopted over the years is encryption. This encryption involves the coding of data and information in a manner that cannot be understood by people. Its result is encrypted data, which can be transmitted without the worry of having it eavesdropped. In the USA, the National Security Agency is concerned with national security among other things. It is a group of professionals in matters security and intelligence. This NSA group has teams set aside to work with encrypted systems (Diffie, 1998). They also strive to view the information transmitted across the internet, especially with the increase in the number of social sites and online messaging options. Before the year 2010, people believed that the NSA had a way around all the encryption systems in the world. There was a feeling of lack of privacy in the US due to these theories. However, recent developments and leakages of NSA information and secret files indicate that not all encryption systems have been broken into by this security team. Four of the encryption programs that have defeated the NSA in decryption include Truecrypt, Zoho, Tor network and OTR. These programs and applications are considered threats to national security due to their difficulty to decrypt. The government has invested a lot in the area of internet security. There have been many developments in this sector, among them the funding of the NSA to get information about people. This information has to be obtained on a daily basis, and this involves getting firsthand information from the daily lives of people. The NSA needs to stay in touch with the live situations in people’s lives, despite the opposition that they face from activists and other defenders of human rights. The Zoho is a form of messaging that uses heavily encrypted mail service providers. Through it, the NSA intended to read the messages that people sent or wrote to each other. The encryption used in this program has not been an easy one to crack. This information is according to the leaked information from their databases (Goldfarb, 2011). It indicates that the Zoho is among other programs whose decryption was unsuccessful. The failure to decrypt this kind of program proved that even the best of hackers required could not breach its security walls, making it one of the safest programs to use against the NSA. The implications of this failure to crack Zoho messaging platforms include encouraging the owners to build a similar software. There has been a lot of opposition in the US, and the world over, due to the snooping f government agencies. They have been accused of tapping mobile phone conversations and having drones over people. These two activities were unproven before the leakage on NSA activities and their decryption endeavors (Goldfarb, 2011). The development of uncrackable software is a motivation to other developers. Such systems are in high demand not only because they will keep out the NSA, but also because they protect users of these products. In part, NSA is a source of analysis for the type of security in a program. Once they manage to crack it, they keep tabs on it for any traces of messages that may indicate terrorism or other crimes against the nation. The result of their actions is the development of a team that solely works on cracking software. Several groups are created depending on the projects being implemented. This kind of work is, however, secretive, and only selected people get access to information regarding it. The Tor Network has also been another source of headaches for the NSA. This Tor is also known as the Onion Router. It is a way of surfing the web whole hiding one’s personal information in more than 6000 volunteer computers that are linked. This technique can be compared to the use of proxy servers, whereby the IP address detected by the web is that of the proxy server and not of the exact user. However, there is a difference in implementation, making it difficult for the NSA to get into the system and monitor it. The use of computers instead of designated servers creates a form of the network in which a user’s information is distributed among thousands of computers. This distribution makes it difficult to trace the exact location that someone surfs from. It also makes it difficult to trace their surfing history, and is thus treated as a threat to national security. This sense of insecurity is created from the fact that the NSA recognizes this network as one with extreme traffic levels but is not able to know what goes on within it. Such unknown sources of information that are platforms with many users are highly scrutinized for any information that may contribute to insecurity. However, if they are not hackable, the government influence their closure, leading to the suspension of some services. True crypt owners experienced this governmental influence and were forced to close shop after years of conflict with the NSA (Greenwald, 2012). Truecrypt is a software that provides an option for encrypting data and files in computers. Reports show that the NSA was unable to decrypt its encryption codes, and this revelation made them mount a lot of pressure on its owners. The closure of such a software company means that users of Truecrypt can use it as long as they had installed it, but should not expect any form of software updates or support. In the end, the use of this software will be minimized to the point where it is no longer a threat to the NSA. An encrypting protocol known as Off-the-Record, or OTR, is similar to Truecrypt and has also been a challenge to the NSA. It encrypts instant messages in a manner that has proven to be too tough to be reversed by the NSA. Truecrypt and OTR are open-source programs, meaning that their code can be viewed, shared and modified by anyone. This characteristic can make them look more vulnerable than closed systems. However, the opposite is true. It makes it difficult for hackers to insert code into the original one because it will be seen and easily identified. As a result, NSA shifts from technological battles to political and legal ones. It uses its political power to close down or limit operations of such programs by eliminating he companies behind them. The National Institute of Standards and Technology gets its guidelines on the systems to use from the NSA. These guidelines include the kind of security to implement to protect sensitive data. After this provision, the NSA cracks the programs in use and can now monitor whatever goes on within the country (Shi, 2007). This hacking is done in the name of ensuring national security, although it faces a lot of rebellion from the public. Modern technology has changed the way in which criminal activities are carried out. Criminals use the Internet to either plan or execute their mission, thus the importance of monitoring systems and networks. References Curtin, M. (2005). Brute force: Cracking the data encryption standard. New York: Copernicus Books. Diffie, W., & Landau, S. (1998). Privacy on the line the politics of wiretapping and encryption. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. Goldfarb, R. (n.d.). After Snowden: Privacy, secrecy, and security in the information age. Greenwald, G. (n.d.). No place to hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. surveillance state. Shi, Y. (2007). Transactions on data hiding and multimedia security II. Berlin: Springer. Read More