The dynamic innovations being conceived by technology enthusiasts have been faced with mixed feelings by being praised for making processes efficient and at the same time increasing users’ vulnerability to cyber-attacks. Technology has been used to achieve institutional and security goals efficiently and has reduced human labor that is costly and prone to massive errors. This efficiency has been observed in the field of banking, education, security, health, and entertainment. However, the processes have also been used negatively to coordinate criminal activities including hacking, cyber bullying, and terrorism attacks. The dynamic nature of the crimes being perpetrated by technology-savvy individuals demands a continuous education program, for those involved in mitigating technology-related crimes.
Determine how Technology Reduces the Impact of a Disaster
Both human and natural disasters have resulted in losses amounting to billions of dollars across the globe. Technology has played a crucial role in reducing the effect of these disasters by giving out early warning signs and helping to coordinate the efforts of those who are involved in mitigating them. According to OECD, the economic cost of disasters across the world amounted to $370 billion in 2011(Harrington, 2014). Through the national emergency warning, technology helps the relevant bodies to collect data and forecast on the probability of a disaster taking place. This explains why countries continue to equip their national warning centers with high-end technologies that are exploited to keep the relevant departments alert and protect the people from unseen catastrophes. For instance, the G20 countries have positioned satellites in orbit to collect data for meteorological purposes.
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In the United States, the government has funded the seismic surveillance network which collects data on earthquakes and provides early warning to the communities that are likely to be affected. Although the United States is not prone to earthquakes, the program positions the country of a better mitigation edge incase such a disaster takes place. The technology has been critical in countries with periodic earthquakes such as Japan and Indonesia. A projection of a possible catastrophe gives the government and humanitarian organizations ample time to sound the warning, and this reduces the number of people affected by such an occurrence.
Also, although disasters have been linked with natural catastrophes that people can only mitigate but not prevent, technology has given a leeway to other forms of disaster that are human-made. These include bank hackings and terrorism. The justification for these activities to be regarded as disasters is because they affect a big number of people. For instance, a cyber-attack on one of the largest banks in the United States, such as the Federal Reserve can lead to the siphoning of billions of dollars, and this could result in a disaster. Also, an attack on the key security agencies in the country could give a leeway to terrorists to compromise the security systems.
Technology has been critical in preventing such disasters through various methods. First, there has been a widely used technology called beaconing which is common in security agencies in the storage of crucial files. Beaconing allows the companies to know when protected files are infiltrated. Through watermarking and meta-tagging, the agencies can locate the files and trace them to their final destination. This prevents a possible infiltration into the security system and a consequent disaster (Harrington, 2014). Secondly, intelligence consumption by the security agencies has also been supported by technology. A standard method is the reverse malware analysis has helped to prevent and mitigate security disasters. It involves infiltrating the adversary systems and obtaining information to identify any malicious activities. Technology experts also use honey pots as a distractor to those who have an intention in creating technology-related disasters. The technology attracts hackers who have the intention of penetrating the computer systems belonging to other people or agencies. This also assists in obtaining the identity of the hackers and protects the actual systems.
Explain how Technology Might Assist a Terrorist in Enhancing the Effects of an Attack
It is worth noting that technology is not averse to breakdowns and periodical failures. This is explained by the numerous backup systems to prevent a complete shutdown. The gravity of the matter exacerbates because unlike the hums workforce whose productivity can be forecast, a breakdown in technology can occur without being predicted. This can give an opportunity for terrorists to perpetrate their activities without being detected and without the mitigation measure is applicable with immediate effect.
For instance, on August 14, 2003, the Mid-West and Northeast parts of the United States experienced a major power blackout. More than 50 million people who consumed more than 61,800 megawatts stayed without power for four days. The states that were affected include Michigan, Ohio, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York (Susan, 2014). For four days, the majority of the people remained without having access to crucial information. The technology-driven failure exposed the citizens to a security disaster. For instance, if there was a looming terrorist attack, it could be difficult for the security agencies to rely on the information to all the people. The rationale for this is that the communication gadgets such as television, radios, and mobile phones are powered by electricity (Susan, 2014).A terrorist attack could engulf them without having any prior knowledge, and this would have exacerbated the implications.
