Hacked off with internet security

If Facebook were suddenly to be hacked and 50 million people’s account details were put online for anyone to view, what would the outcome be? It’s an interesting question now more than ever, as increasing numbers of internet-based companies come under attack from various anonymous hackers around the globe, seeking to bring down capitalism and/or create general chaos in the world of the internet.

Since its mainstream introduction and commercialisation in the mid 1990s; people, businesses and governments have come to increasingly rely on the internet and computers as a whole – its main purpose being mass communication in a variety of forms.

The internet is a major resource with near infinite potential for the canny user looking to make a quick buck or set up a long term project. Facebook and Amazon are two companies that have made their fortunes from it and now dominate their respective markets and are expanding into others.

However; where there is wealth potential, there will always be crime. In this age of computer wizards, some have used their talents to try and make a quick fortune by taking advantage of the less computer literate and convince them that they should invest in Nigerian princes. Inputting your credit card details online can be risky as they could be recorded.

More recently, hacking scandals have made it into the headlines, whether tapping into phone calls or putting people’s account information online. LinkedIn has been the latest victim in an ever-growing line of attacks including entertainment giant Sony, which saw several million accounts leaked online, including credit card details. The seriousness of each case varies.

The consequences for Sony were disastrous. Their online services went down for several weeks for ‘maintenance’, and a complete overhaul of their system had to be inputted.

LinkedIn information may prove useless to the hackers, but the fact that such a feat is possible demonstrates how easy it is to get hold of our information. It shows the world that what we put online, whether it’s a few holiday snaps or details to our bank accounts, are not as safe as we are led to believe.

Companies reassure us that they will never reveal our private information to anyone unless we give them permission. But the fact of the matter is that the information is there, and, if you have the ability, there are ways of getting it. As users we can easily be manipulated. As well as the aforementioned Nigerian prince, fake websites that mimic others are easy to set up and scam people of their money. Even Wikipedia pages, the source of so much information that we often take for granted, can be convincingly changed.

That’s not to say that we can’t put any faith in the online services we use. Governments and businesses are investing millions in cyber security and employ their own hackers to fight the criminal ones. Virtual warfare is real. Members of LulzSec, the group that attacked Sony, have been caught and brought to justice, with some facing up to 15 years in prison.

There is no denying that the internet is a valuable tool. The difficulty is knowing what and who to trust online, much like one does in the real world.

You don’t walk around with your card details tattooed on your forehead, so why should you be willing to hand them out to any website that asks them of you? Is robbing an internet bank account that different from robbing a real bank? In both cases you are putting your faith in the security of the branch you are with.

In a rather geeky and perhaps flawed analogy, the internet is a modern Palantir (the crystal ball from Lord of the Rings). It is a tool of immense power and can be extremely useful; but, as Gandalf points out, you never know who else is watching.