‘The internet is good in good hands, but bad in corrupt hands’ |17 April 2014
We live in a technological world. A world whereby we can reach billions of people by the simple touch of keyboard, or a screen. The world is literally at our finger tips. On a tiny window on our desk or on a phone in our hand, we can journey to any place on the globe. We might not be able to physically interact with these places, but through pictures and videos.
It is estimated that the world population has reached approximately 7.155 billion people as of March 26, 2014. This is according to the United States’ Census Bureau (USCB), posted online by Wikipedia. According to another post by the Wikipedia website, the International Telecommunications Union estimates that 39% of the world’s population, in 2013, had access to the internet. So this means about 2.8 billion people around the world have some kind of access to the internet, and that you could connect to them if you choose to and whether or not they allow you to.
It is truly a small world. Believe it or not the concept of multiple computers networking, began more than 50 years ago, in the 1960s. As most of our modern technological advancement, the internet was brought about because of its military applications. Through funding by the US Department of Defense ARPANET was developed. ARPANET became the first network to use the Internet Protocol. The first message was sent over the ARPANET from computer science Professor Leonard Kleinrock's laboratory at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to the second network node at Stanford Research Institute (SRI). Eventually the restrictions put in place on the internet was gradually removed, and everyone is now able to access the internet, given you have a device that is able to connect to it.
Nowadays we are surrounded by all manner of gadgets that is able to connect you to the world wide web (www), and every day we have countless more innovative ideas that allow even more gadgets to connect to the internet. Cars can connect to the internet, refrigerators are able to connect to the internet, cameras can connect to the internet and post your pictures on the social media with a couple of touch in an instant, and even the so called Smart TVs are able to connect to the internet. You are able to go to work and keep an eye on your pets or your house, either through a PC or your smart phone. Soon many more home appliances will have the ability to connect to the internet. This is known by the computer savvies as the “Internet of Things”.
What is now being debated on is how safe will these home appliances be from digital pirates, or Hackers. If you have ever downloaded or bought a software that connects to the internet, one of the key sales point for their product would be how secure that software is, and its effectiveness in keeping privacy. Security, when it comes to the internet, has become if not the top priority, but definitely one of the top most priorities for any internet user. So are we sure we want those hackers to control our refrigerator, air-conditioning system, washing machine, and who knows what else. A hacker can highjack your computer and obtain every private information that you may have on your PC, like your bank account, sensitive information related to your work, and even sensitive personal information. They can even delete all your data, or use your computer to attack others and leave you to do the explaining. So imagine what they can do to your house or even car if they had access.
Technology advancement can always be a good thing, if the technology is built with the wellbeing of the customer in mind, and not just a means of making money. Be mindful of what you bring to your house, and allow your family to interact with. A web cam can be used to spy on you without you ever knowing. Your phone can give your location without you realising. Every step we make forward in regards to technological advancement, is a bonus for us all, but only if we do not move blindly or too hastily forward, and forget that we live in a small and connected world, whereby anyone can touch your life, either positively or negatively. So be sure you and your family are protected as best you can. The internet is good in good hands, but bad in corrupt hands. Just like a kitchen knife or a car.
Contributed by K. Bonnelame