Internet security is a constantly changing mission and one
that requires you to stay on top of the game, minimising the
threats and risk of security breaches, writes Tom Millar.
As I think about what a 'Digital Britain' means to me and my
company, I can't help wondering what 'inconceivable' developments
the 'digital generation' will encounter in the future.
That said, there is raft of new developments happening right
now, in particular
Web 2.0
applications such as social media. These are bringing a whole host
of new business challenges that are keeping governments and
companies (and individuals) busy defining how they can maximise ROI
from these new channels. You only have to look at how Barack Obama
used social media such as Twitter,
Facebook, and
YouTube, along with
his internet site, to
transform his presidential campaign to see what can be achieved.
The way in which we communicate with each other will never be the
same again.
The UK telecoms, broadcast and technology infrastructure behind
this seismic shift must transfer over from analogue to digital,
rapidly, if we are to keep up with our international
counterparts.
The Digital Britain report obliges telecoms companies to supply
high speed broadband nationwide by 2012. A huge investment is
required for this ambitious plan, and three years is a relatively
short deadline, so what benefits will it bring?
As most households will need to upgrade their home PCs, phones
and TVs, those on the supply side are expected to benefit to the
tune of £28bn, say market analysts.
Digital Britain also aims to promote and protect our most
precious commodity, creative talent and intellectual property. This
requires co-operation from a variety of organisations, from ISPs
and broadband companies to user firms and end-users.
In addition, web content is changing and 'digital' expectations
are ever more demanding. Increasingly, users will have control over
the 'service' they receive. They will demand more rich media, such
as podcasts and videos, so the download speeds must develop to
support them.
Making Digital Britain accessible to everyone is a big
challenge. But connection to wired and wireless networks, brings
with it the equally as important issue of security.
Connecting people in this new environment opens up new
opportunities for the pirates out there. How is the government
going to police and punish illegal downloaders?
Make no mistake about this: we are all threatened by pirates.
Safeguarding your assets, namely personal information and
intellectual property, is paramount and a huge challenge faced by
everyone online the world over. Internet security in particular is
a constantly changing mission and one that requires you to stay on
top of the game. Minimising the threats and risk of security
breaches is the key.
The average surfer or online shopper has little awareness of how
much malware is out there. Spyware, viruses, worms, botnets,
Trojans, keystroke loggers - the list goes on. And most individuals
are blissfully unaware until it is too late.
We cannot all be experts in security, so I would encourage
everyone to seek advice. Ironically, there is plenty online.
Companies should aim to partner with a specialist company with
whom they can build a long term relationship. For individuals, the
government is promoting the Get Safe Online security awareness
programme. This aims to encourage people to take ownership of their
own online security.
Paradoxically, children generally have much more 'digital savvy'
than their parents. This is a good thing, as they are the
generation that will develop the next mind-blowing revolution.
Hopefully, that revolution will include a safer internet.
Tom Millar is managing director at
ITC Global Security