Introduction
We are living in an era of modern technology. In olden days, without mobile phones and the internet, working in offices or business enterprises was very stressful. One cannot communicate easily due to the non-existence of social media and email. Nowadays, technology has enriched and enlightened our minds to a greater extent, but on the other hand, in pursuit of its ease and comfort, it has forced us to become over-reliant on it. As a consequence, we have literally become slaves of our own gadgets and technology.
Evolution of Internet
Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn, the two great American scientists, are considered to be the Fathers ( pioneers) of the Internet. In the late 1960’s the creation of the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) resulted in the first workable prototype of the Internet.
The US Department of Defence funded the ARPANET, which used packet switching to allow multiple computers to communicate on a single network. Eventually, in 1970, Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) were developed, and researchers began to assemble the “network of networks” that became the modern Internet.
Uses and Drawbacks of the Internet
Nowadays, one cannot even imagine a life without the Internet. With the help of internet one can communicate and stay connected with their loved ones. One can also do online banking, search for jobs and houses, run a business, and have a quick access to information and research on the go.
Recently, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, strict rules and regulations like lockdown and social distancing have been imposed worldwide, so the amount of time spent on the internet, especially social sites, is astounding. The more one gets addicted to the internet, the greater are the chances of cyberbullying, social anxiety, depression, isolation, self- harm, suicidal thoughts and access to content that is not age-appropriate.
Excessive use of social media also has a negative impact on health. Long-term exposure to blue light is harmful for the eyes. Some researchers claim that the electromagnetic radiation emitted by mobiles causes the Red Blood Corpuscles (RBC) to leak hemoglobin, which accumulates in the body, causing heart diseases and kidney stones. But no proof had come to light till now.
Cyber Attacks and Other Threats to Privacy
According to a recent study in University of Maryland, a cyber attack occurs every 39 seconds! Due to advancements in technology, cyber security has become more important than ever. Some types of cyber attacks are as follows:-
1.) Keystroke Logging
Keystroke Logging is the action of recording the keys struck on a keyboard without the target person’s knowledge that their actions are being monitored.
Furthermore, data is then retrieved by the person operating the logging program.
2.) Denial of Service Attack (DOS)
In this attack, the targeted machine or resource is flooded with superfluous requests in an attempt to overload systems, thereby disrupting services of a host connected to the internet. This prevents some or all legitimate requests from being fulfilled.
3.) Brute Force Attack
It is a trial-and-error method used to obtain information such as a user’s password or personal identification number (PIN).
In a brute force attack automated software is used to generate large number of consecutive guesses in order to crack encrypted data.
4.) Waterhole Attack
It is a malware attack in which the attacker observe the websites often by a victim or a group and infects those sites with malware.
5.) Phishing and Fake WAP ( Wireless Access Point)
In Phising, a hacker replicates the most accessed sites and traps the victim by sending that spoofed link. It is a commonly used and deadly attack vector.
6.) Man-in-the-middle Attack
Here a hacker inserts himself into a conversation between two parties, impersonates both parties and gains access to information that the two parties were trying to send to each other or not meant to be sent at all.
7.) Cookie Theft
The cookies of a browser keep our personal data such as browsing history, usernames, and passwords for different sites we access. Once the hacker gets access to the victim’s cookie, then he can even authenticate himself as the victim.
8.) Domain Name System (DNS) poisoning
In this method, the vulnerabilities in the DNS are exploited to divert Internet traffic away from legitimate servers towards fake ones. The DNS poisoning resulted in the Great Firewall of China, which escaped national boundaries and censored the Internet in the USA until the problem was solved.
9.) Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) poisoning
Here the attacker or hacker changes the Media Access Control (MAC) address and attacks an Ethernet LAN by changing the target computer’s ARP cache with a forged ARP request and reply packets.
Some easy ways to withstand Cyber Attacks:-
1.) Refrain from using weak passwords such as numbers like 12345, words like qwerty, password, name, phone number, etc. Always use a combination of uppercase, lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers so that attackers can’t guess or crack it.
2.) Always update the latest software on your computer or phone periodically to prevent viruses, malware, and other online threats.
3.) Computers, laptops, and other electronic gadgets must be locked or turned off when not in use. This ensures that no one can access your confidential information.
4.) Don’t click unknown advertisements, messages, emails, tweets, etc. Just delete them if it appears suspicious; otherwise, hackers can steal your data.
5.) Always think twice before connecting to a free public Wifi, since fraudsters and hackers can monitor every activity without your knowledge.
6.) Always use trusted websites and apps with encrypted connections (https) before entering sensitive passwords and banking details.
Conclusion
Internet is one of the most revolutionary and greatest inventions of all time. Every person has his own opinion regarding the internet. Some consider it a blessing to mankind; others consider it a curse. We can transform it into a blessing by ignoring malicious content, limiting its use, and sharing positive vibes with the world. If we misuse it, then it will definitely be a curse to humanity. So the choice is ours.
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