Jaehyoung Kim: Essay 3

Is your computer secured?

While bleeding-edge computer technology helps us in the way of retaining better lifestyle, the importance of the computer security was always emphasized by every computer professions. Especially in countries like South Korea, in which computers and smartphones have dominated every infrastructures and even one’s personal life, the impact of computer security is beyond description.

Just a month ago, a hacker team stating them as ‘Anonymous Korea’, which is one of the best well-known hacker team in the world, had attacked several websites of North Korea. By placing several brute-force attacks and SQL-injection attacks on the database of these websites, the administrative privileges of these websites were given to them and they succeeded to leak the data of the databases of these websites, which included the accounts information and server log. Though it was just ended as a happening, it clearly showed how a cyber-attack can be made to attack a country.

The term ‘Fire Sale’, which became famous after the movie “Live Free or Die Hard”, best describes what might happen if a security vulnerability of a system is used for an attack against a country. In common, fire sale stands for a three-stage coordinated attack on a country's transportation, telecommunications, financial, and utilities infrastructure systems. By hijacking or disabling the control of the infrastructure systems, a fire sale can result in a terrible disaster as shown in the movie. Most professions say that it is undoubtable that initiating a fire sale is at least ‘possible’.

Not just about a country’s infrastructure system, computer security is also important in one’s personal life. Minseok Cha, an anti-virus researcher of AhnLab, says that recognizing computer security only as one of the requisites of a system structure is one of the most common mistakes that people make when understanding computer security.

“You should concern more about your own security, so that you can protect your own data and keep yourself safe from malicious security attacks.”

In these days of information technology, computers had become undoubtedly essential device in our daily lives. Most people handle their works with computers so that it is considered normal to write with word processor and have a presentation with PowerPoint. Moreover, internet shopping and internet banking have been popularized already, by which almost every daily economic activities can be replaced.

Keeping one’s personal security abandoned is much more dangerous than average people might think. By acquiring one’s online identification, everything possible on internet can be imitated by somebody else, including the control of social network, emails, and even financial activities.

By experiencing few DDOSs and viruses attacks placed on government websites, broadcasting systems, and banking services, South Korea achieved great improvement in security area and security has certainly risen on the list of public concerns. However, Minseok says that people should pay more attention to their own security. “It is a tremendous improvements that everyone knows the term ‘DDOS’. But though public’s interests toward security are increasing, it is true that some people still don’t know about the impacts of security and keep their apathy toward it.”

The fact that the most used passwords in the world are ‘password’ and ‘123456’ clearly shows the carelessness of people on their security. Life in the twenty-first century stands for the life full of systems consist of computers and networks. Computer security is absolutely not an option. Instead, it’s essential and mandatory for everyone using computers. Now think of your own. Is your computer secured?