Entry 7

Personally, I feel that Internet security is paramount especially in today’s society whereby security issues such as hacking, phishing, viruses, worms and spy-wares are occurring daily. It is to my dismay that the society is not doing anything to stress on the importance of Internet security. In today’s context, majority of young adolescent are fortunate enough to afford laptops and computers, and hence, are expose to the Internet. However, they are not being educated to protect themselves from being attacked by viruses and people hacking their personal accounts. Throughout my entire education period, though there were computer classes, I remember vividly that there were no occasions whereby we were taught on Internet security and were only taught on HOW to use computer applications. It was only when I took COM125 that I start to know about the various security measures that I could take to prevent myself from being one of those innocent victims.

Today in class, we learnt various types of security measures that we could utilise to keep our computers virus free and prevent issues such as hacking and phishing from occurring.

Firstly, firewall is a software or hardware-based network security system that controls the incoming and outgoing network traffic. It is done by analyzing the data packets and whether or not they should be allowed through, based on a system known as an applied rule set. To many, this may sound a bit confusing but it is simply a "wall" located in your computer network to block off unknown sites or software that you may encounter while surfing the net, from entering your computer system. This is to prevent any unknown viruses and problems from occurring.

Secondly, surveillance monitoring of computer activity is when data stored on a hard drive, or being transferred over computer networks such as the Internet is being, well "surveyed" or "monitored". Network surveillance programs are widespread today, and almost all Internet traffic is or could potentially be monitored for clues to illegal activity or viruses. 

Lastly, anti-virus software is to prevent, detect and remove malware such as computer viruses, malicious cookies or worms. Anti-virus softwares must be installed in every computer and they are always recommended upon purchase of your computer/laptops. It is usually done so to extend the life span of your computer/laptop and prevent it from crashing due to the unfortunate circumstance whereby your computer/laptop is being attacked by viruses or malware.

Another thing that people should do is to be aware and alert when they are surfing the Internet. They should always be aware of what domains are safe for browsing and what domains may be at risk of infecting their software with viruses. Just because the website ends off with a “.sg” or “.com” does not always mean that it is safe. Some websites are not as credible as you think they are. Not only are these dangerous domains a concern for individuals, but also a concern for the country. When these dangerous Internet domains are lurking in Singapore, it does not pose a good reputation to the country and it could possibly affect businesses in Singapore who rely on e-commerce for their business. This in turn, lowers the trustworthiness between investors and Singapore.

If you were to follow the news, a recent incident has occurred in Singapore. A group known as the “Anonymous” has started hacking private accounts of people who high post in Singapore. This group of people are threatening the government due to how they are unhappy about some infrastructure issues that the government implements on its citizens. They have since declared war with political parties in Singapore and would not show mercy to any government officials who ignores them. Victims such as the Prime Minister, Singapore Police Force as well as famous celebrities in Singapore have all fallen into trap and whose accounts have been totally wrecked by the “Anonymous”. 

Because Internet security is not being stressed as an importance, the public takes this issue lightly. However, with the recent happening of the “Anonymous”, the public has been enlightened that indeed, it is POSSIBLE that they, could be the next victims. Therefore, with these security measures discussed today, I hope that it can come in handy for all of you reading out there to start taking measures to prevent yourself from falling prey.