We all fear different enemies. There are times we fear natural calamities, countries fear foreign invasion, at times we fear other humans, the mind fears the unknown, the eyes fear the unseen, the body fears the unfelt and heart and soul fears the divine. As individuals we are always dealing with our phobias.
Primarily we try to deal with the physical fears, which might impact us in our day-to-day lives. So we always try to cordon ourselves in a secure domain. In today’s competitive world of digitization, one of the most important assets is information and one can go beyond imagination to safeguard ‘valuable and sensitive information’. But still against all odds, information finds it way through some loophole beyond the boundaries of
secrecy and security. The ways are numerous to be listed down. Now there is a new digital enemy to be feared by us, by our societies, the whole nation and by the world at large.
Once there was a time when high priority and confidential information regarding national security and credentials were required to be put under constant vigilant watch fearing leakage of such information would pose as a direct threat to national and international interest. Data and information needs to be protected from terrorists, anti-social elements and all those enemies who might harm the nation. It is quite a mammoth task.
Today, the scenario is still quite same but now there is probably one more differentiating angle to it. The concern has taken a little shift from the fact that now terrorist and other harmful agents are keener on securing their data apart from hacking into other private information. Now the World Wide Web is the new breeding grounds for the new age terrorists providing them a platform for transferring key documents and transacting through encrypted chat rooms and e-payment gateways. Few days’ back the news headlines were flooded with such examples such as Skype and others. It is quite difficult to seep into such concrete codes of security, the intelligence services failed at their efforts.
Cyber cops are on continuous patrol to tab these “dirty money” games. But most of these websites offer free of cost calls, which cannot be tapped due to sophisticated encryption. This ensures that no other party can eavesdrop on the call or read instant messages.
But the websites seldom realize the fact that in lieu of providing air-tight security and privacy to its customers, they have helped some to create a extremely powerful closed network of terrorists, drug dealers and many such kinds.
Many jehadi websites offer tutorials on making bombs, firing surface-to-surface missiles, shooting targets besides engaging in propaganda warfare. Such a deadly fact has been corroborated in the past by various security agencies. This kind of preparatory activities of terrorism has spuriously flourishing in the web today, which will definitely explode like a cyber bomb and we all will be helpless victims of the catastrophe.
No longer the threat is on physical boundaries, it has made its way to the cyber world. The increasing proliferation of such acts of educating and nurturing terrorism over the secured channels on the web is surely a matter of concern at all levels. All of us who are glued to the Internet like daily chore are not outside the clutches of such activities. Someday unknowingly you might find yourself in the dungeons of any such terrorist group. Who knows how the web might entangle you into the grip. The web is making the world much closer to us, and probably it is also making ourselves more prone to our enemies. How will you save yourself form this virtual enemy disguised as your best friend, the Web?
Giving Words to Emotions 