3rd Paper: Access Nation

In this episode of Law & Order, several truths and fallacies about the world of computing are challenged. The existence of the internet gave birth to online profiles and information banks which in turn has stirred up quite a lot of privacy issues over the past decade. Both the television and the wide screen have shown us that almost anything is possible if only you have the means. Naturally, people tend to believe what they see especially if it is not so common and difficult to understand. Because of this, many facts are exaggerated to an extent that it is still believable and hard to distinguish from myths.

In the story Access Nation, the so-called company sells information which is already available in the web by whatever means. In the real world, knowledgeable people would exploit loopholes in security to obtain information that should not actually be available to everyone. More commonly known as hacking, this kind of theft has long existed but is still not a familiar topic to common users. Although most of us are aware that information we display in the internet could be used against us or to take advantage of us, many users still allow this to happen. One good example is social network sites. People upload personal information and even photographs for everyone to see, definitely not a good practice.

Many parts of the story discuss ways to obtain information from a computer or a computer user, some fact and some fiction. One of which mentioned in the story is a worm which could actually hijack a computer. Remote access to a PC is possible but has several limitations. There are several accounts of worms being used to obtain passwords, and it was mentioned that federal authorities use one to do as such, named the “Magic Lantern”. The existence of such worms has actually been proven possible. In fact, a lot of “keylogging” software are abundant in computer shops in the Philippines and are used to steal user credentials.

I have read in numerous articles and online threads that the delete option doesn’t actually delete, but instead just points its location to nothing. It is suggested that anything deleted or overwritten can easily be recovered. In the show, the computer analyst mentioned that when a document is saved or updated in a word processor, it is possible to view it in its state before it was last saved. This is not possible because as a document is being saved in the same location with the same filename, the file is overwritten and its previous saved state is lost. This feature has yet to be offered in existing word processors. Throughout the story, the authorities seek the advice of a computer analyst who tries to trace the tracks of the said assailant. In doing so, personal information about the district attorney and the investigator was collected from the internet and was shown to them to prove that it is possible. The information included biological data, websites visited, and even bank information. It was suggested that we all leave “bread crumbs” when we surf the net and that every move we make can be traced. The first thing that comes into mind is tracking cookies. However, these cookies do not store the actual account data, as doing so would be a very dangerous practice. Also, websites visited can only be viewed through the browser history in the user’s computer. It is only possible for other people to obtain our personal information if we actually display that personal information for others to see. Not everything in the internet is available unless made available.

2nd Paper: Software Piracy and the Law

Piracy in general has been an evident problem in the Philippines. Piracy has several manifestations and one of them is Software Piracy. First of all, what makes Software Piracy a crime? The Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines protects literary, artistic, derivative, published editions of work, unprotected subject matter, copyright ownerships, reproduction by libraries and reproduction of computer programs from the very moment they are created. Exclusive rights are given to the software author or owner to replicate, adapt, or rent the program. Every time a legitimate software copy is purchased, a license agreement states all rights given to the user, as well as prohibitions.

The five common types of software piracy are End-user piracy, Client Server Overuse, Internet Piracy, Hard disk loading, and Software counterfeiting, all of which are rampant in the Philippines. The penalties are as follows:

1st offense: Imprisonment of 1 year to 3 years plus a fine ranging from P50,000 to 150,000.
2nd offense: Imprisonment of 3 years and 1 day to 6 years plus a fine ranging from P150,000 to P500,000.
3rd offense to subsequent offenses: Imprisonment of 6 years and 1
day to 9 years plus a fine ranging from P500,000 to P1.5 million.

Several incidents of software piracy crackdowns have occurred over the past decade, one example is shown below:

Call center raided by NBI for use of unlicensed software
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Makati City, Philippines – A Korean company operating as a “call center” in Makati City was recently raided by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for allegedly using unlicensed business software programs.
Raided was Jigu Corporation/Widespace, located at 2/F & Unit 3-B, 3/F, D'Metyang's Building, 5064 P. Burgos St. corner Guanzon St., Makati City, after investigations revealed that the company has been using unlicensed copies of Microsoft Windows and Office.
Jigu, which shares of stocks are owned in part by Korean nationals, is registered as an "export market enterprise" business with the Securities and Exchange Commission. But further investigation revealed that the company is actually operating as a call center.
With search warrants issued by Judge Oscar Pimentel of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 148, the raiding team led by the agents of the NBI Intellectual Property Rights Division (NBI-IPRD) confiscated 45 computers all containing unlicensed software programs. The seized items were worth Php 2.4 million. The raid was a result of a call to the anti-piracy hotline of the Business Software Alliance (BSA).
“Company owners should ensure that their businesses comply with the law. The use of unlicensed software is a violation of the country’s intellectual property laws. We urge companies not to put their businesses at risk of such violation by using only licensed software,” said Atty. Jose Justo Yap, chief of NBI IPR Division.
Last month, the NBI raided another Korean company located in Cavite Economic Zone for using pirated software in its business operation. The NBI is part of the Pilipinas Anti-Piracy Team (PAPT) together with the Optical Media Board and the Philippine National Police.

