Internet Security
Recent attacks on Internet security illustrate the need for new technology in protecting computer files. In early December, an Internet hacker gained access to certain computer files from the University of East Anglia. The University claims host to the Climatic Research Unit, a leading researcher and developer of new technology for tracking the effects of global warming. Although the national debate has leaned more towards the implications of the global warming research, many have noted the residual effects this could have on Internet security and new technology.
• The hacker that secured these contested filed sparked a national debate over the tools and methods that led to findings by many climatologists that suggest a trend of global warming. After the advent of new technology and research in the field, the national and global opinions of global warming heavily leaned in favor of these findings and commenced a worldwide effort to curtail these changes.
• Media and national officials tend to attach “-gate” on any issue that could ignite national debate as to further entice the public. Clearly stemming from Watergate, the implication of this suffix poses questions to the nature of the most current challenge now commonly refereed to as “climate-gate.” After Nixon became indicted on allegations of engineering the Watergate break-ins, few people contested his resignation and had he not been pardoned, the criminal charges levied against him. The nature of a physical break-in opposed to that of an Internet break-in comes into clear focus when delineating these two situations. Its as if once the information was hacked and became public knowledge, there was no entitlement to security. On the other hand, had this Internet hacker broke into the front door of the University and stole the same files, more focus would be attached to the head perpetrator engineering the robbery.
• The reason for highlighting this paradigm is to shed further light on the need for new technology to secure Internet files like a protected-home, making the actions of hacking more intrusive to the privacy of the individuals. People no longer comprehend the Internet as a new technology, but rather a fixture of a globalized world, however, many guidelines and laws continue to be parsed out on a national level that change the way the Internet functions.
Regardless of the information obtained by the Internet hacker, a necessity of new technology and Internet security requires national attention. The Internet remains a new technology and requires a system of morals and laws that reflect actual society, rather than a system of crooks and gimmicks.
