Raz Stuchiner 11/8/2013 Frances Voltz English-1102-023 Information (In)Security: What lies behind the digital curtain In today's

orld! in"or#ation is $o er and a #assi%e a#ount o" in"or#ation is u$loaded! collected! and shared around the orld& Indi%idual $ri%acy and identity is currently at sta'e and ith the ra$id gro th o" online in"or#ation and storage! a $erson's in"or#ation (egins to ser%e a dangerous cause i" le"t to the rong hands& )hat are the conse*uences+ )hat 'ind o" in"or#ation is stored+ )ho's collecting it+ ,he #ain "ocus o" this $a$er ill (e on go%ern#ent and cri#inal organizations& -y (ac'ground in in"or#ation security co#$els #e to un%eil the orld that lays (eneath social #edia and internet co##unication& I also $ersonally (elie%e that this to$ic has not (een gi%en enough attention& It is our social and #oral res$onsi(ility as citizens .leaders and "ollo ers/ to address these $ro(le#s& In"or#ation security and collection is the test o" our generation! (ut it is (eing shrouded in the %eil o" cy(ers$ace and $olitical secrecy& 0ccording to a cellular analytics co#$any called -o(i1ens! 802 o" the orld's $o$ulation no o ns a #o(ile $hone& )ithin the 3nited states 41 -illion .al#ost a third/ o" the $o$ulation has a s#art $hone& ,his is a clear sign o" econo#ic and technological ad%ance#ent! (ut are there any do n sides+ 0"ter the enact#ent o" the 5atriot 0ct o" 2001! S$eci"ically 3&2 ,itle II6 Sur%eillance $rocedures and 3&4 ,itle I76 I#$ro%ed Intelligence819! it (eca#e o$enly clear to #any 0#erican citizens "or the "irst ti#e! that go%ern#ent "unded/organized sur%eillance on 0#erican citizens as occurring on a #assi%e and a digital scale& It asn't clear :ust ho e;tensi%e this sur%eillance o$eration as until recently& In -ay 2013! a "or#er <I0 e#$loyee and =S0 contractor! Ed ard Sno den! (egan disclosing

highly secreti%e in"or#ation .in concrete detail/ a(out the sur%eillance tools and acti%ities that ere (eing used& ,his disclosure or in"or#ation lea' re%ealed in"or#ation that had e%en startled nations& In >une 2013 ,he ?uardian $u(lished t o articles that stood out the #ost& @ne o" these articles re%ealed the =S0 $rogra#s as called 5RIS-&829 5RIS- is a $rogra# that as created in 200A to #eet the needs o" the 5rotect 0#erica 0ct839& It as su$$osed to (e a clandestine #ass sur%eillance and data-#ining o$eration "or the $ur$ose o" national security& ,his $rogra# had access to a ide array o" $u(lic ser%ices such as e#ail! $hone con%ersations .te;ts and calls/! net or' tra""ic .#o(ile and ho#e net or's/! and ?5S data& ,he re#ar'a(le thing a(out this o$eration as that it as not highly selecti%e a(out its targets& ,his is due to the "act that the ser%ices and de%ices that ere (eing used to #onitor targets here the sa#e de%ices and ser%ices that the targets had used co##ercially& ,his #eans that the 3S go%ern#ent and cor$orate entities ere or'ing hand in hand to collect and #onitor in"or#ation& Indiscri#inately&8B9 =e s o" this $rogra# shoc'ed other nations& 0 CC< ne s re$ort headline reads DIndia $lans to restrict e#ail use a"ter =S0 lea'sE8F9&&&another article reads D3S co$ing ith "urious allies as =S0 s$ying re%elations gro E8G9 and another D=S0 sur%eillance6 anger #ounts in <ongress at 's$ying on 0#ericans'&&& 0"ter a closed-door (rie"ing o" the House o" Re$resentati%es! la #a'ers call "or a re%ie o" the 5atriot 0ctE

