Cyber Security: How Safe do you think you are?

Technology has completely revolutionized the society today. Internet has dominated the lives of people slowly and easily. The extent to which internet has become important is surprising. Most people cannot even think of surviving in the absence of Internet. Even getting disconnected from the internet for a minute bugs one and all.

The advent of Internet into our lives has been one of the most remarkable outcomes of Technological advancement. But there are two sides to every coin. Similarly Internet brought along some issues of concern as well. Vulnerability to malware/viruses is something to worry about. Moreover, internet has been a prominent tool for spoiling teens. Many cases have been reported where children have deviated into wrong associations or accessed adult sites by the help of Internet. The regulation by parents has been seen as interference in personal lives. Moving onto the corporate sector, Internet is used for triggering off cyber crimes. Infact, the most shocking revelation of this year was the unraveling of the fact that terrorists used the same technology along with telecommunications to co-ordinate their destructive activities. Therefore, cyber security and regulation of site viewing has become a major issue of concern.

Cyber security is the most essential factor concerning Internet governance. Cyber crimes have increased considerably over the past few years. Hacking has become a game for some people and intruding the privacy of others is no more considered unethical. Principles have taken a back seat in the 21st century and therefore, it is mandatory to have a regulation system to prevent unnecessary trouble to the masses. Computers today are being misused for illegal activities like e-mail espionage, credit card fraud, spams, and software piracy and so on. Criminal activities in the cyberspace are on the rise .Infact, National Research Council has aptly stated-

"The modern thief can steal more with a computer than with a gun. Tomorrow's terrorist may be able to do more damage with a keyboard than with a bomb".

It is imperative to note that Cyber Security is not restricted to Engineers and the corporate sector only. Even the common people should be aware of both, the advantages and disadvantages of Internet. The Parliament of India passed its first Cyberlaw, the Information Technology Act in 2000 which allows police to delve into suspicious cases related to Cyber crimes without any warrant. But the other side of this problem is the silence of the victimized. Many victims of Cyber harassment do not share information with the law for the fear of losing honor. Similarly, the same is hidden by the corporate sectors as they do not want to confess about their poorly protected systems. Computer crime poses a real threat and it is very important to tackle it judiciously in a timely manner. A few simple guidelines can protect us from cyber crimes. The first step to ensure safety is to be aware of the dangers out there and install a virus scan in your computers. Downloading files without a virus scan would be like inviting hackers to dine on your important data. The best way to know that your system is infected is when documents cannot be accessed or gets altered automatically.

Hence, Cyber Security is one of the prime areas of concern and everyone ranging from the common man to the enterprise chain should take every step possible to prevent cyber crimes.


Cyber Security