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The rise of the Internet has resulted in many important issues being raised. One of these major issues relates to privacy and security concerns.

These issues become important ones for organizations to consider for several reasons. Firstly, because private employee information is recorded on computers, secondly because organizations have their own important information recorded on computers, and thirdly because many organizations conduct business over the Internet via an informational home page or by Internet retailing.

The question of security will become an important one for organizations and will likely become the responsibility of the human resource department in many organizations, with the questions of security and privacy an extension of information systems generally handled by the human resource department (Bernardin & Russell).

In this paper, the privacy and security issues that arise from the Internet will be investigated. Recognizing that the Internet is relatively new and rapidly changing, the investigation will be completed with an eye for looking forward to the future.

Firstly, I will discuss the modern history of the Internet and how it relates to privacy and security concerns. I will then discuss several key security and privacy issues relevant to organizations. I will then briefly discuss the protection options available to deal with these issues.

THE INTERNET AND PRIVACY & SECURITY

Privacy is not a new concept, but one that has been of importance to people for centuries.

The advent of the Internet however, is taking privacy issues to a new level. Privacy is described as “the ability of individuals to determine for themselves when, how and to what extent information about them is communicated to others” (IBM).

Security also becomes of wider concern. With the importance of the Internet and information technology to society, it becomes a tool that can be used against national security, against individuals or against organizations.

As well as this, the mass of information available on the Internet can be misused.

The Internet has become a profound part of our society, impacting on every aspect of it. With this wide impact, security issues reach out across various topics and take on various forms.

Also relevant is the fact that the Internet remains in its infancy, with the Internet revolution described as “one that experts estimate is less than 10 percent complete” (IBM).

As the Internet grows and changes, new security and privacy issues will appear. As the environment changes, the privacy and security issues will be reconsidered.

There is no doubt that the issues the Internet creates are likely to change, as the Internet and society continue to adapt to each other. Even recognizing this, by assessing the issues now we can begin to see their current impact and also their future direction.

SECURITY AND PRIVACY ISSUES

Hackers

Everyone is under threat from hackers, from the organization, to government information, and through to individuals. The reason for hacking varies as widely as those that become victims of hacking,

“crackers are not necessarily after secret files or valuable corporate data, many just want a machine – fast. Most victimized machines are merely launch pads for other attacks” (Tanase). Essentially, hackers hide themselves by operating through a chain of machines.

Reasons for hacking are extremely varied and can include accessing information, changing information records and launching viruses.

For the organization, information may be extracted to be used against the organization. This information could then be used in various way. Disgruntled employees may seek information to use against the organization.

The threat of misuse also depends on the nature of the organization. A university for example has a threat of students changing their results records, while an organization involved in controversial issues, such as a gun manufacturer may be threatened by anti-gun protesters. Hackers may also operate by damaging company web sites.

The reasons and form of Internet hacking crimes are just as varied as typical crimes.

As the Internet becomes more widespread, Internet crimes may come to mirror all crimes. For example, just as a disgruntled employee may vandalize their place of employment, a disgruntled employee may vandalize the organization’s web site.

Current Effect on Business

Hacker attacks are the largest threats for governments and businesses, with ninety percent of business and governments suffering hacker attacks each year (Krebs).

Of those businesses, only one third were willing to report the attacks to the FBI (Krebs).

Eighty percent reported financial losses as a result but the majority were not willing to quantify these financial losses (Krebs).

The majority of organizations and government departments do suffer from security breaches. Also noted is that this is not all from hackers, a major component is also from company staff. The fact that the majority are not willing to report or verify the problems, is an indication that this is a problem that is thought to be significant as well as damaging.

Organizations generally avoid reporting such problems to avoid alarming shareholders, while government departments avoid public concern. With shareholders and the public warranted in their right to know of these breaches, there is a future likely, where such breaches will be required to be reported.

The reality is that these threats cannot be ignored. A study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology recognized that “information and the systems that process it are among the most valuable assets of any organization. Adequate security of these assets is a fundamental management responsibility” (NIST).

The report by the National Institute of Standards and Technology provides a framework for determining a security system program. The needs of the programs are twofold:

“Agency programs must: 1) assure that systems and applications operate effectively and provide appropriate confidentiality, integrity, and availability; and 2) protect information commensurate with the level of risk and magnitude of harm resulting from loss, misuse, unauthorized access, or modification” (NIST).

