Don't Be Afraid But You've been Hacked!
We live in the Matrix. A technological society that operates and revolves on electronics. There is not many things done in the world we live in today, that is not connected to technology or the internet that feeds it.
So the question many people have concerning technology is "should we fear it?". I guess that would depend on your perspective. If you knew your technology like your computers, laptops, tablets and smart phones could be hacked at any given moment would you be afraid to use them? Do you believe that the technology you use is completely safe and secure?
Maybe you have a level of indifference because from a young age you've always had the philosophy that if something is going to happen to you it will not matter what you try and do to prevent it. That is a very fatalistic point of view to have but at the same time can be reassuring when engaging in tricky behavior. This kind of thinking will leave some people to leave their front doors to their home unlocked without concern of safety because the neighbor down the block who had locked doors, windows with bars and an extensive home security system still got their home broken into, had valuables stolen and their property damaged. What was the point of all the security if they still didn't provide the security expected!
This is where the title of this blog comes into play. Many of us have pass codes and privacy settings on our phones and computers aimed to protect our precious and private information, images and communication, but fail to understand as to what degree are we actually protected?
Today I came across a CBS News "60 Minutes" article which featured a video about cell phone hacking. This video showed some pretty amazing things that can and are being done to cell phones around the world likely on a daily basis. For some reason I was not particularly shocked or terrified by the discovery made by this investigative report.
Think about it, from a primitive stand point technology is nothing but modern day black magic. How you ask? Imagine if we met 40 or 50 years ago and I told you that in the future you would be able to use a telephone without it needing to be connected to wires. You would look at me like I didn't have all my screws together. If I told you that automobiles would be able to park themselves and drive themselves you would think "how that's impossible". How can you create a signal out of thin air that will travel thousands of miles across the country without losing strength and be able to hear and talk to someone on a wireless phone in a practically effortless manner? Put it this way there was a time that humans who lived on earth believed it to be flat, and if you spoke any differently of it you would be considered insane.
Now back to today's modern society it is practically impossible to live successfully without using technology. So you have to be able to comprehend that just a quickly as you can use your cell phone it can also just as quickly be hacked!
What people don't realizes is that most hackers actually do not have malicious intent. Most hackers are actually trying to protect you and everyone that uses technology! They are constantly trying to discover ways to break through the security infrastructure of the technology we use so they can report it to tech companies to help fix these loopholes and improve on their security.
The image to the right is what most people envision when you ask them what does a hacker look like. But in today's world most hackers actually look like the images listed in the gallery below! Interesting difference when you think about it, but definitely more of the reality than the fantasy.
The malicious hacker however is not going into extinction though. There are new hackers every day looking for ways to personally benefit off of their tech skills even if that means harming others. The "Survival of The Fittest" mentality no longer applies to physical strength and endurance but to who can manipulate the "Matrix" the best!
Then there are the vigilante hackers! Yes I said vigilante they are not exclusively malicious but they are not exclusively helpful either. A perfect example would be the hacking organization that has grown to be known as "Anonymous". One of their most significant hacks was breaking into the controversial , infamous marital affair and dating site for cheaters AshleyMadison.com's database and exposing the private information of virtually 90 percent of its users.
Below is an image that can be associated with the "Anonymous" hacking organization.
Ironically these two images for Ashley Madison give the impression that Anonymous hack that occurred would not happen. That goes to show that maybe the fatalistic approach of the character type I explained earlier might be on to something.
So do you believe that you have already have been hacked yet? Are you understanding the point of this blog post. Do you still fear being hacked? Or do you realize this is what comes with living in a technological world? Please visit this CBS link below and watch the video on the page and feel free to come back to comment and share what your thoughts and perspectives are now. At the end of the day, most of us are not valuable targets for hackers. Unless you have a significant amount of money, wealth, power, influence and celebrity, like world politicians, rich movie stars and wealthy wall street people, you're not likely an attractive mark for a malicious hacker with the intent to harm. Although you're not immune to hacking the possibility of you being harmed by a hacker is more of a nuisance than a catastrophe. Think of the difference between a pick pocket and a bank robber. The pick pocket who steals can be annoying but most of the stuff a pick pocket can get will likely beeplaceable. However the skilled bank robber can literally shut down a bank and affect every other bank and their operations profoundly.
This video below is a sample of the 60 minute report featured on CBS this morning.
