Risky Business & What Can We Do About It?

Up until now, I have written about all of the illegal activity done by others and how it may affect you. And yes, I am still going to discuss that in this blog, but I am also going to discuss the illegal activity you may be engaged in. And maybe I can influence my readers to change their computer habits, if even just a little bit. Some computer activity is extremely risky, and if you don’t watch what you do, you may unintentionally end up in a lot of trouble. 

Peer-to-peer network dangers

            If I were in a room of 100 people and asked them to raise their hand if they have ever done something illegal that could have resulted in 5 years of prison if they were caught, I don’t think many would raise their hands. My next question would be, have ever downloaded music, movies, or copyrighted content; if even just one file? The hands raised would likely quadruple. This shows that our society isn’t very well informed of the consequences that could come along with peer-to-peer file sharing. The RIAA (Record Industy Association of America) is cracking down on individuals involved in illegal use of P2P, and the lawsuits are becoming far more common. These fines and punishments can be extremely harsh. The legal limit of which someone can be fined for music piracy is a hefty $250,000 and 5 years in jail. So is it really worth it? Here is an example of a woman who was charged for downloading 24 songs. The consequences she faced may shock you.

Use of Video

The recent phenomenon of Youtube has drastically changed the way we communicate, and share our life’s moments. Has it also become a tool that is allowing us to share our sometimes too much personal life. Many people who are capturing these videos may not be too smart when posting them online for the world to see. For example, people have posted videos of assaults, vandalism, even murders... and have been arrested and caught because of it. This article shows an example of how life changing Youtube videos can be, and not always for the better. 

Your own personal computer security safety

            According to the book “Cyber Crime Fighters: Tales from the Trenches”, there are three very important steps to take to ensure protection on your computer.  “1. Always keep your system up to date with automatic updates and patches to the operating system. 2.  Install virus protection and make sure it is protected. 3.  Install a spyware and/or malware detection program and run it frequently." All of these steps are crucial to keep your computer and personal information safe. It is very important too to these things because it will prevent a lot of problems. 

Another thing you should consider is to keep your passwords extremely strong. This is extremely important because weak passwords can be hacked within seconds! Also, use different passwords for different accounts. And finally, make sure your Wi-fi is secure. Change the SSID to something other than the default name. This shows criminals that your connection isn’t very secure. Turn on encryption; you could use either WEP or WPA. WPA is far more secure.  Then change the default name and password. Just like any password, something easy for you to memorize but hard for others to guess. And last but not least, shut off your Wi-fi router when not in use.

Here is an example of my personal Wi-fi settings, I was happy to know that I am using a WPA type security. My network does in fact have a unique name, and password.

As for businesses, it is crucial that they have upgraded from WEP to WPA. However, many still haven’t done so. When searching for a company that used either WEP or WPA, I found that this information is kept secret unless you manually go to the store and find the security information on your laptop. I also read, “This information is classified in nature. Unless there is a person who wishes to violate company policy, and does not bother to care for this rules. If there is an important reason behind this inquiry, I suggest that you file formal request for this information.” I found it interesting that companies try to hide what type of security they are using, when it is in fact accessible by anyone using their laptop within a close range of the building.

            When analyzing all of these legalities and computer security concerns, it is important to be informed. I am going to take a lot of the advice I have provided you with and use it in my own life. Yes, I have downloaded music many years ago, and that is something I cannot change. I was uninformed but now I will make sure not to do engage in this type of peer-to-peer downloading in the future. Also, I will make sure that if I ever post something on Youtube, I will keep in mind that it is irreversible and could have an affect on my future. And finally, I will keep my computer safe by following the above measures. I hope I have encouraged my readers to do the same!