The Anti-Privacy Computer Age

An ever-increasing threat to our privacy and security exists due to the growing use of hackers on the internet. But with the new "Smart Grid technology" being proposed to be built in the future, will our basic human needs, like water and electricity, also be threatened?

In the age of computer hackers and information integration, our private records are more at risk than they have ever been. Cheap Chinese computer components coupled with ever increasing attacks on the internet by hackers, makes for a potentially worse global problem now and an immense one in the future. Private information, such as a bank account can be accessed by anyone with a few computer skills and the drive to commit a crime. Bank accounts have been stripped clean by hackers, as well as identities stolen.

With the ever-growing arsenal of the hacker, critical infrastructure and government computer systems are no less vulnerable to attack than the common home computer. Many critics of "smart grid technology" believe the newly proposed system to integrate the entire nation would leave the country vulnerable to attack. A new "Smart Grid" system will be put into place, with the help of a hefty 4.5 billion dollars allotted by the stimulus package signed by President Obama, to conserve energy and join common and alternative energy sources across the country.

When this grid goes on-line, everyone's privacy may be at risk. We may see a swarm of new computer-criminals who will take advantage of this opportunity, and others like it, to "seize the air-waves" of the internet. We might even see a new type of terrorist, who might have the power to shut down an entire nation with a few clicks on a keyboard. A skilled computer hacker could knock the power out for awhile, for a week or two, causing damage to businesses like grocery stores and even gas stations. In the past, when the electricity had been off for an extended period, a state of shock, tension, and anxiety were always felt around town, especially at the gas pumps...

Aside from the obvious criminal actions a hacker commits, creating and infesting the internet with their viruses are also a threat. Viruses that affect the internet have nearly tripled in the last ten years. Malicious software, like a virus, is used as tools to often heist money from an account and even sensitive information from a corporate computer system.

An even deeper concern is the Conficker Worm, a nasty virus that spreads through your computer system by clicking an email, website, or by simply leaving the system running overnight. According to Steve Trilling, a Symantec vice president, the worm sits dormant in your computer awaiting further instructions, like a sleeper cell. He says that this worm has affected millions of computers worldwide. He explains, "With one click, the worm's creator can instruct it to suck sensitive data, like bank passwords and account numbers, out of millions of computers, or launch a massive spam attack to clog up the works...One of the most dangerous threats ever, a computer worm known as "Conficker," is spreading through the Internet right now. By some estimates, 10 million computers have been infected worldwide (Sughrue 1)". So far, the virus hasn't been given orders, and we can only imagine what havoc might ensue.

Another threat to the grid system is the newly discovered GhostNet, an espionage group based out of China. Researchers have called this a vast cyber-espionage group that has infiltrated 103 countries worldwide. They say a dozen computers are affected every week by this group. GhostNet's purpose is to infiltrate embassies as well as ministries to retrieve sensitive information. Malcolm Moore, a writer for the UK Telegraph, tells us a chilling scenario. "Once a computer has been infected, hackers can turn on its web camera and microphones and record any conversations within range (Moore)".

He goes on, "A ten-month investigation by the Munk Centre for International Studies in Toronto has revealed that GhostNet not only searches computers for information and taps their emails, but also turns them into giant listening devices (Moore)". GhostNet sounds a bit "Orwellian". Could our own government also have this technology?

Moore cites another report by Cambridge University. The report says, "...the sophisticated computer attacks had been "devastatingly effective" and that "few organisations, outside the defence and intelligence sector, could withstand such an attack ... It also remains unclear whether GhostNet was built by the Chinese government, or by independent hackers inside the country (Moore)". Our Defence department has warned of electronic warfare being committed by China. The Pentagon has put out a report about how the Chinese army "often cites the need in modern warfare to control information, sometimes termed 'information dominance' (Moore)".

Aside from cyber-terrorists, many components for computers originate from China. Chinese corporations and their government have the ability to implant malicious software into computer components. According to some British reports, a cyber-attack from a corporation or foreign government is more likely than a cyber-attack from a terrorist. Huawei, the largest phone company in China, is a worldwide distributor of telephone components. A government meeting was held to discuss the plans to implement a similar grid system across England using Hauwei components. At this meeting, some officials were informed of the possibility of Huawei components already containing malicious software and other elements. According to a report, "elements that could be activated by China and which could "remotely disrupt or even permanently disable the network... Such action would have a "significant impact on critical services" such as power and water supplies, food distribution, the financial system and transport, which were dependent on computers using the communications network to operate (Jamieson)".

We live in a truly disturbing time. It's hard to understand the effects a watched society can cause. We are watched in the mall and shopping centers. A camera watches as you buy an ice-cream cone or a few gallons of gas. Usually we see the instrument that watches you. With these new threats, paranoia and anxiety rates in this country will sky-rocket. We are a society that suffers from double-think, seeing the camera but ignoring it.

Technology still has a far way to go when greed for power and information is factored in. GhostNet, and groups like it, are causing a national security threat of major proportions. Hackers are keeping anti-virus software engineers in business, and the threat of technological terrorism is estimated to rise. An important question needs to be asked. Why are we putting ourselves at risk? Putting our private information at risk is sketchy and unwarranted, not to mention unconstitutional. Why would our own government put us at risk?

Sources

Sughrue, Karen. "The Conficker Worm: What Happens Next?" CBS News: 60 Minutes 30 Mar. 2009 < www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/27/60minutes/main4897053_page4.shtml >.

..Moore, Malcolm. "China's global cyber-espionage network GhostNet penetrates 103 countries." UKTelegraph.co.uk. 30 Mar. 2009 < www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/5071124/Chinas-global-cyber-espionage-network-GhostNet-penetrates-103-countries.html >.

Jamieson, Alastair. "Britain could be shut down by hackers from China, intelligence experts warn." Telegraph.co.uk. 30 Mar. 2009 < www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/5072204/Britain-could-be-shut-down-by-hackers-from-China-intelligence-experts-warn.html >.