Describe three ways that computers have made the world safer and less safe.

The Internet-of-Things

Pros: Everything now seems to be connected to the internet, Be it your refrigerator that monitors and records what kind of food you consume and automatically generates a shopping list when it notices that you are running dangerously low on ice cream. Take, for example, the most common smart device, the smart phone, it is the modern man’s version of a Swiss army knife. You can use your smartphone to look up recipes, directions, or the collective knowledge of mankind via the internet. All this connectivity comes with some great benefits, and helps to create a safer and more secure world. Take for example internet connected home security cameras. The benefits these products provide us is often invaluable.

Cons: All the smart devices that are scattered throughout your home have the potential to become a botnet. What is a botnet you ask? A botnet is a network of devices that are all infected and tasked to perform acts such bitcoin mining or spreading and distributing spam emails. These botnets can also be utilized to perform DDoS attacks. As more and more devices require internet connections to function, the potential risk for something like this happening to the average consumer also increases.

Artificial Intelligence

Pros: Artificial intelligence and machine learning is now being utilized in cyber security, these program can quickly detect, identify, and analyze millions of events and search for malware, detect phishing attacks or malicious code. These tools substantially  reduce risk for large organizations and security teams.

Cons: While artificial intelligence can be utilized to increase the defense posture of a company or organization, it can also be utilized by other, more nefarious individuals. The development and implementation of AI could lead to a virtual arms race within the cyber security field, organizations and company’s all trying to ensure that they’re data is protected with the help of AI. Cyber-criminals have already begun implementing artificial intelligence and machine learning to increase their effectiveness, these tools can easily gain access and decrypt most complicated passwords.

Encryption

Pros: Nearly everywhere you go, be it your home, doctor’s office, or place of work, it is likely filled with numerous different devices that rely on a consistent and stable connection to the internet. Even in your home you could have a dozen different devices that require internet connectivity, this could include your smartphone, television, home security system, or even your coffee maker. One key aspect that a lot of these devices share is the use of encryption, encryption is the process of encoding information so that only people with the proper authorization can access it. Encryption is of vital importance in the field of cyber security. It ensures that your data remains private and inaccessible.

Cons: While encryption keeps your data secure and safe. It can also do the same for less reputable individuals. In December of 2015, a terrorist attack took place in San Bernardino California that took the lives of 14 people and injured 22 others. Shortly afterwards, the attackers where later killed during a shootout with police after destroying their personal phones. The attackers Apple smart phone was recovered; however, it was locked with a 4-digit password and after 10 failed attempts was set to delete all the data the phone contained. As a result, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) requested Apple to create software that would create a backdoor and bypass the phones encryption, allowing them to continue their investigation and hopefully obtain valuable information relating to the attackers motives. Apple refused to develop the software and the FBI responded by convincing a United States Magistrate Judge to issue a court order requiring Apple to develop and provide the software necessary for the FBI to continue their investigation. Shortly before the court hearing, it was revealed that the FBI was able to have a third party crack the phones encryption, allowing them to investigate the phones contents, and nothing relating to the attackers motives were found. So why did Apple refuse this request? Chief executive officer Tim Cook released a statement online explaining their position on the matter, he said “The United States government has demanded that Apple take an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers. We oppose this order, which has implications far beyond the legal case at hand. This moment calls for public discussion, and we want our customers and people around the country to understand what is at stake.” Again, nothing of substance was found on the attackers phone, but that’s not say that another attack might happen like this again in the future, and a backdoor would allow law enforcement to save lives and make an arrest.

How do engineers make cyber networks safer?

There are many ways that engineers make our networks safer, one way is through the process of encryption. Encryption relies on a set of mathematical values that the only the sender and receiver of the encrypted data know, and without it, the data will be an unintelligible mess. The computer utilizes these mathematical values to scramble data so that the contents are unintelligible unless you have the correct encryption key. In cryptography, the method of encoding information is called Encryption. This process takes the original, unaltered version of the data, known as plaintext and converts it into what is known as ciphertext. Ciphertext, or the encrypted data, is now undecipherable by any unauthorized individual without the use of the unique encryption key. And I do want to add that it is possible for encrypted data to be decrypted by an unauthorized individual, it does however require a considerable amount of computation resources, time, and know-how. And as encryption techniques advance and improve with time, we are now at a point where modern computers are becoming inefficient at cracking encrypted files. In summary, encryption ensures that the data you store, send, or receive on your device remains protected, this can include text messages on your phone, or private emails that you receive on your computer. The process of encryption relies on a set of mathematical values that the only the sender and receiver of the encrypted data know, and without it, the data will be an unintelligible mess. There are many different types of encryption, but they all aim to do the same thing, and that is to keep your private information sent through a computer network, private.

References

AppleInsider Staff. (n.d.). Apple and Encryption: Implementation, Legal Battles, History. Retrieved October 15, 2020, from https://appleinsider.com/inside/apple-and-encryption

Komando, K. (2019, December 14). You’re not paranoid. Your phone really is listening in. Retrieved September 30, 2020, from https://www.foxnews.com/tech/youre-not-paranoid-your-phone-really-is-listening-in