Saturday, April 19, 2008
Internet and journalism
As an infant needs nurturing to reach maturity, so does Internet-based communication. Journalism is placed uniquely to bring maturity to Internet-proffered communication. The telephone proved to be a priceless tool for journalists—reporters were quickly connected to sources and editors, facilitating the production and in due course the delivery of information and the Internet has the potential to become the same.
The Internet does not erase accessibility issues between journalism producers and journalism consumers, but it does increase the opportunity for feedback and exchange. It is my belief that the future of journalism links indelibly to the exploration and development of interactivity and exchange with on-line customers.
This process of feedback in the traditional model of journalism involves effort for readers and viewers. They can write a letter to the editor. They can call or visit the newsroom. If so inclined, and financially able to do so, they can publish or broadcast their own version of events. The joy of the Internet is that with a modem anyone can publish. Anyone can broadcast.
In the rapidly changing world of on-line media development, journalism is uniquely positioned to serve as an informational conduit for the cacophonous explosion of information flying as bytes and bits in cyberspace. Journalists sift. The process of sorting a day's information into understandable packaging is a simplified definition of journalism. Journalists contribute to community by reporting community. A greater mission, however, is to connect with that community of readership, to provide the means of engagement that allow that community to coalesce.
That is what I foresee for the journalism of tomorrow. Such work is essential today because the fast-paced growth of the Internet begets a genuine concern that adhering to the traditional model of journalism, will isolate journalism from the Internet's financial growth by inattentiveness to the medium's interactive detail. Simply, either media managers offer the means of interconnectivity with their on-line product, or users will gravitate and develop brand loyalty to sites that do. The risk is nothing short of obsolescence.
The advantage of this technological revolution is that journalists can use new technology to help communities discover social and political issues and use the knowledge gained to reshape our democratic institutions. It's a major change that should not be met with apprehension, but with expectation for a common good.
He awaits for me at the end of the tunnel
5:29 PM
Monday, April 07, 2008
Cyber crimes in Singapore
We think we are safe because we are a small nation, but we are not. A 2006 study by independent author Jolly John identified Singapore as “the most network ready country” in the world. This has lead to both a proliferation of computer-based crime in Singapore and to efforts by the Singaporean government to combat such crime. The primary tool for law enforcement officials in Singapore is the Computer Misuse Act which was passed in 1993 and has been amended four times, with the last amendment being in 2005.
Singapore has chosen to follow the model of the United Kingdom by enacting legislation that addresses computer crime and utilizing the existing Penal Code for cyber crime. Computer crime is dealt with in Singapore’s Computer Misuse Act. This law prohibits the obtaining of unauthorized access to computer material, modifying the contents of a computer, obtaining or intercepting any computer service or function, interfering with or obstructing the lawful use of a computer, impeding or preventing access to or impairing the usefulness or effectiveness of any computer program or data, or disclosing a password, access code, or other means of gaining access to a program or data.
A Singaporean law professor, Professor Warren Chik, compared cyber crime laws in the United States, the United Kingdom and Singapore, that Singapore adopted four approaches in combating computer crime. These are:
1) Passing new legislation that creates crimes where activity warrants it;
2) Imposing severe penalties as punishment and as deterrents;
3) Providing law enforcement agencies with additional powers, granting them extra-territorial jurisdiction, and creating new agencies with specially trained experts to deal with this technological crimes;
4) Making it a crime to abet or even to attempt to perpetrate computer crimes.
Agencies created to fight computer crime in Singapore include the Computer Crimes Branch of the Criminal Investigation Department, the Computer Forensics Branch of the Singapore Police, and the Singapore Computer Emergency Response Team. The creation of these units was deemed necessary due to the ever more sophisticated nature of the technology involved in such crimes.
It is easy to confuse the difference between computer crimes and cyber crimes and these are definitions given by the law enforcements.
"Computer crime involves acts that attack the functions of a computer, access to a computer or the Internet, and similar items. They might be called “cyber-trespass”. They are viewed as crimes against a computer. Examples of these crimes are hacking, denying another access to Internet usage, and sending unsolicited or virus-causing electronic mail. Cyber crime, on the other hand, is traditional crime such as fraud, theft, extortion, and the like in which the computer is used as an instrument of the crime. These acts are traditional crimes that are facilitated through the use of a computer."
In 1993, Singapore passed the Computer Misuse Act (Chapter 50A of the Singapore Statutes), which it has amended four times, as recently as 2005. This Act addresses computer crimes and provides for stiff penalties for the violation of the law. It has applied its existing Penal Code provisions for activities that are deemed cyber crime. For example, the release of a virus would fall under the jurisdiction of the Computer Misuse Act, whereas an economic crime (e.g. extortion or securities fraud) would fall under the aegis of the Penal Code.
Most of the provisions of the Computer Misuse Act carry a maximum fine up to $10,000 Singaporean dollars and/or imprisonment up to three years for a first offense. For the second and subsequent offenses, the penalty is a fine up to $20,000 Singaporean dollars and/or imprisonment up to five years. If there was damage caused as a result of the crime, the penalty is a fine up to $50,000 and/or imprisonment up to seven years. If the crime involved a threat to Singapore’s security, or to the banking or other financial, communications, or transportation industries, or to public services including utilities, safety, police, civil defense, or medicine, the penalty is a fine up to $100,000 Singaporean dollars and/or imprisonment up to 20 years.
Cyber crimes are a scary thought to me as I do much Internet bank transactions on a monthly basis. I am unsure if I have ever downloaded this software by accident - as much as I don’t entertain spam mail and download suspicious files, I am still unsure if I have accidentally downloaded it by visiting a site.
Even with the latest technology of two-factor authentication system for Internet banking login, it is still not a 100% safe to do monetary transactions online. If this is not safe enough, would we all resort to going back to the last decade of going to the banks to join the queues to do bank transactions?
I usually do my Internet banking at home when I am certain that my wireless network is untapped, I have a secure firewall and an anti-virus software scanning my computer. I do not attempt to do any transactions outside on other computers as I’m not sure if it is safe to do so. Play safe is the best way to go - especially if its with money and privacy issues.
I hope that this software is not passed on here to Singapore. The security of Internet banking will be compromised if it does. Internet banking has saved much time for many people. I don’t think many of us will be able to cope without Internet banking.
He awaits for me at the end of the tunnel
9:31 PM