This considered system and approach to determining may mirror how organizations will approach security considerations in the future.

It is also noted that “many organizations and consumers are only just beginning to realize the value of applied information technology and the increased efficiency and effectiveness of innovations in data collection and management” (IBM).

With increased realization will come increased use of information by organizations, and with this increased use will come a greater need for privacy and security considerations.

Information on the Internet

The Internet is also capable of infringing on a person’s privacy as a publisher of information.

We can see the Internet as a tool for communicating information, just as television, newspapers and other media are.

The difference with the Internet is that the information published is not as well controlled.

With television and newspapers, controls are in place to determine what will be communicated. It is generally not possible for a person to publish information without it being verified in some way.

However, with the Internet, a person can publish and communicate messages to people from all over the world with no requirement to have checks on the information.

Essentially, the Internet allows anyone to say anything, and to say that anything to a lot of people.

This leads to the Internet being capable of being used as a tool to defame others.

A recent court case shows that this does happen, where the case is described as follows:

“A state-court jury awarded $3-million Tuesday to a University of North Dakota physics professor who sued a former student for libel after she accused him in an online article of being a pedophile. The professor, John L. Wagner, 41, filed his lawsuit after an article titled “Kinky, Torrid Romance by Randy Physics Professor” was published on the Web site Undnews.com” (Bartlett).

This example shows how information on any subject can be widely published on the Internet. The guilty verdict indicates that the law does consider this to be a case of defamation.

The ease of publication on the Internet and the difficulty in controlling it is also evidenced by the fact that the article is now posted on another web site (Bartlett).

This situation is one that may find controls placed on it in the future, controls that act as a safeguard for what can and cannot be published on the Internet as fact.

The guilty verdict in this case also leads the way for other defamation claims to be made and defamation laws to be determined for the Internet.

While this is a case against a person, it is also possible that this same type of defamation could be carried out in regards to an organization, its products or its services. It is feasible that a disgruntled customer could publish damaging reports about the company.

More Possibilities

The possibilities of using the Internet for illegal advantages include scams as new and ingenious as the Internet itself.

One opportunity that is not currently illegal, though is concerning, is using one piece of software as a means for distributing another.

One example that is causing universities concern is KaZaA, software that is used to store and swap video clips and MP3 files. This software is specifically targeted at students and is downloaded by large numbers of students. It has been reported that this software has “software attached to it that could allow the company to use student computers and university bandwidth for commercial ventures, such as serving Internet advertisements or selling computer storage space” (Carlson).

While this is not an illegal process, it is a misleading one for the user. It also shows how technology can be used for purposes other than that which we purchase them for. This is important because this is one way information can be hidden within programs and there is potential for this to be used illegally in the future. It is also said that universities are specifically targeted because they have a considerable amount of unused hard drive space (Carlson). This could apply equally to many organizations, so organizations may also become a target of these programs in the future.

SECURITY AND PRIVACY PROTECTION

Security Programs

Security programs currently consist of two main types. The first are virus programs that prevent damaging computer viruses from being received. One of the most interesting things about these programs is that they require constant updating.

These constant updates illustrate how quickly virus concerns change. Essentially, one group of people are constantly creating new viruses, while a second group remain alert to these viruses and create antidotes for the viruses.

The second type of security program is firewall software. Firewall software prevents hackers from accessing a computer. Just like viruses, these programs are under constant upgrading to keep up with hacker technology changes.

Security and Privacy Consultants

Security and privacy concerns have also created a new industry of consultants, who offer advice, personnel and systems to governments, organizations and also individuals.

An example of one of these firms is Rent-A-Hacker, whose company profile reads as follows:

“Rent-A-Hacker was formed to afford anyone the means to protect their valuable information assets. Unlike most Cybersecurity firms whose goal is to sell you security products, our focus is on auditing, detection and proactive prevention” (Rent-A-Hacker).

To achieve these goals, the organizations makes use of experts in Internet security and in hacking. This organization is an example of where the future of internet security may lead.

With experts developing new ways to breach Internet security, software programs may no longer be enough. A defence system of equally effective experts may be the only way to combat hackers and other breachers of both security and privacy.

