Blog 3: Glass Houses: Privacy, Secrecy, and Cyber Insecurity in a Transparent Wold Book Review

GLASS HOUSES: PRIVACY, SECRECY, AND CYBER INSECURITY IN A TRANSPARENT WORLD

            In Glass Houses: Privacy, Secrecy and Cyber Insecurity in a Transparent World, Joel Brenner discusses and sets forth several implications that affect every person in the United States.  Glass Houses was published by Penguin Books and has the ISBN Number of 978-0-14-312211-1.   Glass Houses states that from the very beginning that due to the nature of the Internet, computers, and networks that connect computers, every individual, company, and the government as a whole is in danger.  That danger comes from foreign nations, terrorist cells, criminal gangs, and individuals that are not connect to the aforementioned groups.  Due to the various players involved in this cyber-environment, people, corporations, and governments all have different threats and dangers. Through current events and real life examples, Glass Houses discusses the numerous threats and dangers that people, corporations, and governments are up against as well as how to fix these dangers. 

            Joel Brenna’s main purpose for writing Glass Houses was to inform and educate the general population as well as corporations and the United States Government about the dangers and threats that the Internet and advanced technology, such as computers and military technology, has brought to America.  He informs the American public about how the world has become transparent due to everything being shared online and how to secure their information.  Brenna targets the American public to educate them on how they are venerable and about how they can safeguard their personal information. Brennan also targets all sizes of corporations to inform them about their security flaws and how they can safeguard their trade secrets and intellectual property.  Brennan’s last audience includes the American government to educate them on the dangers that face from various groups and how to prepare ourselves for the future of war. 

            The main thesis of Glass Houses states that there are alarming threats to personal, corporate, and national security from a new type of espionage and form the sudden transparency that electronic connectivity has brought to all aspects of our lives (Brenner, 2013, 1). In addition to the threats, Glass Houses explains why people, corporations, and governments cannot safeguard our personal data, corporate intellectual property, or national defense secrets (Brenner, 2013, 4). Glass Houses describes that we are in a period of typical international affairs, in which conflict and symbiosis, struggle and trade, exist side by side in a condition that is neither war nor peace, and which is both promising and dangerous (Brenner, 2013, 7).   Finally, Glass Houses ends with suggestions on how to better prepare ourselves, our corporations, and our government against the present dangers and any future threats (Brenner, 2013, 12).  The main theme of Glass Houses revolves around the fact that the threats facing large corporations and the government are also threats that individuals face in their everyday lives.  Therefore, people, corporations, and governments are living in symbolic glass houses where no one is safe from prying and everyone’s privacy has evaporated due to the fact of how dependent everyone is on the Internet and information flow through computers. 

            Brenner begins his analysis regarding cyber-security by discussing how individuals face threats and dangers from being online and connected.  The main concern for individuals is protecting their personal information, such as their social security number, their credit card number, and their bank account information.  Brenner manifests how easy it is for cyber-criminals and foreign countries to steal this information by several antics.  These antics include setting up fake websites for bank account log-ins that look like the real website but is actual a set up where criminals can gather your bank information (Brenner, 2013, p.35).  The antics employed by the gang of criminals can gain data and information quickly from the comfort of their homes, decreasing the risk of getting caught, and increasing the profits by being able to target more individuals at once (Brenner, 2013, p.26).  In return, any information gained from individuals either is used by the criminals or sold on a black market by people that can use the information.  The main issue blocking individuals from fixing this issue of identity theft and information theft is that individuals do not take the threats seriously and do not employ safeguards to increase the security of their information.   

            Corporations also face cyber-security threats that are just as threating as personal threats are to individuals.  Not only do corporations have to guard against their personal information being stolen like individuals, they have to protect against trade secrets and intellectual property (Brenner, 2013, p.54).  However, corporations are profit driven so they do not protect against threats and dangers to their valuable information and data because it cuts into their profit (Brenner, 2013, p.64).  Corporations also open themselves up to potential threats by existing international and opening their websites up to attacks by existing on the Internet (Brenner, 2013, p.65).  Corporations are just as vulnerable as individuals because their information and data is open to many more attacks.  Again, corporations, like individuals, do not see the necessity to secure their information because they believe that it costs too much and the costs are not worth the benefits. Also, corporations do not believe in cyber-security because they like the ease of the Internet and networks.

