In choosing Burning Chrome, I found myself with questions of cyber security and how we address the issue. Gibson’s book seems as if it written authentically and happing in present day. I found the first short, Johnny Mnemonic, paralleled our modern digital world in a sense. Johnny alluded to having thousands of megabytes stashed in his head yet being unable to retrieve them. He referred to himself as being on a “idiot/savant’ basis. He was trapped with carrying ultra-sensitive information that could cost him his life to transmit.
I think about information with the purpose of going across secured links (We hope), that transcends the ordinary man’s understanding (Or at least mine). Online banking suggests encryption scrambles data and that when the VeriSign Secured Seal is present, the transmission is safe. What is puzzling is what I don’t know about site certificates and their legitimacy. As a digital society, we are trusting with our personal/public information in hopes of never being violated or intruded upon. And what would happen if information was mistakenly placed in our possession? Information is the new currency today, and those who have it become much more valuable. Is this the new norm of the information culture? Far scarier is that Johnny is a courier, a slave to the customers for whom he serves. Ralfi is the one who is storing the information in Johnny’s head, and wants him dead. The entities that disseminate information also store it securely, or do they?
Often I hear of hackers infiltrating banks, credit cards accounts, the private business sectors, and government institutions and installations. Information is a commodity on any market, like the Lo-Teks, Johnny ultimately plays for the underworld. It is easy to contemplate how remarkably insecure one can feel without the knowledge of the new technologies, and even then it is allusive.
I read about the future of cyber security on “Wired,” and reviewed their article on Dual Perspectives. Their article was suggestive of Gibson’s book “Burning Chrome.” The Hackers, criminals, and thieves of the digital world are playing on both sides. Security and crime crosses some blurred boundaries, also representative of cyber space.
I wonder about the shape our culture will take in the future, and what will that mean in both our physical and digital worlds.
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I can understand these points very well as I have had my credit card information stolen in the past after buying something online. I used to buy computer parts from third party companies to get the cheapest price and one day I found out my card was maxed and had to spend a day sorting it out with the bank and the police. Now I don't trust companies I haven't heard of before, and I will pay that little extra to get what I want from a site that I trust.
ReplyDeleteSo the point about not being able to trust the sites you buy from is a valid one, and I know exactly what you mean. I always look for the security lock icon in the bottom right corner of the browser like you do but I guess I never really questioned whether it was valid or not, so it might be worth looking into how the website security works.
Not only the lock, but also make sure the web address has "https". Click on the lock, review the certificate. There is a name that should match the web site that you are at. I don't like that some sites use an unsecure web page to enter personal info, then encrypt it for transmission. It's a cheaper way to do it, but I see it (in a limited fashion) as a cop out. But you might fret over the amount and type of data you put online, but how much info do you put in your garbage? If you don't burn or cross cut shred you might be putting as much info in your garbage can as you are online. The difference is that you can't see who's checking out your online info, but you can see someone in your garbage can.
ReplyDeleteI think information security is something we are all aware of yet slaves to. Like you I often wonder if my trust in the security certificates and security locks on sites is really as secure as I hope they are. On the other hand, although I know I am putting myself at risk everytime I trust the security on sites, my insecurity about it doesn't stop me. Living in today's digital world is sometimes frightening. I can only hope that the information submitted on turbotax for my 2009 return are truly secure, bc if not,...well, then I'm totally screwed! Thanks for a great post Lorena!
ReplyDeleteinteresting stuff. Have you seen the movie Johnny Mnemonic? Came out in '95.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen the movie but now I must download it as Reeves is in it...Did it get any good reviews?
ReplyDeleteI read Burning Chrome and the book was a kick...I am reading socialnomics right now