I chose to analyze the podcast featuring Bruce Schneier, and the interview he gave about his new book titled, Click Here to Kill Everybody. I have to say that this podcast was rather intriguing and terrifying at the same time. Within minutes of listening to the podcast I found myself cringing at the fact that there are real risks in the new technological, networked and computer-based world. Schneier calls this new world “internet plus” and I truly believe we are now living in this almost unfortunate society. He explains throughout the podcast that it is nearly impossible to buy a product that is not connected to the internet in some way. Cars, appliances, televisions, medical supplies, etc. are all connected to the internet in some way or form and we are putting ourselves at a real risk for hacking. It is no longer about worrying that someone will steal p
rivate information from the hospital and use it against you, now it’s about hacking the database and changing the blood type to kill you. He simply states the internet is coming, and it isn’t all it’s hyped up to be. A casino in vegas was hacked through an internet connected fish tank (and to me that sounds unheard of). Schneier explains that we can longer afford to make products in which systems and the government can spy on us, because the “bad guys” are using the same route to take things over. One day we will wake up with a hacked thermostat and be forced to pay in order to reclaim our houses. Schneier ends with the point that the government needs to put defense before offence. Companies need to ensure that systems are secure, rather than keep systems vulnerable for threats in order to attack against said threat. It’s out of our hands… companies need to change, and the government needs to change in order to secure safety.
While I was listening to this podcast, the thought came to me that this directly relates to the twitter hashtag #unboundeq that we’ve recently had in this class. All of thetopics that Bruce Schneier was talking about was basically the class discussion we had on twitter. The internet is all around us and it’s scary how often someone is listening to us, especially when it comes to our personalized ads on Facebook.
This might be naive or ignorant of me, but I don’t necessarily think about these bad things happening in my life, including breaches of privacy. I think that is why I find it so scary that these people have the knowledge and resources to hack into what I used to think were secure networks. Then there is my ideas about these actual products that hackers are taking control of… I never thought I would need a toaster or refrigerator that connected to the internet, but then once you have it you become lazy and rely on it, so every product after that needs to be connected. That is why when Schneier explained that authorities should be offering jail time for companies who do not take the time to secure these products made me stop and think about it for a minute. Do these companies want us to potentially get hacked? Or are they just more concerned with the look and consumerism to care about the vulnerability of the product? Either way, after listening to this podcast, it has definitely made me think about future purchases and getting the best secured network I can get.
Additionally, because I had so many thoughts that were running through my mind, I figured a mind map would be the best way to lay them out. What I took from the podcast was almost like “4 steps on how to reduce hacking”. I laid out my mind map in a way that audiences can see the connections between the topics, but ultimately end on the note that things need to change. After listening to this podcast, it is clear to me as a future educator that this topic cannot be taken lightly. We cannot risk the safety of ourselves, or our future students, so learning how to properly protect ourselves online is a step in the right direction.
I have also attached a PDF copy of my artifact in case you need to zoom in on the words!
Leslie