            Finally, the United States government and the military also are threatened and are in danger of various cyber-attacks by many more actors.  The United States government and military are threatened by other nations, non-state actors, terrorists, and criminal gangs (Brenner, 2013, p.69).  The United States government not only has to deal with physical threats but also cyber-threats.  The cyber-threats not only threaten information and data collected by the United States government but it also threatens the infrastructure in America (Brenner, 2013, p.96).  Finally, the government has to worry about cyber-attacks becoming the new type of war and being able to fight China and Russia in these potential wars (Brenner, 2013, p. 91).

            Not only does Brenner discuss the multiple threats and dangers that are posed to individuals, corporations, the government, and the military, he also suggests ways in which to fix the vulnerabilities in the government.  Brenner suggests that like the military, the civilian department secretaries should begin a process of integrating their departments with the other departments of government (Brenner, 2013, p. 214).  Brenner also discusses that the government can fix little details in trade regulations, role of service providers, energy standards, tax code, research, securities regulation, and international relations to protect everyone from cyber-attacks (Brenner, 2013, p. 227-239).  He also makes suggestion as how the private sector can protect themselves against cyber attacks. 

            Glass Houses overarching subject matter deals with protecting ourselves against cyber-threats and how to keep our information and data private.  Glass Houses points out how important data and information are and how the exchange of information and data is becoming almost like currency.  The data and information turns significantly important because of the implications and uses the information and data beholds.  Floridi also holds this implication in his book entitled, Information: A Very Short Summary.  Floridi discusses the vast amount of information and data that exists due to the nature of the existing technology (Floridi, 2010, p.4).  Floridi also suggests that the implications that information holds for certain people (Floridi, 2010, p. 22).  For the threats that Glass Houses suggests and outlines, information is becoming more and more valuable to everyone.  Floridi’s book suggests that value will be more valuable to some than others by way everyone interprets the data and information (Floridi, 2010, p. 49).  After reading Floridi’s book, Glass Houses is a perfect example of how information is formed, valuable, and can mean different things to different people.   

            Glass Houses is an excellent read for those interested in national security and personal security.  It was very insightful regarding how vulnerable each player in America really is and how to fix those vulnerabilities.  The book was fascinating in the fact that it opens up one’s eyes to the future of warfare and the future of how everyone should deal with their personal information and corporate information.  Due to the fact that Joe Brenner was the former senior counsel at the National Security Agency, the National Counterintelligence Executive in the office of the direction of National Intelligence, and the NSA’s inspector general, he is highly qualified to give an insider view on the subject of privacy, secrecy, and cyber insecurity.  However, due to Brenner’s history working in the government field, his objectivity may be in question. Although the objectivity may be in question, the book is still rather important.  The book should rank extremely high in importance due to the changing nature of the world we live in and the analysis of the world the book gives.  I would highly suggest this book to anyone who wants to learn more about information and information management because it provides an insight on how to protect information personally and professionally.  Glass Houses paints the perfect picture of how the world is changing and ways in which everyone can contribute to fix it.     

           

           

               

Blog 2: Vast Machines

Vast Machines: Thinking Globally

            Thinking Globally, a chapter in the book Vast Machines, written by Paul Edwards discusses the concept of knowledge and how we know what we know. To premise the discussion of the concept of knowledge the chapter begins by explaining the concept of climate change.  The example of climate change puts the thoughts of Edwards into context and how one uses technology and the process of data collection to discuss how one uses information to explain ideas as well as how one conveys ideas to others.  The purpose of the chapter is to explain how the world is becoming one system of information and how this information is interconnected.  Since the information is interconnected it creates an infrastructure that creates a stable foundation that the modern social world depends upon. In order to think globally, one must not only gather information but also convey the information to the public in a way that makes the information relevant and important. 

