The Evolution of Computer Security

We live in the age of information, where everything is recorded. I can't search for a simple cookie recipe on google without etching the act into a giant log of search requests. But for most of us in the younger generation, we can't imagine a time when it was possible to connect to the Internet unnoticed. Yet not too long ago, Internet traffic was only loosely monitored. What caused this shift from lenience to tight security? Necessity.

When classified information is compromised because of a lenient approach to computer network monitoring, it's not hard to imagine that policies might be changed. That's exactly what happened. Over the years, hacking and other computer attacks have lead to heightened network security. Yet, as security has tightened, viruses and hacking have not been eliminated, as might be expected. If anything, the problems are worse than ever.

I remember learning in Biology about survival of the fittest. Our textbook showed a colony of bugs eating potato plants and explained the effects of spraying them with pesticide. Initially, many of them die and the treatment seems effective. Yet, a few years later, the bugs are back eating the potatoes. This time, however, they are immune to the pesticide. They are the descendants of the few bugs that were able to resist the pesticide in the first treatment. The attempts to eliminate the bugs only gave rise to a stronger generation of bugs. The same concept applies to computer security. Heightened security in computer systems gives rise to a smarter, stealthier generation of computer hackers.

Our computer systems today are being bogged down with security features, firewalls, and logging processes. Yet today's hacker is so technologically advanced that these crippling features are as useless as throwing rocks at a tank. Is the solution to install more security features? I think not. Instead, computer users should be educated about the computer threats that exist. If every computer user out there were as clever and capable as the hackers, it's hard to imagine that hackers would have much power. Some attempts have already been made to educate the populace about computer security, but I submit that it is not enough. So I offer this plea: if you are technologically capable, spread your knowledge. If you're technologically inept, it's time to learn.