Communications and Media

Unlike stock market, which at least shuts down for a few hours a day, the Internet operates on a 24hour basis. It is a new technology with a different realm than most of us are used to dealing with in our daily lives. With its constant change at a rapid pace, what is new in one moment can be out-of-date within a matter of hours, sometimes even minutes. However, Internet availability for visitation on a 24 hour basis makes it vulnerable for attacks for example, web site break-ins and email viruses which are carried out by amateur hackers, fraudsters and other cyber terrorists.

New laws to protect privacy on the internet have been prepared by the state legislatures, and the time has come to push for their passage. Protection is needed because cyber terrorists are destroying the Internet privacy of the computer users by breaking-in websites and developing email viruses and because Laws on privacy on the internet are particularly undeveloped and offers little privacy protection relevant to Internet providers.

No one can deny that lack of Protection on Internet privacy has caused crime destruction called cyber terrorism as governments around the world have termed it. Most of them still do not understand how to deal with it nor do they comprehend the extent of destruction that can be brought on by cyber terrorists. In 1980s, this decade subsequently ushered in the era of malware (software designed to infiltrate a computer system without the owners informed consent) marking the first virus, named Brain in 1986 as well as the infamous Morris worm in 1988. The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act were instituted in 1986 and for the first time, a compute hacker, Kelvin Poulsen, was featured on Americas most wanted. Poulsen was finally arrested in 1991, after spending several years as a fugitive. (quoted from Symantec).

In 1990s brought about with it the dawn of the modern information security industry. Notable threats witnessed during this decade included the Michelangelo virus, Melissa and the Concept. Distributed denial of service attacks and bots that made it possible were also born such as Trin00, and Tribal Flood network. Beyond malware, the attacks by fraudsters, aimed their efforts at stealing users credentials. (Jackson, 21).

Expert testimony, public opinion suggests that lack of protection in the Internet privacy is dangerous. Francis Bents, an expert on the Internet privacy estimates that between 500 and 1000 times in a year, there emerge the web break-ins and the email viruses which appear almost all the time. The computer users receive threats over 80, in a survey done by Kippley James.

Scientific research confirms that the laws offer little privacy protection. In June 1988, the federal Trade Commission issued a report to Congress on Internet privacy. It found protections to be scarce. Of 1,400 websites surveyed, only 14 provided any notice of their information collection practices. Only 2 posted a comprehensive privacy policy that users could view.

Laws passed by countries and towns have had some effects, but it makes more sense to legislate at the state level. Local laws are not likely to have an impact of state laws. Protection for privacy on the Internet is particularly undeveloped, even in comparison to other fields that have been the subject of recent public debate, such as medical records or financial documents. Few states have addressed the issue. The lack of effective government oversight results from a number of factors. The Internet is relatively new. Its application continues to evolve at a fast speed. The Internet remains unfamiliar to many and the misappropriation of information are beginning to lead to additional governmental monitoring and scrutiny such as the free flowing nature of the Internet.  Efforts to restrict the flow of information will face fierce opposition when the free flowing nature of the Internet is seen as an integral to its success. (Sanger 67).

Some Internet Computer users claim that, tough laws implemented and regulated would give them security in their work and businesses and their surfing would not cost them their privacy. In Australia, for example, the number of cyber terrorism fell to 60 between 1997 to 2001, when the Australian coalition of privacy rights commence and academic groups commenced a campaign for fair privacy laws. (Stock well 32).

Research done by the Buffalo school of informatics recommend a few steps that can help the Internet users to interrupt the stream of information about the users and their habits that flows through unintended channels. The users should get into the habit of regularly clearing out their cookies (files that websites save to your hard drive) and cache (an area where browsers store data and graphics to make Web pages load more quickly). Both can e cleared easily in most browsers, such as Fire fox, Internet Explorer and Netscape. Navigate through menu items to adjust the Internet preferences to control the handling of cookies. (quoted from Gotlieb 245). The user must realize that they cannot control everything and they should always sign off their work after they have finished. By getting to know the firewalls (is a part of a computer system or network that is designed to block unauthorized access while permitting authorized communications. When activated, firewalls help the users to keep hackers, viruses and computer worms from accessing their information or altering their hard drive. The New laws should e tough enough to regulate privacy in the Internet and to ensure that the cyber terrorists are caught and punished. The states legislature should prepare a report and recommendations as to the extent to which new laws are necessary to protect the public from unlawful conduct on the Internet.

Because of mounting public awareness of the dangers of the cyber terrorism, committed by the Internet users, and the importance of protection of Internet Privacy, state legislators must begin to take the problem seriously.  Privacy is primarily an ethical issue. ( quoted from Stockwell).  The users themselves should think of ethics which are the standard of moral conduct. We are all entitled to ethical treatment and this includes the right to keep personal information, from getting to the wrong hands. (quoted in Gotlieb 260). The time has come for states in the world to adapt legislation in providing security for the internet users by fighting these cyber terrorists by for instance, using firewalls, antivirus software to keep them from attacking information and punishing the cyber terrorists.