            The chapter discusses the process of knowledge formation in a sociotechnical system and answers the question of how do we know what we know.  To begin, the definition of sociotechnical system is a knowledge infrastructure comprised of robust networks of people, artifacts, and institutions that generate, share, and maintain specific knowledge about the human and natural worlds  (Edwards, 2010, p.17).  In order for information to be relevant and important, it must fit into an institution that shares and maintains specific knowledge.  For example, in the climate change context, the information is only as important as how well the information is conveyed to networks of people and institutions that share that knowledge.  In return the sociotechnical system answers the question of how do we know what we know.  The sociotechnical system describes the way in which people are convinced that things are true, useful, and consistent with other things they already know (Edwards, 2010, p. 17).  The use of the sociotechnical system ensures that people are aware of information.  It creates a system in which the information is shared and conveyed to the public in a way that makes it important and able to be conveyed.  The article suggested that the system of sharing information involves using instruments, such as a computer, to gather data.  Then in order to publish the data, one must use the Internet to convince people that the information that you are conveying is true and useful.  The sociotechnical system allows one to give the community a way to understand what you have found and convey to them what you think the information you found means (Edwards, 2010, 17).       

            The concept of “vast machine” and knowledge infrastructure is discussed in the chapter as well.  Vast machine is described as a machine that has infrastructures that are entangled into what makes the machine.  Infrastructures are basic systems and services that are reliable, standardized, and widely accessible, at least within a community (Edwards, 2010, p.8).  Infrastructures exhibit the following features: embeddedness, transparency, reach, learned as part of membership, links with conventions of practice, embodiment of standards, built on an installed base, becomes visible upon breakdown, fixed in a modular increments (Edwards, 2010, p.9).  In the 1980s, historians and sociologists of technology began studying the infrastructure phenomenon intensively (Edwards, 2010, p.9).  The researchers developed the theory of large technical systems (LTS) that apply to telephones and railroads (Edwards, 2010, p.9).  The LTS approach identified a series of common stages in infrastructure development: invention, development, technology transfer, consolidation, splintering, and decline (Edwards, 2010, p.10).  The stages of infrastructure and the theory of an infrastructure alludes to the concept that in order for information to be exchanged it must have an infrastructure that is made up of systems, many of which are technology systems.  In order to have information flow, the chapter discusses the concept of sharing information and building an infrastructure of interrelated systems where exchange of information is completed.  Infrastructures are said to be where information is produced, communicated, stored, and maintained.  

            The chapter also discusses that the basis of scientific knowledge and how that scientific knowledge depends on a few things.  In order to create and maintain scientific knowledge, one needs the following things: enduring communities with shared standards, enduring organizations, mathematics, conventions and laws, theories, physical facilities, and support staff (Edwards, 2010, p. 17).  If scientific knowledge is to be distributed to individuals, then someone must not only create the information but the information needs to be able to be exchanged.  In order for the information to be exchanged, it must have a community to belong to in an organization that engulfs that community.  Scientific knowledge is special in its own aspect because it has its own specialized vocabulary and laws that apply to the information.  

            Finally, the chapter discusses the concept of globalist information.  The chapter began by stating that President Johnson sent out a picture of the Earth to all of the world leaders to show how fragile the world was as well as to show how interconnected everyone is in the world (Edwards, 2010, p.1).  The concept of globalist information arises from this action.  The concept refers to systems and institutions for transmitting information about the world as a whole (Edwards, 2010, p.23).  This concept builds on the fact that the world is interconnected and the share of information is important for the world to function.  The chapter states that the best globalist system for exchanging information is in the meteorology department (Edwards, 2010, p.24).  The chapter discusses that in order for the world to learn more about climate change, everyone needs to exchange information on the subject. 

            Thinking Globally suggests, through the climate change context, there is a growing amount of information that is being produced.  The article discusses how information is exchanged, how people perceive information, and how there is a call for information exchange to better serve the public.  Considering the plethora of information that is being produced on a daily basis throughout the scientific community as well as other data producing fields, there is a need for information sharing in the world.  The chapter explains that information is important and can be organized into infrastructure which in turn can be used by everyone to make the world a better place by having an idea about what is going on in the world.

Edwards, Paul N. (2004). Thinking Globally. A Vast Machine: Computer Models, Climate Data, and the Politics of Global Warming, p.1-25.  

