Internet Case

How far have we come from the original concept of the "Internet"? Well the original concept was a collaborative effort that involved a few decades and more than a handful of scientists, engineers and students. Contrary to urban legend it was not intended to be a tool for war and Al Gore had very little to do with it at all.

"Bob Tayler, the director of a corporate research facility in Silicon Valley, had come to the party [BBN reunion of ARPANET pioneers] for old times' sake, but he was also on a personal mission to correct an inaccuracy of long standing. Rumors had persisted for years that the ARPANET had been built to protect national security in the face of a nuclear attack. It was a myth that had gone unchallenged long enough to become widely accepted as fact. Tayler had been the young director of the office within the Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency overseeing computer research, and he was the one who had started the ARPANET. The project had embodied the most peaceful intentions--to link computers at scientific laboratories across the country so that researchers might share computer resources. Taylor knew the ARPANET and its progeny, the Internet, had nothing to do with supporting or surviving war--never did. Yet he felt fairly alone in carrying that knowledge." (Hafner & Lyon, 1996)

Now it is a system that even elementary school children use. The internet is available via: cell phones, lap tops, Netbooks, electronic readers and of course desk tops. On any given day anybody can plugged in and download their entire life. Need to access your account information, check your stock portfolio or even pay your bills in a flash? Really need to know what your 2nd cousin had for dinner - just scroll their Facebook timeline they most likely Instagramed a picture.

However the internet is more than merely a useless tool to access our own (as well as other people's) lives, the internet has forced businesses to become more comprehensive when it comes to technology as well. Utilizing the internet a business interface their personnel records with a calendar and/or tracking to create a more comprehensive scheduling system in real time. Shop owners trying to streamline their business and increase their bottom line can utilize POS credit card swipe processors or web markets to sell their products. Even the local and federal government agencies [both in the US and abroad] use elaborate computer systems with internet components manage everything from mass transit to public utilities and to help disseminate information especially in times of national and local emergencies.

As previously started the Internet was originally created as a research/resource tool, now it is an access everything tool. As is the case with so many things technology runs both ways. The same network, software, internet that allows one to access their personal and financial information in a flash also has the capability of allowing unauthorized/outside parties to intercept and access said information. This privileged communication "highjacking" is not limited to private citizens; businesses and governments are also susceptible to attempts to hack their system in order to steal information for personal, financial or political gain. The purpose of this paper is to single out a few of