Staff Writer
The
Internet is one of the greatest technological advancements in human history. It’s
accomplishments like this that bring people together and help spread ideas.
This goes to show that technology does and will always help better our lives.
However, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. In this
case, the reaction would be hacking.
It
is no secret that hackers have hit it big. Recently, Target and Home Depot have
been hacked, leaving millions of customers exposed to fraudulent charges. Home
Depot is estimated to have 56 million of their customers’ credit card
information at risk and Target is estimated at over 40 million. Though many
casualties of the war on hacking have suffered the full burden of ludicrous
unwarranted charges, many of these identity thieves aren’t stealing to purchase
an item. They are stealing identities to sell it on the black market.
Obviously,
credit card information bought off the black market is risky and illegal,
making many thieves shy of overusing their new identities. So, many holders of
these stolen identities haven’t bought cars or jet skis, they’ve been charging
small amounts - like the amount it would take to fill your tank or buy your
groceries. We all know approximately how much we’ve spent in a month, but if you
don’t study your bills, how are you supposed to tell an honest $2,010 from a
deceitful $2,030?
That
is why laws are being passed that requires stores to upgrade their
technological security. Those who don’t may be liable for a lawsuit. However,
nobody seems to have the jurisdiction to prosecute the ones breaking the law. The
Federal Bureau of Investigation has put forth major efforts to put a stop to
the virtual chaos created by hacking, but when the FBI only has jurisdiction on
American soil it can be hard to regulate something that’s happening all over
the world. To compensate for this obstacle, the Department of Justice has
requested to amend Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. In doing
so, the federal government will be able to track and hack any computer around
the world that has the ability to conceal its location using technical means (Technical
as in using programs like Tor or Proxies). Programs
like these, Tor being the most popular, are used to hide the IP of your
computer, blocking anybody from disclosing your location, computer, or sites
you’ve visited. Knowing that this program is shadily convenient for hackers,
the FBI is hoping that they will be able to tag and hack into the host computers
of these programs. However, there are many arguments that these technical
programs are protecting people’s rights to privacy and should not be used to
suspect them of breaking the law.
With
hackers invading our lives left and right, is there a safe way to shop? Or
which way has the least risk? Though it might seem counterintuitive, Internet
pundits have entertained the idea that shopping online might be safer than
in-store shopping. When hackers sell credit card information, the information
that is stolen off a swiped card is much more valuable than the information
that is typed in through a computer. There is certain information that is only
retrieved off the swiping of a card that makes it easier to buy without
question, while information given online is a bit more protected. When information
is stolen off a retail website, there is only enough information to buy a
product online, but not enough to manufacture a fake card. Also, many credit
card numbers have pre-established addresses assigned to the number, so if
somebody were to use the number online, they would have to drive to your house
and pick it up (assuming the police aren’t waiting for them at the residence). Despite
all of the fear of Internet criminals hiding on the web, it seems that hackers
have an even tighter grip on our tangible lives than the ones we spend online. It
would seem that the boundary that separates our cyber and real lives is being
broken down quickly by convenience seeking retailers and criminals are happy to
take advantage of it.