Blog 1: The Stupidity of Computers

THE STUPIDITY OF COMPUTERS

         “The Stupidity of Computers” written by David Auerbach provides several implications regarding how computers operate and the rise of ontologies.  The article provides details about the way in which computers cannot understand the English language, how difficult of a time computers have in thinking for themselves, and their search engines categorize information.  (Auerbach, 2012, pg. 1).  In recent decades, as the use of computers has increased, this article lays out a premise that describes computers being able to function if given the right instructions but unable to function on their own.

            The article begins by stating that computers are dumb even though they have cauldrons of processing power.  Even though computers have millions of pieces of information at their fingertips, they cannot access such information unless the user looking for the information inputs the proper search words. After this introduction, the article goes on to discuss the different ways in which computers can access information if the right words are used.  Then if the right words are used, then it is a matter of what words the search engine picks out as the most important.  Many researchers have attempted to come up with a way in which computers can understand the English language to make computers more effective and smart, especially when it comes to search engines; however, this has yet to happen. (Auerbach, 2012, pg. 3).  Although computers and search engines still have yet to learn the English langue as well as the implications of certain words, search engines such as Google has made searching for topics better, without learning the English language.

            Google inventors, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, came up with a way to link searches up with websites that are most popular among other websites. (Auerbach, 2012 pg. 5).  Instead of counting words on a website to determine if it fits a search, Google has found a way to bring up the most popular site on the Internet. (Auerbach, 2012, pg. 5).  However, computers still have not learned the English language or the implications of the English language.  Now websites are beginning to use ontologies, which is a conceptual framework for a number of kinds of entities as well as any number of relationship between them. (Auerbach, 2012, pg. 4).  Amazon has taken the ontologies and used them to suggest to customers other items to purchase.  However, the issue with ontologies is that they are people made and computers are programmed to use them.  The issue with ontologies expands to Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia.

            The purpose of the article is to discuss how computers cannot think for themselves, which makes them stupid.  The article lays out how humans have made computers smart but when it comes to computers functioning on their own it is not acquirable, at this moment in time.   The purpose is to show the ways popular websites on the Internet function and how the computer did not make this happen but how the people programed the computer to make the function the website provides exist. 

            The importance of the article is to inform the general public that computers are not as smart as one may think.  Although computers have tremendous processing power, storage for data, and access to many functions, the computers have not done this themselves.  Humans are responsible for the ways computers operate.  The article also stresses the importance of how computers cannot understand the English language and must use categories set up by humans to understand. 

            The article’s implications are huge.  They suggest that computers are dumb because they cannot work on their own and cannot understand the English language.  The article also implicates the ways in which a computer is useless without the help of a human.  The article suggests that computers will become more accessible to the general public but the general public must dumb themselves down and put themselves into categories for computers to work.  The article suggests that computers will not change in the way that they work but people will have to change the way they act around computers and how to use them properly. 

            Around the Internet there are many ways in which David Auerbach’s thoughts and implications are exemplified.  For example, when one searches for a certain subject matter, such as a popular TV show, the computer does not understand the TV show but can link you to the TV show’s website.  (www.google.com).  On Amazon’s website, when one searches for a certain textbook, Amazon suggests study aides to go along with those textbooks.  (www.amazon.com).  This is another example of how the computer is not thinking of those study aides but a way the people in charge of categorizing items have linked the computer to show items that can be offered.  Many websites on the Internet, especially shopping websites, use this mechanism.  However the computer is not suggesting this to you but the people who have programmed the computer to offer such items of clothing are offering certain items to you.

            Although this article operates on the premise of computers being stupid, the categorization of intelligence should not be used when speaking of computers.  Considering computers are machines, they should not be described as being dumb or smart because those words deal with intelligence, in which computers do not possess.  However, computers are not dumb.  They are machines that can be used in a variety of ways.  Although they cannot think on their own, they aid people in their everyday lives.  Therefore, computers are not stupid per say but they are not as smart as human beings.    

Auerbach, David. The Stupidity of Computers, Machine Politics. Issue 13, Winter 2012.