he Internet is a dangerous place.
There are viruses, pornography, credit card predators and just
plain junk floating about the net.
New users to the Internet are realising more and more that it is not sufficient to just get connected to the net ...but you have to know how to surf and use the search engines to navigate from site to site. According to Jatinder Pannu, Senior Network Consultant at IBM Canada, this danger stems from the fact that the Internet is not and cannot be regulated by anyone.
"It is an international network and it is tough determining jurisdiction as to who or what goes on the net. This problem is giving headaches to legislators around the world," he adds.
"They acknowledge the great benefits of having the network and the freedom of expression it provides, but they fear some users may take their artistic license too far!
"Viruses and bacteria are just some of the dangerous junk surfers can encounter on the net. These software destroyers can also be planted in your system by some hacker who needed a challenge and just wanted you to know he was there. Usually you will only know your system was broken into when you see data disappearing."
Despite its dangers, he admits however that the Internet can be a safe place if adequate precautions are taken.
Dial up access by far makes up the majority of individual users of the net, and these systems are relatively safe from hackers because they usually disconnect from the server after use.
"Individual users are more exposed to dangerous software that can be downloaded from the net. Careful checks must be made when downloading software from the net, especially if it was not taken from one of the reputable sites," he added. "It may look inviting but there may be a virus hidden in the software that may attack your system in the future. Surfers may do well to invest in a good anti- viral software program."
The ones selling "off the shelf" in computer stores can provide adequate protection for any viruses that an individual may encounter on the net.
The problem of data interception on the net is also prevalent. And, it is becoming more of a concern for financial institutions wanting to sell their services on the net.
Most of the other types of information moving over the net can be easily intercepted by hackers, or technology pirates with special equipment and software. Luckily, most of this isn't of much use to anyone else but the person for which it was intended. These usually pass through uninterrupted.
Nevertheless, security on the
net is getting the attention of programmers as the credit card
is still the most popular method of making payment for goods and
services bought on the net.
"The main issues to be resolved about the security of cash transfer along the net are: interception before the information reaches its destination, authentication by both sides involved in the payment process, and adequate safety procedures to ensure that information cannot be fraudulently changed after it reaches its destination," says Paul Hagen, the US based Computer Systems Analyst at InterServ Limited (Trinidad).
"A lot of the information travelling along the net can be intercepted, but because of the share volume of information passing over the net, the likelihood of this happening to any one individual is very small.
Interception occurs when information is sent across the net and it does not reach its destination. Information like credit card numbers can have disastrous effects on your finances if it picked up on its way to a bill payment.
"There is also the issue of authentication. There must be some way of ensuring that organizations or individuals on the world wide web do not falsely portray themselves. These issues were high on the agenda when the popularity of the world wide web first started.
However, a lot of them have been addressed by software developers, and new programs are being developed every day just for the net, he said.
"The most recent tools for cash transfers over the net are being used by banks in California, USA. The latest cash transfer products are Cyberchex, Cybercash, Digicash and Netbil.
These elaborate systems use the latest in cryptographic technology which transmits information over the net in an advanced coded format and the code can only be de- coded by the party receiving the message.
"Cryptography is a must when highly sensitive information is travelling over the net. For example, information about stock market orders and cash wire transfers must have some form of cryptographic protection when travelling over the net, says Hagen.
The latest cryptographic system works with a public/private code system. The public code is given out to the public. When the system is used by a client (who has the public code), the coded message is developed by the computer program and is maintained as the information travels over the Internet. The only firm which can de- code the message is the organization for which the message was intended as they will have the private key which can de- code any message intended for them.
