Online Privacy and Security

"Security is, I would say, our top priority because for all the exciting things you will be able to do with computers - organizing your lives, staying in touch with people, being creative - if we don't solve these security problems, then people will hold back."
Bill Gates

Bill Gates may understand the potential dangers inherent in allowing the entire world into your life via a computer screen but unfortunately in my experience not many young people do. Teenagers seem drawn to exposing their lives both figuratively but also occasionally literally, on social networking sites. Perhaps the need to share their hopes, dreams, vices and emotions are a way of coping with teenage angst. Parents, teachers, librarians and indeed all responsible adults working with computers should be cautioning them and making them realise that they cannot afford to accept strangers on face value over the internet. People may not be who they seem and certainly it's a rule in our house that we only accept friends who we have met in person.

"Distrust and caution are the parents of security."

Benjamin Franklin

The McAfee information is excellent. I wish we had paper copies to hand out to parents and teachers. There is such a wide range of computer experience and knowledge within library staff, so this must be even more true of the wider public. There are parents who have never used a computer and are completely ignorant of the issues, yet their children may be quite active online. Even if they do not own a computer at home children and teens can access computers at school, libraries, church, youth groups, even school holiday programmes. I think we do have to play our part in educating the public on the inherent dangers of cybercrime. For many years NZ has escaped the level of crime experienced in other parts of the world, but the internet makes no such geographical distinctions. Identity theft of a child may not become apparent until that child grows up, applies for a mortgage or credit card and discovers their credit rating is destroyed because somebody stole their identity 10 years before. It is important we remind users to log off when they finish using My Info or their details are visible to anybody who cares to look. Perhaps we should have more prominant signage reminding of the importance in logging off. We have had a few occasions when people have logged in under other peoples details on Pharos and we need to be on the look out for this. If somebody has spent 3 hours sat on a computer then we need to approach them and find out how they are able to still be logged on. We do have the responsibility of monitoring the Pharos usage.

A policeman did express concern one day when he realised we had free internet access. From a cyber crime point of view a person could use our computers with a visitors pass and nobody would have absolutely any way of tracing them. Similar to the anonymity of a pre pay mobile phone. The implications of this from a cyber crime or terrorism point of view are alarming when you think about it.

The internet can be a wonderful, valuable tool to enrich our lives but really common sense must prevail along with a healthy dose of caution.

As a postscript to this topic, coincidentally a friend of mine was rather surprised last night when a comment she posted on a facebook site appeared on the TV news programme Close Up, complete with her name and Profile pic. She was somewhat relieved that she had recently replaced her usual smiling faced Profile photo for a pic of her blooming pohutukawa tree. She was very embarassed and initially hoped nobody she knew would notice, but the flood of calls she fielded after the show convinced her otherwise! So any comment posted on any general internet group can find its way onto the TV news! They neither asked her permission nor warned her that her name would be mentioned. This does make me think twice before venting online in future!