Although officials have done their part in stopping Software Piracy as seen above, the threat still seems to expand under their very noses. In the Philippines, many laws are implemented but not strictly enforced. This has been the reason for many crimes that go unnoticed among our society.

Among several organizations aiming for elimination of software piracy is the Business Software alliance. Two years ago, BSA reports stated that the piracy rate in the Philippines remained at a steady rate little above 70%. In an interview with Hwee-Chong Ng, Chair of BSA Philippines Committee, He said “With no change in the piracy rate since 2004, software piracy remains a serious concern for the Philippines. It has been a potential roadblock to success for the local IT industry to fully prosper and has continued to be detrimental to the country’s economy. A lot needs to be done, such as continuous cooperation between the public and the private sectors, to significantly reduce software piracy in the Philippines.”

Together with the government, BSA is optimistic in solving the software piracy problem in the Philippines. However, with a huge percentage of the general public choosing pirated software over copyrighted material, the future seems bleak. The availability of software in the unprotected web has also greatly affected software users. Peer-to-peer networking allows users to transfer and replicate programs with just a few clicks. The reasons behind software piracy are somewhat obvious, lots of money is saved in purchasing pirated software. This proves that without the help of the general public in supporting copyrights and software laws, there is little improvement in store for our IT industry.

1st Paper: From Business to Personal Machines

IBM has been in the forefront of the IT & Computing industry even before the term “IT & Computing” was coined. Today, IBM’s success still casts a large shadow over several younger competitors in the industry yet still continues to set a pace in the development of new technologies. Innovation has always been a key factor in IBMs success, but without a strategy to popularize and mass-market any product, those developments will never be lucrative enough to see investments.

The name IBM is almost synonymous to the word “computer”, as the company is responsible for developing some of the first general-use computers. In the early 1900s, IBM invested on the idea of punch card tabulating machines and started mass producing these special use computers. Originally a Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company, the company benefited from finding ways to compute, tabulate, and record census data. Only two decades later, revenues increased greatly and led to more profitable Time and Accounting machines to answer to the needs of its customers, mainly other companies.

During the great depression, IBM managed to survive by providing insurances and by investing on their relatively large assets. Although demand was low and economy was dwindling, the company managed to obtain contracts for accounting operations for the U.S. government. IBMs ability to find customers in the midst of chaos was soon demonstrated again during the Second World War. As the company fell into the disposal of the American government, the Mark I was created to produce even faster computations and results. The U.S. military soon realized the advantages of more sophisticated technology in war.

Shortly after the war, technology in pop culture became a large hit during the 50s. The decade saw some of the most important technological advancements in time. Some important inventions made during these years include the Transistor radio, video recorders, credit cards, modems, solar cells, and nuclear power. As culture soon began to see the importance of technology, more and more companies came up with innovations to make everything more convenient for man. While technology was increasing its pace, IBM also took several steps forward during the 1950s.

Several computing systems were created for the U.S. Air Force. Some of which were to be used as a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System. During the 1950s, the first vacuum tube computer was created. These were smaller and faster, and soon rendered the Mark I obsolete. Although these computers were still primarily used for government and research work, the vacuum tubes moved the computers into business applications such as billing, payroll, and inventory control. IBM also developed the first computer disk storage system and was soon followed by the first effective algebraic computer language, FORTRAN.

As IBM saw new leadership during the 50s, IBMs marketing strategy also changed. As a new decade came to be, the company made a gamble by changing what was an already effective technique in selling technology. Instead of hardware and software sold in packages, parts were now being sold individually and “unbundled”. Although there were 7 other computer companies aside from IBM, this strategy opened the doors to a multi-billion dollar software and services industry. The system/360 was introduced in the late 60s, which allowed computer owners to choose from a variety of modifications or upgrades. This bold move by the company even resulted to charges claimed by the government on monopolizing the industry. Due to these cases, IBM sought opportunities in dealing with other companies in developing software applications. While more tasks could be done by computers, the number of potential customers grew as well. IBM found even more value in general-purpose computers.

As leadership once again changed, IBM took another step forward into weaving the computer industry in our daily lives. The 70s saw the integration of computers in groceries in banks, even giving birth to the automated teller machine. Although rather expensive, businesses saw potential in IBM PCs being an everyday tool. Still using the unbundled method in selling, the processor came from Intel, and the Operating System came from what was then only a 32-person company, Microsoft.

Public interest grew more rapidly as more ways were found to ease work and let computers do what would normally be tedious and time consuming. IBM then continued on mass producing PCs and finding ways to entice customers. Discounts were offered to universities, which showed students the importance of computers and gave birth to other ideas on how computers can be used. Although most that see the true potential of personal computers were actually the wealthier and more educated individuals, there was no avoiding the significance of computers in everyday lives.

