Cybersecurity (Required Post #11)

This week in class we discussed a lot about cyber security. While this is a topic I am facing everyday when I log onto my computer, check my Facebook, sign into Gmail, or do a search on Google-- I had rarely considered the issue and knew little about its importance. My generation is so used to using the internet for just about every facet of our lives that we don't think about the implications it could have on our rights to privacy. After reading "The Significance of the Frontier: Why Privacy and Cybersecurity Clash" by James Lewis, I felt as if I got a much better understanding of the issue at hand. Cybersecurity is an extremely important, controversial and prevalent issue in today's world. The topics brought up in this article are essential for us to understand as we move forward. The article in its entirety can be found here.

Lewis states that "we are moving ineluctably into an era of decreased privacy." He believes that as we move into the 21st century and begin utilizing all the technology that surrounds us, it is inevitable that we will experience less and less privacy. Yet Lewis does not believe that less privacy necessarily means less civil liberties. While I was initially skeptical by this claim, his statement, "If free speech and freedom of assembly are protected, less privacy will not lead to decreased political freedom and civil liberties in democratic states" definitely got me thinking. After reading why he feels this way, I tend to agree with Lewis. If we are legally allowed to speak, assemble and protest freely, then our privacy may not seem as essential, as long as these rights are forever protected.

Lewis then discusses the issue of anonymity. I am in the position of which I believe that the ability to remain anonymous on the internet is essential. It is essential for the flow of information, as people will be less apt to share information if they feel as if they are being watched or tracked and if they feel as if the information can be directly linked to them. While this picture is somewhat extreme...

it is more or less our expectation when using the internet. The internet has developed in a way that remaining anonymous has been a part of its core--it is how we began using the internet and how we aim to continue. Some have argued the need for a personalized avatar of sorts in which an individual's actions on the internet could all be traced back to that being. I think this goes against everything that the internet stands for and everything it was intended for.

One quote about anonymity that really spoke to me in light of recent events was: "Anonymity can allow the expression of opinions without fear of retaliation, such as an employee revealing misdeeds by an employer." I find this to be a really good example of why anonymity is essential not only on the internet but also in real life in the real world.


In general, I think cybersecurity is an issue that requires our utmost concern because remaining anonymous on the internet while keeping our privacy AND our civil liberties is absolutely essential.