Smack!
23/02/10 11:10 AM Filed in: Computing
Smack!
Not only is a school in Pa being sued, and investigated by the FBI because of allegations that it spied on its students via the built in iSight cameras on the Apple computers it distributed to its student, but Facebook and Google are also facing class action lawsuits for violating the privacy rights of their users. With technology advancing at the lightning speeds it is, anyone on a computer who wants to take full advantage of everything it has offer, is going to find his or herself between a rock and hard spot when it comes to the issue of privacy. In order to try and find some kind of realistic middle ground between that rock and hard spot, those using computers need to be well aware of how they operate, as well as what really lies beneath the surface of what may be on the other side of our monitors.
Concerning the lawsuits being filed against Facebook and Google, I will agree with those filing them that both Facebook and Google should have done better when it came to handling the private information of their users. However, having said, that let me give those a users a heads up here. FYI, no matter how good a job a site does handling the private information of its users, or how good the security program is on any social networking site, there is always a chance that a hacker can breach it. For those who are really that clueless, that's what hackers do. If you are going to join a social networking site, by all means insist they handle your private information in a responsible manner. And be sure that site has the best security available. But, if you think that security system will always be able to protect your private information from hackers, you need a smack up the back of the head reality check here.
I don't know if there was criminal intent behind what the school board did by setting up those laptops in a way that allowed them to remotely activate the built in web cams, or if the entire school board just needs a good hard collective smack up the back of the head for being too stupid to realize the potential danger inherent in what they did. If all they were concerned about was keeping track of the laptops so they could be recovered if stolen, why didn't they just attach or implant some kind of GPS device or program in them?
Given the vague way the clause concerning monitoring the hardware was worded in the "acceptable-use" agreement, I do believe whoever wrote that clause understood what was going on a lot better than the parents who would be reading it did. I sense the person behind that wording knew full well if the agreement actually said something like, "Oh and by the way, we have the ability to turn on that neat little iSight camera and take at least one still picture of anything going on in front of the monitor anytime we want. But, don't worry, we will only use it if your kid reports the computer stolen.", none of the parents would have signed said agreement. It makes me want to give the parents who signed that agreement a smack up the back of the head for not being more aware of what the school actually meant by "monitoring the hardware." Don't any of those parents read the tech news, or at least watch crime shows on tv?
One reason I know as much as I do about hackers and "hardware monitoring" is because along with keeping up with the tech news, I watch a lot of CSI shows, as well as Criminal Minds and Law & Order. I credit all those shows with making me very aware of the possible dangers on the other side of my monitor. I blame NCIS on my wanting to smack some of the people involved in these current news stories up the back of the head. And although I do know that hacking into well secured computers is not as fast and easy as characters like Abby from NCIS make it appear, researching what I often see on those shows does tell me that it is possible, and that many times, it has already happened for real.
I am not trying to be a fear monger here and discourage people from using social networking sites, or even computers supplied by schools. What I am trying to do is remind all those reading these words that the net, and the computers used to connect us to it need to be used in a responsible manner that takes security issues, hackers, and other criminal elements into consideration. This is especially true when it comes to computers supplied by a school that are taken off campus by students, and/or when making the decision to join a social networking site.
Not only is a school in Pa being sued, and investigated by the FBI because of allegations that it spied on its students via the built in iSight cameras on the Apple computers it distributed to its student, but Facebook and Google are also facing class action lawsuits for violating the privacy rights of their users. With technology advancing at the lightning speeds it is, anyone on a computer who wants to take full advantage of everything it has offer, is going to find his or herself between a rock and hard spot when it comes to the issue of privacy. In order to try and find some kind of realistic middle ground between that rock and hard spot, those using computers need to be well aware of how they operate, as well as what really lies beneath the surface of what may be on the other side of our monitors.
Concerning the lawsuits being filed against Facebook and Google, I will agree with those filing them that both Facebook and Google should have done better when it came to handling the private information of their users. However, having said, that let me give those a users a heads up here. FYI, no matter how good a job a site does handling the private information of its users, or how good the security program is on any social networking site, there is always a chance that a hacker can breach it. For those who are really that clueless, that's what hackers do. If you are going to join a social networking site, by all means insist they handle your private information in a responsible manner. And be sure that site has the best security available. But, if you think that security system will always be able to protect your private information from hackers, you need a smack up the back of the head reality check here.
I don't know if there was criminal intent behind what the school board did by setting up those laptops in a way that allowed them to remotely activate the built in web cams, or if the entire school board just needs a good hard collective smack up the back of the head for being too stupid to realize the potential danger inherent in what they did. If all they were concerned about was keeping track of the laptops so they could be recovered if stolen, why didn't they just attach or implant some kind of GPS device or program in them?
Given the vague way the clause concerning monitoring the hardware was worded in the "acceptable-use" agreement, I do believe whoever wrote that clause understood what was going on a lot better than the parents who would be reading it did. I sense the person behind that wording knew full well if the agreement actually said something like, "Oh and by the way, we have the ability to turn on that neat little iSight camera and take at least one still picture of anything going on in front of the monitor anytime we want. But, don't worry, we will only use it if your kid reports the computer stolen.", none of the parents would have signed said agreement. It makes me want to give the parents who signed that agreement a smack up the back of the head for not being more aware of what the school actually meant by "monitoring the hardware." Don't any of those parents read the tech news, or at least watch crime shows on tv?
One reason I know as much as I do about hackers and "hardware monitoring" is because along with keeping up with the tech news, I watch a lot of CSI shows, as well as Criminal Minds and Law & Order. I credit all those shows with making me very aware of the possible dangers on the other side of my monitor. I blame NCIS on my wanting to smack some of the people involved in these current news stories up the back of the head. And although I do know that hacking into well secured computers is not as fast and easy as characters like Abby from NCIS make it appear, researching what I often see on those shows does tell me that it is possible, and that many times, it has already happened for real.
I am not trying to be a fear monger here and discourage people from using social networking sites, or even computers supplied by schools. What I am trying to do is remind all those reading these words that the net, and the computers used to connect us to it need to be used in a responsible manner that takes security issues, hackers, and other criminal elements into consideration. This is especially true when it comes to computers supplied by a school that are taken off campus by students, and/or when making the decision to join a social networking site.