Takeshi KobayashiWriting & Literature II12.19.2001The Underbelly of CyberspaceThe use of computers today is greater than it’s usein the past. The dependability of computers has increasedand computers play a big part of our lives. They are usedin offices, schools, businesses, and homes. Users thinkthey are entering their information into their computers assafe storage, but this is false. Although there aresecurity measures on computers, they are not as protectiveas they should be. On other side of the computer world arethe hackers. They steal valuable information placed onthese computers. People are unaware of this. If they knewsurely they would not be sitting in front of theircomputers, watching hackers steal their information. Thesecurity that prevents this problem has increased; however,the hackers tend to always find a way around the newsecurity. The security on computers is not safe enough.The first step to maximize computer security is theprevention and detection of unauthorized use of your owncomputer. Prevention helps you to stop unauthorized users

from accessing any part of your system. Detection helps youto determine whether or not someone attempted to break intoyour system and what they might have done.We use computers for everything from banking andinvesting, to shopping and communicating with othersthrough e-mail or chat programs. Although most teenagersmay not consider their communication “top secret,” theyprobably don’t desire strangers reading their e-mails,using their computers to attack other systems, sendinginappropriate e-mail from their computers, or examiningpersonal information stored on their hard drives likefinancial statements.“The Canadian Security Intelligence Service,says computer hackers are posing a growing threat tonational and international security. The agency sayshacker groups are becoming more sophisticated intheir techniques and are increasingly difficult toprevent. It says military computer systems areparticularly vulnerable and says that a group calledMasters of Downloading have reportedly stolen UnitedStates military software”

(BBC).Even the security intelligence agencies are sayingthat they can’t stop the actions of hackers. If specially

skilled experts are giving up to the computer hackers, whatdo normal civilians do about security?Computer experts try to find possible ways to combatcyber-terrorism. “One possible way is to give law agenciesaccess to encryption keys that are used to scrambleinformation”(BBC).

This might give police and other lawenforcement agencies power to intercept e-mails, or readconfidential documents when cyber-crime is suspected.However this might be an invasion of privacy, and hackersare going to find a way around the obstacles.The word “hackers” has many meanings to differentpeople. There is really not one accurate definition for it.“Depending on whom you ask, hackers are harmlesspranksters, noble freedom fighters, or dangerouslyunpredictable cyber terrorists”

(Raymond).As the world continues to become connected to theInternet, the number of occurances of hacking grows. Withthe global boom of the Internet and cheaper personalcomputers, hacking is being done even more. Hacking isgetting more sophisticated and a lot nastier. It islimiting the ability of the government, military, andcommunity to protect information and maintain individuals’privacy.“ A Swedish hacker last year jammed the 911