In this day and age of advanced technologies and state of the art SaaS options, is it any wonder why more and more people are feeling alienated when it comes to their online interactions? We get it – good business means utilizing Big Data, and Big Data means documenting as many digital processes as possible – but just how does this age of information affect the average Joe hoping to browse the web in privacy?
Gone are the days where a man could purchase a dozen roses for his wife online, have them delivered by the morning, and bask in the glory of his heroic endeavors. In this modern society, it’s less about what was purchased, the valuation and the shipping times, and much more about what draw the buyer’s attention, how long it took them to make a purchase, and what method of payment they selected!
Now to most internet users, this might not seem like that big a deal. In fact, the data is predominantly harmless, and it’s better suited to marketing strategies than it is to spying on unsuspecting victims. But in exchange for this information, what are the big players doing to ensure that Joe’s information remains safe, secure, and most importantly – out of the reach of bad guys hoping to do evil?
Who hasn’t dreamt of installing a killer robot somewhere around their home – a robot that won’t just keep enemies at bay, but one that will actively discourage any attempts of attack? In digital terms, this killer-robot takes the form of advanced encryption software, and it’s a common presence within sites of all calibers. Joe may not know much about encryption, but he knows that there’s something pretty reassuring about the sight of a padlock, followed by three solid characters; 1.2.8.
So how do online brands and websites in this modern era further maximize the potential of information security technologies? Well, it’s not just the encryption to consider – after all most software programmers will know how daunting a task it would be to even attempt to decipher the smallest encrypted code, let alone 128-bits worth of it! But where the potential for data harvesting is present, so too will be loopholes for online criminals to exploit, and that’s where Joe’s concerns really begin to stem.
When in doubt, leave it to the IT companies to come to the rescue, and that’s exactly what has happened – particularly over the past few years. If there’s a single nemesis to online hackers, spammers and data harvesters; it’s the IT specialist, and their shining armor has been a saving grace on more than a few occasions.
So what happens if one of these knights just so happens to step over to the dark side? Well, that’s where things can get a little bumpy for Joe, especially if his local flower stall has closed down for the winter and the only place for him to pick up his roses is online. But fret not – where there is negative, there is positive. Where there is evil, there is good.
That may sound like a mouthful, but consider it more of a fist in the face of potential evil-do’ers. Thanks to online authorities and IT agencies around the world, newer measures are being introduced to deter online criminals, and protect Joe while he browses the web in confidence! As these new measures are introduced, so too are the older ones being replaced – and this in itself makes it increasingly difficult for potential criminals to keep up.
There will always be the concern of hackers gaining access to information that companies obtain from their customers, and this is as controversial a topic now as it has been since the introduction of online sales. But with more and more services introducing stricter security measures that restricts even their own data – could we be fast approaching a securer online environment in general? If the information passed around online isn’t as available as hackers would like, then the risk to Joe is minimal!
For now though, taking advantage of the latest security procedures is the recommended way forward, and as long as Joe keeps his spending habits within the protective confines of verified websites, his wife could be enjoying roses for years to come.
By Stacy Coe
