God Bless Me (and save my PC)

By Abu Hamza

The progress of the countries of the world is measured in terms of teledensity and introduction of broadband. The more people are connected through Internet, telephone or cell phone, to the same measure the countries are thought to be advanced. This connectivity in fact saves a lot of time and may prove to be fuel in making sure business-to-business or user-to-user contacts. The term global village is often used to describe how closely the events, developments and economic effects are felt across the globe in comparison to old times when farmers would visit their dear ones during gaps offered by crop seasons.

          Millions of Pakistanis are connected through Cell phone, Internet and landline phones and they take advantage of  21^st century technological advancements, a benefit of technological growth by America, China, Europe and East Asia.  The job and business opportunities offered by world divided by Continents are becoming available to all those whose candidature qualifies to avail these chances.  

It is Internet, Cell Phone, Satellite and soft radios that provide these enabling environments or cyber space bounties to everyone in this invisible world.

          Computers have revolutionized the way communication takes place today. Youngsters are free to chat on Internet, students can find hundreds of websites to get R&D support and educational facilities. PERN (Pakistan Educational Research Network ) has connected  hundreds of Pakistani universities to US and Europe an educational networks on line. NREN, a US based educational research network, is also equipped with vast computing/ processing power that scientists/ educationists can avail through Internet2 connectivity.  No doubt Pakistan has made significant progress in ICT development and today stands quite high in the list of countries. 

          It is not only the students and educationists who are beneficiaries of these developments but businessmen, government sector through online trading like AKD Trade and KSE, efiling of SECP, e-governance, safe-city, police network, NADRA and PIFRA  programs etc are all advancing for betterment of systems and individuals.

          Some say that Pakistan is getting illuminated in cyber space and one can view the changes taking place akin to a flood-lit Day-Night cricket match where the spin of the ball is spotted by batsman before he could hit a bouncer.  The silver lining between day and night that was significant division factor deciding about the time to take rest and to get to work, is fast diminishing. Now your, banking, mailing, eating and study is fast getting beyond traditional day time working. Perhaps people now are in better position to realize whether  it is day time in one part of the earth , or night in another part.

          A friend of mine, whom I met after a long time during a flight while traveling domestically, gave another dimension to this illumination. He very confidently stated “ A word you utter, a step you take, a key you press and a penny you transact is documented and shared”.  Perhaps it was an eye opener for an ignorant like me who always took IT for Development a blessing in disguise that there could be transgress in one’s privacy in cyber space or may be there was no such thing as private on Internet or mobile any more.

          The story of a poor girl and her parents begging from various authorities that some one has hacked their daughter’s email account and some of the contacts and images lying in her hotmail account as attachments, have been put on a website and contacts given on webpage for inviting friends to unfortunately, dating and booking etc. It was a hell for the parents, relatives and well-wishers to receive obnoxious calls and talking nonsense. 

          My son who is very fond of sharing camera phone images with family and loved ones, very eager to share pictures of Happy birthday and a close friends marriage ceremony, got scared if all his pictures, videos could also be exploited by evil minded gurus or hostile elements. Thank God he is safe until his picture emerges on YOUTUBE or a blogsite if not a website with phone contacts.

          I think it is a matter of concern for all those living in cyber space that their privacy in cyber space is question mark. Tracking a vehicle, a terrorist, or railway van carrying your goods, or a TCS letter is quite helping lest some one is tracking your cell phone through Google connected Telcos to target you.

The world has changed in its dynamics and we in Subcontinent may require to change too.  All the contents generated and shared on the web or mobile phone are of value to some one out there in ‘Dark’ cyber space. May be your business or trade secrets if shared through 3G cell or through free email server (hotmail, yahoo mail or g-mail) that you consider private, secure and a freeway costs you unknowingly.  Technology gets you together in this globalized age, it may not mean total and absolute benefit and so putting a PC on Internet can enable your adversary to peep into your folders, files and photographs that you think are secure on your desktop inside your office. So friends living in cyber space are entering un-chartered water without life jacket. God bless you, and God bless all of us.