Growing Up in the Cyber Security Age
My
interest in the age of computing, in particular Cybersecurity has spanned over
the 40 years of my life. I grew up in the age when computers became affordable
and entered the family home for the first time. The computers were horrifically
expensive and only a few people could afford them. I still remember trying my
first computer, a Macintosh Apple IIe which booted from floppy disks at a
friend’s house and I was hooked. A couple of years later I can remember opening
the box when I finally had an MS-DOS computer in my own home and the
disappointment that it wasn’t as cool as a Mac. Today computers are
affordable, accessible and part of our daily life.
Through
the 1980s and 90s there was a series of films that explored what could happen
if computers took control or began thinking for themselves through artificial
intelligence and how external attacks by motivated individuals; called for the
first time, “hackers” could take over public utilities and infrastructure. War
Games (1983) starring Matthew Broderick piqued my interest in the subject which
has lead right through my teens until today.
Jumping
forward to the present day, the cyber threats within computing and networking
now come from multiple sources, criminals, opportunists, social activists,
terrorist and government-sponsored. These different types of threat sources
provide us with a wide range cyber threat terms such as:
- · Cyber Warfare
- · Cyber Terrorism
- · Cyber Crime
- · Hacktivism
Whilst this list is by no means exhaustive,
these terms are now part of our everyday life!
The Norse World Threat map shows different types of attacks currently occurring and also countries' of origin. . These attacks are not diminishing but increasing and they are affecting us daily, just look how many attacks are perpetrated against your own banking details on a regular basis.
The media reports on cybersecurity continue to grow daily. Think back to the US election in 2016 with reports of Russia hacking the Democratic party and Hilary Clinton's emails and the scandal that ensued. In 2013 China was alleged to have hidden wifi devices inside electrical products that it exports worldwide.
If you think that you don't have to worry about cyber security here in Australia, think again, the Australian government is possibly one of the worst offenders. As of last year 69 Government agencies accessed your private metadata without a warrant and not for law enforcement purposes. Telstra does not have to provide you with your own metadata just ask the journalist Ben Grubb who has fought for several years to gain access
It has been tabled to the UN that cybersecurity should be a human right and thus I feel now now is the time to enter the realm of studying cyber-security as this is a field that will only continue to grow whether it be the growth or the violation of our security
Hi Alexander, great first post! I like how your interest in computing has evolved over time and how you are now focusing on cyber security. You might want to include some literature, particularly if you want to submit this post for assessment next week. There's a growing body of literature and scholarly commentary on hacking and cyber security: https://theconversation.com/au/topics/hacking-210 Cyber security is also right up there for governments: https://www.ag.gov.au/RightsAndProtections/CyberSecurity/Pages/default.aspx
ReplyDeleteGood stuff, looking forward to more :)
Hi there, I enjoyed learning about your interest in computing and what led you to Cyber Security. Particularly, I really liked the integration of possible terms relating to threat in todays society. However, I believe that if you had used some literature articles, it would have backed up your arguments about cyber crime and would have added to your blog. However, still a very interesting read.
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