,his glo(al sur%eillance $rogra# as 'e$t secret "or si; years .since 200A/& )hen other nations got ord o" it! they reacted harshly to (oth go%ern#ent and co##ercial ser%ices o""ered "ro# the 3nited states& E#ail $ro%iders such as Iahoo and ?oogle ere shunned (y "oreign $o ers such as India! hile "oreign $olicy and di$lo#atic e""orts here hindered greatly as nations learned a(out the in%asi%e #onitoring that had (een done to their di$lo#ats& Jistrust o" the 3S go%ern#ent no (eca#e a "actor that other nations! not :ust 0#erican citizens! had to consider&

)ith in"or#ation $ri%acy and security at ris'! one can not only (la#e or criticize go%ern#ent in%ol%e#ent& >ust as there is a go%ern#ent interest in $ersonal in"or#ation there is also cor$orate and cri#inal interest& 8he Russian Cusiness =et or' .RC=/ is a #ulti-"aceted cy(ercri#e organization! s$ecializing in and in so#e cases #ono$olizing $ersonal identity the"t "or resale& It is the originator o" -5ac' .a 'it used to $roduce #al are and other har#"ul so"t are/ and an alleged o$erator o" the no de"unct Stor# (otnet& 0 (otnet is co#$osed o" a grou$ .in this case large/ o" co#$uters that are in"ected ith #alicious so"t are and controlled re#otely "ro# another user& ,he calculati%e $o er o" each o" these co#$uters can (e harnessed si#ultaneously to s$read s$a#/#alicious so"t are/in"or#ation *uic'ly and anony#ously&8A9889 ,he RC=! hich is notorious "or its hosting o" illegal and du(ious (usinesses! originated as an Internet ser%ice $ro%ider "or $hishing! s$a#! and #al are distri(ution& 5hysically (ased in St& 5eters(urg! Russia& Cy 200A! it de%elo$ed $artnershi$s and net or's in #any countries to $ro%ide a #ethod "or organized cri#e to target %icti#s internationally&

0ccording to internet security co#$any VeriSign! RC= as registered as an internet site in 200G& Initially! #uch o" its acti%ity as legiti#ate& Cut a$$arently the "ounders soon disco%ered that it as #ore $ro"ita(le to host illegiti#ate acti%ities and started hiring its ser%ices to cri#inals& ,he RC= has (een descri(ed (y VeriSign as Kthe (addest o" the (adK&849 It o""ers e( hosting ser%ices and internet access to all 'inds o" cri#inal and o(:ectiona(le acti%ities! ith indi%idual acti%ities earning u$ to L1F0 #illion in one year& Cusinesses that ta'e acti%e stands against such attac's are so#eti#es targeted (y denial o" ser%ice attac's originating in the RC= net or'& RC= has (een 'no n to sell its ser%ices to to anyone illing to $ay& ,he (usiness is di""icult to trace& It is not a registered co#$any! and its do#ains are registered to anony#ous addresses& Its o ners are 'no n only (y nic'na#es& It does not ad%ertise! and trades only in untracea(le electronic transactions& It is i#$ortant to note that

there are #any grou$s li'e the RC= and their e#ergence has (een increasing& So#e e%en ha%e lin's to "oreign go%ern#ents& )ith organized #o%e#ents on e%ery corner o" digital orld scouring "or e;$ansion and control! it is clear that this nation! and $erha$s hu#anity itsel"! is at a turning $oint& ,echnology! is *uic'ly #a'ing its ay to e%eryone on this $lanet& It ill (e u$ to us as a $eo$le to decide ho e use

it& <learly there ha%e (een disagree#ents on the use and i#$ortance o" in"or#ation& Ho does one de"ine their identity+ )hen a $erson loo's at their na#e! date o" (irth! address! and social security nu#(er& ,hey see the#sel%es and a set o" uni*ue in"or#ation that can (e used to co##unicate their indi%iduality& 0 cri#inal sees an o$$ortunity "or identity the"t or (lac'#ail& >ust as a $rosecutor #ight see $ri%ate chat or $hone call records a(out things you said years ago as an o$$ortunity to $in a cri#e or allo "urther in%estigation& In regards to recent e%ents it is clear that no(ody is i##une to the $o er o" in"or#ation& ,housands o" identities are stolen daily! thousands o" co#$uters are hac'ed .including go%ern#ent co#$uters/ daily! and (oth the $ri%ate li%es o" citizens and secret a""airs o" go%ern#ents and cor$orations are (eing e;$osed "or all to see& 0ll o" this ouldM%e (een inconcei%a(le 30 years ago yet today! in the #idst o" hu#anityMs technological in"ancy! e are "acing a crisis ith an outco#e that ill ulti#ately de"ine ho the hu#an race decides to regard a $ersonMs identity&

