Information and its Security

ADNOC Distribution
Aug 28, 2017 · 3 min read

Although the exciting world of IT covers a vast range of often complex technologies, a common theme that concerns all of us who use IT is the steps we can take to secure information. Old or modern information technologies involve three main activities: entering data in the form of numbers or letters; processing the information; and drawing conclusions based on the information.

However, during the past twenty years, rapid change in the IT world has led to remarkable progress in the ways information has been used and processed by individuals, companies, institutions, governments and organisations. New technology now affects every facet of our life, and the spread of social media platforms — sometimes without any restrictions or controls — has produced massive volumes of data and information of varying degrees of usefulness and relevance.

While data used to be restricted to storing and use between certain institutions or individuals, the growth of the internet means that information is more vulnerable and can be no longer be assumed to be held in a safe zone. For example, financial transaction systems have evolved from traditional methods to the point where most transactions of this kind are now processed electronically. As there is an increased danger of individuals seeking to illegally access this information, an increased focus on information security is needed.

Information security is a science that protects information from threats by providing the necessary protection tools. Information security has three main elements — confidentiality, integration, and access.

Since there are rules, regulations and advanced technologies to protect information, why has this issue been of such high concern for individuals and institutions alike? Why has it become a priority for IT managers? Why do companies spend large sums of money to protect their data and update their programs and applications regularly? What is our role as individuals and employees in maintaining the confidentiality of information and protecting it from being misused?

These questions and others will be discussed in separate articles in forthcoming editions of this magazine. As for now, I will briefly outline some key facts and worrying news that reinforce the importance of information security:

  • Global information security experts say that the latest Wanna Cry virus attack, which was believed to have affected hundreds of thousands of devices spread over 100 countries within only 48 hours, may be the worst and most damaging attack in internet history.
  • IT experts expect spending on information security technologies in the UAE to reach $1.7 billion (AED6.2 billion) in 2017, which is about 28% of the total anticipated spending of $6.2 billion (AED22.7 billion) on IT expected this year.
  • Demand for specialised information security professionals increased from 4% to 9% between 2012–2017.
  • Common contagious malicious programs take the form of viruses and worms. There are also silent malicious programs like the Trojan Horse and others used for profit such as spying and keylogger programs.
  • In late 2016, China was listed first among all countries in terms of the number of devices infected with malicious programs, followed by Turkey and Taiwan.
  • Financial losses due to cybercrimes were estimated at $1 billion in 2015.
  • Zomato, the specialized restaurant and café rating website, announced that the personal information of 17 million registered customers has been stolen.

Bearing these incidents and facts in mind, I recommend that all readers continue to take all necessary precautions when using smartphones or computers. This especially applies to the use of your devices over public wireless networks or hotspots. Refrain from opening links in untrustworthy emails and make sure you at least have up-to-date antivirus software installed on your devices. A small precautionary step such as this would help to ensure a reduced risk of your personal and financial data being compromised.

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