During the later years, more emphasis was shown by customers in desktop computing. In the mid 80s IBM came up with the Token-Ring Local Area Network, which allowed users to exchange information and share printers within a small office building. During those years, Networking also became as popular as the personal computer.
In the 90s, IBM developed the first ThinkPad laptop computer, ushering the computer even further in the realm of personal use. Today, individuals still continue to see the importance of the PC as a tool to help us with different tasks. As personal computers find their way into our homes, regular business tasks can now be done even after business hours. As technology continues to move forward, aesthetics and functionality of PCs also changes. Until today, we still see the benefits in using PCs to aid us in all kinds of work. In the present, PCs have become a regular household appliance and is slowly becoming a necessity.

Piracy & Hypocrisy

These days it is almost safe to say that everyone i know has had their share of splurging on fake items in general. Sometimes it seems that the overall attraction of getting something for a fraction of the original value outweighs our ethics. Despite so many laws in this country, the theft we know as piracy is already imprinted on our society. As discussed in class, pirated software in the digital age is identical to the original products, giving more appeal to consumers. When the people who so solemnly swear to uphold the law are also part of this form of unorganized crime, it is almost impossible to solve this serious matter

Although I myselft am in no position to vilify those who purchase pirated products, there are numerous ignored advantages in buying the real thing. My first point is, you get your money's worth. If you don't, then why would you want that product in the first place? A good practice before spending good money is to research on what you are about to buy. This way, we can avoid the hassle of sulking over money gone down the drain. From experience, another big advantage original products have over their counterparts is customer service. Although sometimes tiring and tedious, the result can be surprisingly good.

In purchasing a Symantec product license online a few months ago, I encountered what could be every online shoppers' nightmare. The price was charged to the credit card i used, but my subscription was not renewed. I immediately contacted their customer support, which was in the form of a one-on-one online chatroom. My situation was escalated from technician to technician until it was finally solved. Though frustrating, the trouble I had to endure was not left unrewarded. The package I was supposed to get was upgraded to the latest and most complete version available, and I was given a 1 year subscription as opposed to a few months for a lousy bundle. You may think it still wasn't worth it, but before deciding to purchase the real thing I had to drive a few kilometers back and forth to the nearest tiangge to ask for a different CD key which always turned out to be expired. In the end, its still a matter of preference and conscience. We are all hypocrites when it comes to piracy issues.

Six Degrees

With all these social network sites appearing, its easy to visualize how simple it would be to track a person down. I once read of a school of thought that suggested that each person is separated by no more than six degrees from each other person on earth. The idea implies that we are in fact living in a very small world. Assuming this is true, we could also assume that social networking sites bring us closer by a few degrees to anyone around the world even if we are not connected to them by affinity. Technically, we are affiliated to everyone in our social network, be it physical or online. If so, are we actually putting ourselves in danger by exposing us to the harmful elements that society has to offer?

There is no question that the more we make personal information public, the more vulnerable we become. When people could hide behind profiles and fake pictures, it is much more possible for these people to manipulate others. Apparently, people choose to ignore the risks involved in social networking sites. In doing so, it is important that we observe the same precautions as we do in our own physical social networks. Who knows, we may well be less than six degrees away from our potential murderer.

Internet Security

It is a common misconception that most IT people would know the basics of hacking. However, many of my colleagues, including me, were still unaware of the kinds of threats that exist today and what was actually possible when it comes to malicious code. After watching the presentation on internet security during our Mantech class, i was partly fascinated and surprised by what I learned.

In order to protect yourself from threats, you must first get to know what threats you are dealing with. Some of the hacking methods shown were somewhat simple and just involved finding a way to manipulate code into reading inputs as commands. After recently completing a database project during my OJT term, i found myself wondering what could have happened if my system was attacked. The answer was obvious. I was absolutely unprotected to those threats. Knowing this, it is easy to realize how much more improvements could have been done and how important internet security is.

419

A lot of people today are still oblivious to the term "Internet Security". Although most people have heard the words "hacking" and "virus", many are still unaware of the real risks in internet transactions. Even in the cyberworld, theft is abundant, and in some cases even a form of organized crime. Scamming has been around for as long as we can remember. With the dawn of online communication, it has become even easier to prey on unsuspecting individuals without even being seen. Actual physical absence allows people to hide under different profiles, while manipulating their victims for personal gain. Commonly known as the 419 fraud, this exists not only in Nigeria where it became popular, but all over the world.

In our country, one can even witness these scams firsthand in online roleplaying games. The basic concept is still in tact. The victim is tricked into giving small valuables in hope for much larger returns, which is ofcourse met with much dismay. Although nonexistent gold is stolen from nonexistent people, this is but an example of how far man would go to exploit their own. In the real world, much of this happens across oceans without even sounding any alarms. Even in the countries where fraud and identitiy theft is abundant, there is little that authorities can do to control it. This only proves to show that the sea of internet users has widened far beyond control, with the evils of society along with it. With this much going on under our noses at a daily rate, its hard not to be cynical.