)or's <ited

819 S& H& R& 31G2! 10A <ong& .@cto(er 2B! 2001/ .enacted/& 5rint&

829 Call! >a#es& K=S0's 5ris# Sur%eillance 5rogra#6 Ho It )or's and )hat It <an Jo&K ,heguardian&co#& ?uardian =e s and -edia! 08 >une 2013& )e(& 3 =o%& 2013&

839 3nited States& Senate& 5rotect 0#erica 0ct& <ongress! n&d& )e(& 0F =o%& 2013& Nhtt$6// &g$o&go%/"dsys/$'g/510)-110$u(lFF/ht#l/510)-110$u(lFF&ht#O&

8B9 ?reen ald! ?lenn! and E en -ac0s'ill& K=S0 5ris# 5rogra# ,a$s in to 3ser Jata o" 0$$le! ?oogle and @thers&K ,he ?uardian& ?uardian =e s and -edia! 0A >une 2013& )e(& 10 =o%& 2013& Nhtt$6// &theguardian&co#/ orld/2013/:un/0G/us-tech-giants-nsa-dataO&

8F9KIndia 5lans to Restrict E#ail 3se a"ter =S0 1ea's&K CC< =e s& CC<! 30 @ct& 2013& )e(& 0F Jec& 2013& Nhtt$6// &((c&co&u'/ne s/technology-2BABBG4FO

8G9K3S <o$ing ith Furious 0llies as =S0 S$ying Re%elations ?ro &K =C< =e s& =&$&! 28 @ct& 2013& )e(& 0F Jec& 2013& Nhtt$6//usne s&n(cne s&co#/Pne s/2013/10/28/21204B44-us-co$ing- ith"urious-allies-as-nsa-s$ying-re%elations-gro O&

8A9KRussian Cusiness =et or' .RC=/&K Russian Cusiness =et or' .RC=/& =&$&! n&d& )e(& 20 =o%& 2013& Nhtt$6//r(ne;$loit&(logs$ot&co#/O&

889KRussian Cusiness =et or'&K )i'i$edia& )i'i#edia Foundation! 11 Fe(& 2013& )e(& 0F =o%& 2013& Nhtt$s6//en& i'i$edia&org/ i'i/RussianPCusinessP=et or'O&

849K0 )al' on the Jar' Side 6 ,hese Cadhats -ay Ha%e Cought Iour Can' 0ccount&K ,he Econo#ist& ,he Econo#ist =e s$a$er! n&d& )e(& 08 =o%& 2013& Nhtt$6// &econo#ist&co#/node/4A23AG8O&

-E-@ It is clear that in"or#ation (ased technology is inse$ara(le "ro# todayMs society and that it is no longer a single #inded e""ort& ,he sa#e tools that e use to e;$ress oursel%es and connect ith the orld! are (eing used to counteract :ust that& )hat is "reedo# o" s$eech ithout anony#ity+ Ho signi"icant is our digital identity hen co#$ared to our $hysical identity+ For #y research $a$er! I $lan on as'ing these *uestions to local students! $oliticians! and go%ern#ent o""icials in order to see here they stand& I donMt e;$ect an easy ans er and I can only ho$e "or a tension that can e#(ody the digital ar that is constantly (eing "ought to this day&

-y goal "or this assign#ent is not to unco%er the right ay o" handling these situations! (ut to ca$ture this "ragile #o#ent in our history (e"ore the $age turns! "or it is turning *uic'ly& 0t least itMll (e on record so#e here! right+