Government Actions

The Government plays an important role in effecting privacy and security concerns and does this on two levels. The first is in their role in setting the rules for the private sector. The second is in establishing guidelines for the government’s own use of information (IBM).

With the broad implications of the Internet it is also recognized that government control becomes essential, “the growing interconnectedness of society underscores the need for government officials to understand the broad implications of the Internet and the information technology revolution (IBM).

The government meets this challenge by producing a set of internationally-accepted principles, with these principles developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and are known as the OECD guidelines (IBM).

These guidelines include ‘fair information practices’ for organizations that outline appropriate security of data and disclosure of data practices (IBM).

IBM describes the US security and privacy measures, saying:

“The US has legislatively-required protections in focus areas: government, credit reporting, banking and finance, health, and children’s information. In other commercial areas, such as retail and online marketing, the US relies on its common-law traditions coupled with industry responsibility and leadership to chart the way” (IBM).

Legal Protection

The legal component of the Internet is handled largely by the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Department of Justice. The actions of the section are described, saying:

“Section attorneys advise federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents; comment upon and propose legislation; coordinate international efforts to combat computer crime; litigate cases; and train all law enforcement groups. Other areas of expertise possessed by CCIPS attorneys include encryption, electronic privacy laws, search and seizure of computers, e-commerce, hacker investigations, and intellectual property crimes” (CCIPS).

Legal protection in the US is wide and varied, covering a variety of issues that the Internet relates to.

This includes the considerations of e-commerce, covering topics including Internet gambling, online sales of healthcare products and consumer protection (CCIPS).

Laws are also existent relating to computer crimes. These crimes include cyberstalking, Internet fraud, child pornography and identity theft (CCIPS).

Insurance Protection

Another industry that reflects the rising importance of Internet security is the insurance industry.

Policies purchased for 2001 were just under $100 million in 2001, with it expected to rise to at least $1 billion by the year 2007 (Salkever).

The policies available for organizations include protection from “virus attacks, denial-of-service assaults, cracking into company systems, and Web-site defacements. Some companies even write policies that cover cyber-extortion, where an online intruder or an insider steals crucial data such as customer credit-card files and demands a payoff. The rising tide of lawsuits against companies whose employees have used corporate e-mail inappropriately has also caught the attention of e-insurers” (Salkever).

It is also noted that with the insurance industry becoming a major part of Internet security, they will have the opportunity to shape the computer security business.

This will occur by insurance companies defining what types of security products and practices are acceptable. Following this, premiums will differ based on what software protection systems are used, effectively rating product systems and influencing the business consumers choice.

This is also expected to effect business, with e-insurance becoming a requirement, “as cyber-insurance goes from exotica to a business necessity, the computer-security industry will have to adapt to keep the insurers happy” (Salkever).

There is certainly potential for insurance companies to influence both the coverage required by organizations and the products and actions required to attain this coverage, “that’s the wave of the future, as insurers exert even more pressure on the technology practices of any company wishing to insure this increasingly important facet of business” (Salkever).

Also recognized is the possible relationship between insurance companies and security products with it being argued “that insurers will demand responsibility from software companies for flaws in their products — and that they’ll have the legal firepower to hold the software outfits accountable” (Salkever).

As we are aware of gps systems are used to find various types of locations. These gps units can be found in different appliances from cars to cell phones. Today you will also find gps laptops. These are laptops that have been fitted with the gps technology. As most people carry their laptops with them on business trips having a gps system installed on the computer system can be very helpful.

You will find that these gps laptops are capable of performing in ways that make them superior to that of other gps systems. As the gps is programmed into a laptop the user can use the various shortcuts on their computer to access the information.

The natural touch screen capability of the gps software allows the users a quick way to go between the different menus. Also as the monitor of the computer laptop is larger any street map details, routes that you need to take will also be clearly visible. The size of the monitor also means that the many details will not be spread out in a difficult to read form.

The different uses of gps laptops become very clear as you use these programs to help you plan any travel plans that you may have. With these gps devices that are fixed in to your laptop you have the perfect tool with which you can plan your travel and business trip around. You can use the gps laptops to see what facilities and amenities are available to you in the country that you are traveling to.

