Security of Information

The continued growth and increased accessibility of the Internet has brought with it numerous advantages to nearly all facets of modern life. Individuals can now find a wealth of information on the widest array of topics simply by typing a few words into a well-tuned Search Engine such as Google or Yahoo. It has become easier for consumers to purchase goods from distant stores and has brought the markets of the city to the doorsteps of rural communities. The Internet has shrunk the world, bringing strangers from different parts of the country, continent and globe closer together in their abilities to communicate. No longer must people wait for a letter to be delivered by the postal services of the world, when e-mail transmissions occur nearly instantaneously. The list of opportunities and benefits provided by the Internet at times seems endless, but these benefits do not come without costs, risks and disadvantages. The growth of the Internet has also allowed for new forms of crime, new questions of privacy, and new issues of censorship and freedom of speech. While it may be easier to do Christmas shopping over the Internet, it is also easier for merchants to be less than honest over the Internet, and many opportunities avail for individuals interested in misusing information. As technology advances, so do the criminals, and one of the fastest growing crimes in North America today is that of identity theft. In a world where face-to-face interaction is becoming more and more unnecessary, it is becoming much easier to have your identity defaced, stolen and misused.

It was not many years ago that the Internet still had a certain novelty to its existence and use. Individuals who made