Also, the principle of retaliation about hacking provides a platform for terrorists to infiltrate the security systems. The military adversaries in the world including China, the United States, and Russia have been engaging in counter activities involving hacking. This has resulted in an escalated number cyber-terrorists, cyber spies, and activists. The American, Russian and Chinese military hackers provide latitude for terrorists from other jurisdictions to engage in the activity for other grave actions. For instance, although it is not possible for Chinese hackers to directly terrorize the United States, an entrant from the Islamic State and other allied groups can have detrimental effects on the country’s security system (Harrington, 2014).This may result from engaging them in the retaliation battle. Also, the military adversaries can use third parties and provide them with sophisticated technology to infiltrate the systems and resort in a security breach. They can be shown how to bypass the systems of a country and use them as proxies.
New Risks Associated with Technological Change
There are various contemporary risks associated technological changes which require the introduction of more efficient monitoring systems. Identity theft is an emerging technological trend that makes individuals vulnerable to hackers across the world. Identity theft increases the risk of people's resources being siphoned from their accounts and their names being used for impersonification purposes (Snyder, 2015).This has been instigated by the digitalization of the systems, and people's information is available on different online platforms. For instance, individuals who use online banking are susceptible to hackers who have the capacity to impersonate other parties with which people transact.
Also, the continued use of online social platforms is an emerging source of risk, especially for young people. The rationale for this is that most of them are not aware of the risks looming in the different websites due to the unscreened and unmonitored memberships. This poses a risk of being used as third parties to perpetrate a crime or give information (Reyns, 2013). For instance, through Facebook, vulnerable youths can be used to provide information to terrorists who may pose as being close friends. This may also pose a challenge to the security agents since it 's hard to monitor the information being shared by individuals.
The increased use of technology in communication also poses the challenge of radicalization. Terrorist groups in different parts of the world have also become dynamic, and they are targeting individuals in their target countries to join them and assist in perpetrating crime. Through the information platforms, the groups share pictures, audios, and videos that convince individuals to accede to the groups. For instance, a report by the Daily Caller, a news Foundation in the United States, indicates that ISIS radicalization is taking root in the United States. Currently, the FBI is pursuing more than 900 cases of suspected radicalization (Neumann, 2016). This poses a risk to the security systems and has the possibility of thwarting the defense efforts of the national security agencies.
Conclusively, the rapidly changing technological advancements necessitate different agencies to remain update to reap from the benefits and at the same time be in a position to counter the challenges that such transformations pose. Technology has been used to mitigate disasters through forecasting and coordinating efforts of the concerned agencies. However, its possibility of failure provides an opportunity for hackers to infiltrate the systems and cause a security breach. There are also emerging risks from the use of contemporary technology including radicalizations, being lured to give information and identity theft. The agencies involved in monitoring cybercrime and allied activities should be well-acquainted with the emerging risks and establish mechanisms to thwart them for the interest of the society.
References
Court, Susan J. (2014). Federal Cyber Security Law and Policy: The Role of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. N. Ky. L. Rev. , 41 , 437.
Harrington, S. L. (2014). Cyber Security Active Defense: Playing with Fire or Sound Risk Management? Rich. JL & Tech. , 20 , 12-14.
Neumann, P. R. (2013). Options and strategies for countering online radicalization in the United States. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism , 36 (6), 431-459.
Reyns, B. W. (2013). Online routines and identity theft victimization: Further expanding routine activity theory beyond direct-contact offenses. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency , 50 (2), 216-238.
Snyder, S. (2015). FCC Working Group Issues Report on Cybersecurity Best Practices. Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal , 27 (6), 28.