The many hotels, banks, restaurants, hospitals, embassies, entertainment venues are all easy to find. With gps laptops you can find the best roads to take when you want to visit any interesting place like cultural ruins, or parks. With the memory capacity of a gps combined laptop you can keep track of the coordinates of these many locations.

By looking at the map details which are found on the gps laptops you will be able to find all of the details that you need for your holiday or business. To find the best gps laptops you can afford, the best way to accomplish this is to visit some stores where these electronic products are sold.

You will also find that the prices of these gps laptops are well within your reach and you can use these products to help you to find your way around various countries. Gps laptops are just one more way to stay safe and not get lost.

The advancement in technology that we have experienced over recent years has allowed for significant progress to be made in all the fields of activity. Companies and enterprises from all industries can take their performance and productivity to the next level by investing in information technologies. Increasing and maintaining high performance is an achievable goal, provided companies focus their efforts on enhancing the efficiency of applied tools. Dynamic control of the company’s existing applications and optimal use of its IT investments allows for the seizure of new business opportunities as well as for the development of new competitive advantages. Investing in information technology is not sufficient; companies are faced with the stringent need to find a comprehensive solution to tasks such as software design, construction, testing and maintenance. All these aspects are encompassed in what is referred to as software engineering.

Software engineering has proven to be not only an indispensable tool in the smooth functioning of a company or an enterprise, but a valuable one when it comes to performance tuning. Software engineering lies at the bottom of the constant change that we are all witnessing in the world today. Software engineering plays a major part in building the tools that enable computers to make this change. Therefore, the more pervasive computers and applications become, the more important is the role of software engineering.

Software engineering encompasses everything from the development of database structures to working on embedded software or writing consumer-level applications. The integral role of software engineering in the development of software applications requires conceptual and design skills, in addition to programming ones.

As time is of essence in the company’s everyday operations, and good decisions need to be made at the right time, software engineering bears great importance in performance tuning. As has been said before, investing in information technology does not suffice. It takes a lot more than that before companies can truly reap the benefits of having chosen the appropriate database. First of all, the IT world advances faster than any other field, making it impossible, not to mention cost-ineffective for companies to keep up to date with the latest IT developments. However, with the help of a dedicated and experienced software engineering team, all the issues that applications of information technologies can generate within a company are as good as gone. Software engineering has been designed to protect the IT investments of a company by supporting it to upgrade its existing applications and adjust earlier versions to the actual system environment, should it be the case.

A major part of software engineering is represented by the development of software applications for computer systems. Given the diverse needs and requirements of the companies, the ideal software engineering provider should be able to deliver highly customized solutions[p1] that would meet the specific demands of each company.

In conclusion, it is more than obvious that the overall performance and the high productivity of the companies depend a great deal on the way they choose to protect and make optimal use of their IT investments. There are software engineering teams that offer complete packages of services at predefined reasonable prices.

For more resources about software engineering or even about performance tuning please review this webpage http://www.semantec.de/en

The GPS live vehicle tracking equipment is just an outstanding state-of-the-art electronic equipment. By making use of signals from satellites in the space, with the advent of the General Positioning Satellite (GPS), it is now possible to know the position, direction and speed of any car in real time with the GPS live car tracking tool.

The GPS live vehicle tracking tool is a tiny electronic tool to be put wherever within a car, even though many people prefer to put it underneath the carriage, aiming at hinting to the driver the actual position, direction and speed of the car in the space. Depending on its actual purpose, the gps tracking vehicle in real time device can be installed in either the engine or in front of the driver. In the case it is used as a navigation aid, it could be placed in a magnetic box and the setup process is quite straightforward and quick. The driver will not even be aware of it. This opportunity thus made the GPS vehicle tracking in real time a good candidate of private investigation. This device can also be used for many purposes. For instance, it could be used to spy cheating wives at night, it could also be used to track teenagers’ cars when there are not experienced and responsible enough to drive their vehicles. Other applications of this device can be noticed by a serious need to deter car thieves and truck companies wishing to track the routes of a fleet of trucks in order to improve their delivery times. An employer also can make use of this device to make sure that his employees are not abusing company car privileges.

Having learned in depth its applications, it is now time to delve into his operational mode. First of all, it should be noted that the device is offered with a program already setup in a dedicated personal computer. Secondly, it sends signals to satellites present in the space. These satellites are used for multiple purposes such as TVs, internet, weather forecasts and tracking objects in the space. After transmitting the signals to the available satellite, this satellite in turns replies by sending another signal which is then interpreted by the software of the device installed on the other computer. Therefore the computer user can actually render its position in real-time.

With such information, it is straightforward to know the actual position, direction and speed of a given car. Some tools even go further by giving a history of previous positions and also offering you the wonderful opportunity to even watch the driver. This is important for some parents who are concerned of the safety driving of their children.

Important uses of the GPS live vehicle tracking equipment include law enforcement and deterring vehicle thieves. Furthermore, this tool is extensively used for police investigation. The same device can be used for other purposes such as spying a cheating wife and making sure that an employee is not abusing his company car privileges. With all these applications, it is reasonable to admit that the GPS live vehicle tracking is an amazing technology.

Computer hackers breached the local authority bank accounts in November 2008 and redirected 34.000 dollars in taxpayer money to Russia in an elaborate computer hacking scheme.

The scheme,involved hacking into the local authority computers to steal passwords to withdraw cash through wire transfers, there were four illegal transfers found during a 10-day period.

The money was wired to banks in Florida and Georgia in the United States and at least one transfer was traced to St. Petersburg, Russia. That has law enforcement convinced that Russian organized crime is involved.

Hackers used a virus known as a \”sniffer\” to snag the password and security information from the computer system, that type of virus is also called a key-stroke logger.

The hacking was first discovered on Nov. 14 by the town Treasurer when he discovered the bogus transfers when he went to pay the local authorities bills for that week and didn\’t have enough money. Bank officials told him that he had authorized the transfers in question, which led him to call in police immediately.

The local authorities quickly secured its computer network and they were able to follow the money trail to Florida.

Officials believe the initial computer breach occurred on Nov. 4th 2008. \”Had this been going on for months, you can imagine how much money would be involved\”. A small amount of money from one of the transfers was still in a bank account in Florida.

A man attempting to withdraw those funds was questioned by police who found he was employed for what he thought was a legitimate company. That man, answering a newspaper ad, opened a bank account and provided his employer with access to that account information. His job was to move money between accounts for a fee. The Florida man has not been charged.

The theft of $34,000 from the local authorities bank account is part of growing underground economy centered on cyber crime. It\’s massive, it\’s growing and it\’s international. \”There are cyber criminals and cyber victims in many different countries.

The hackers stole the password and security information from the local authorities bank account and made four illegal wire transfers.

Bank officials told the town the wire transfers were made using the treasurer\’s name and password. Investigators believe the hackers breached the local authorities computers using a virus that logged key strokes.

Cyber crime is booming in places like Eastern Europe and Russia where there are people with technological skills and few job opportunities. That\’s the combination that adds up to trouble. We do see the threat coming from all parts of the globe. There are elaborate networks that include people who don\’t even know each other working in different countries. It can have a lot of moving pieces, It insulates the mastermind.

It\’s difficult to quantify the magnitude of the cyber crime problem beyond calling it \”massive. Symantec released a report that indicates a thriving underground economy. Cyber thieves are finding new ways to thwart security to steal credit card and bank account information. Knowing that more people are aware that they shouldn\’t open attached files, cyber criminals try to lure victims to Web sites through links embedded in e-mails.

If local authorities computer systems can be breached like this, as an individual you\’ve got to keep that in mind. You might think,you are in charge of a small community and therefor they\’re not going to come after you. They are only interested in a big city, but there\’s nothing too small for them. If they can get some profit out of it, they will.

Symantec\’s year-long study found that the cumulative value of the stolen information, the majority of which are credit cards and bank accounts, was more than $276 million. And the company says that is only a fraction of the underground economy.

If all of the stolen credit cards and bank accounts were liquidated, the number would exceed $7 billion.

Measures authorities and companies as well as individuals can take to avoid hackers getting into their bank accounts are amongst the following;

Verify that security patches, anti-virus, and anti-spyware software are up to date
Ensure that you have a firewall that is properly configured
Never open a suspicious e-mail
Be especially wary of opening files that end in \”.exe\”
Safeguard your password
Encrypt the hard drive of your laptop to protect contents in case it is lost or stolen
If you are using a wireless connection, change the default network name (SSID) and password, and avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi locations