Discuss about the Privacy and Security in Digital Network.
The Singapore Government has deployed a network of smart sensors and cameras at various points like traffic lights and rubbish bins. There are also a series of sensor boxes to act as Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the city coupled with a heterogeneous network where smart phones and other devices seamlessly switch between mobile data and Wi-Fi. All these measures are taken to ensure that they curb cybercrime and mitigate the risks with information security in the ‘digital world.’
Sensors are hardware devices that construct a measurable reaction to a change in a physical form like temperature or pressure (Lakhtaria, 2015, p. 328). Smart sensors are devices that take input from the surroundings and uses inbuilt computer resources to perform the specific functions it was designed for. Smart sensors are used for monitoring and control purposes in a myriad of ways: traffic control and management, garbage collection and waste disposal, aided parking and notifying the authorities in case an incident that may need their intervention occurs. A network of smart sensors consists of cameras, network sensors, wireless devices, control centers and people monitoring the systems. According to Yang (2014) the network of smart sensors captures data from various sources and relays the data to a central control centre where it is analyzed and used to make real time decisions to curb possible adversaries and help mitigate their impact on the day to day lives of the citizens.
A network of smart sensors help the government to operate as an enterprise eliminating silos where information is isolated and there is no sharing of the information gathered with other divisions. Silos make it difficult to share information across various departments in the government since the information and operations are independent to the specific departments (Abraham, Falcon & Koeppen, 2017). Where there are silos, information is not shared freely among various divisions in the government. Other divisions of the government may also intentionally fail to share and exchange information with their counterparts in the government making it difficult to cooperate thereby limiting the activities across various departments which directly interferes with the efficiency of the government. It is necessary to do away with silos to enable free flow of information across various divisions in government to enable effective and efficient control and service delivery to the citizens.
The reason behind deploying a network of smart sensors in a city or town is noble as it helps the government improve on security for its citizens. This is possible since smart sensors capture data and transmits it in real time (Hu & Hao, 2013). The information captured by the network of sensors is analyzed and used by various government agencies to make the appropriate decision according to the situation at hand. The data captured from the various sensors deployed provides an incessant flow of information that is used to make decisions in real time and report emergencies if they occur. Sensor networks are able to measure and track all the activities happening within their sphere making it possible to provide spot on security services for example, when the network of smart sensors transmit information about an incident in the city like a peaceful protest that escalates to become violent, security personnel can be deployed to contain the protesters.
Smart sensors can also improve on the efficiency and sustainability of infrastructure. Having smart sensors on water and gas lines makes it possible to detect if there are any leaks. Smart sensor on power lines, traffic lights, street lights makes it easy for surveillance of these systems making it easy to make decisions based on the information received (Khan, Pathan & Alrajeh, 2016). Smart sensors when used in waste collection and disposal makes it easy to manage the waste. Smart sensors make it easy to manage the systems and save on costs. Smart sensors can also be used in assisted parking to make the lives of the citizens easy.
Where there are smart sensors there is a lot of surveillance involved. Smart sensors capture and track anything and everything in the places where they are deployed (Ammari, 2014). Because the network of smart sensors captures anything and everything, it raises concerns about privacy. Though the government downplays matters privacy, it is a major concern for citizens. Citizens want to operate freely without fear of the ‘big brother’. Citizens want social privacy and data privacy. Citizens want privacy to their data, behaviour and actions, communication, location and personal space, association, image and their thoughts and feelings.
Availability of smart sensors in public places enables government agencies to collect an immeasurable amount of data about their citizens and visitors (Sun & Hong, 2014). The data collected about citizens and visitors can be transmitted to other interest groups without necessarily seeking the opinion of the individuals. This is a breach of the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA) which grants the citizens the right to access and correct data about them since they have the right to know what information is contained about them and how this information is used. The Personal Data Protection Act also governs how organizations collect, use and disclose personal data. With the availability of a network of smart sensors, it is possible to collect large amounts of personal data about residents and visitors. Disclosure and use of this data raises concerns of privacy which need to be addressed to maintain peoples’ trust in organizations collecting this data.
People have the right of privacy to their location and personal space. With the use of smart network sensors, it is possible to accurately locate a person (Kooijman, 2015). It is even possible to construct their activities throughout the day. It is possible to track a person from the time they leave their house till the time they go back to the house. This is possible since as they leave the house, they come across IP cameras installed strategically in various places. As they move towards town, the traffic lights with facial recognition are able to identify them and transmit their movements. The CCTv cameras found in various joints like restaurants, supermarkets and shops can be used to construct the movements of people (Sebastiano, Breems & Makinwa, 2013. This shows that movements of people are under watch and someone with access to the network of smart sensors is able to watch every step they make.
There are a series of sensor boxes at Wi-Fi hotspots, introduction of a heterogeneous network where smartphones can seamlessly switch between mobile data and Wi-Fi. This improves communication considerably since residents and visitors are able to keep their devices connected at all times. However, this raises concerns on the privacy of communication. Sensor boxes found in Wi-Fi hotspots are able to sift information that people are sending over these networks. This means that whatever information sent by residents and visitors over these networks are subject for scrutiny so as to distinguish the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ communication. Surveillance of these networks may be justified by the fact that cybercrime is on the rise today therefore making it necessary for all digital content to be evaluated (Benhaddou & Al-Fuqaha, 2015). This however infringes into the rights of innocent persons who have no business with cyber criminals and terrorists.
People have the right of association. People are allowed to join organizations of their liking. The Freedom of Association and Protection allows workers and employers join organizations of their own choice without external influence (Havel, 2016). People are also allowed to take part in the activities of their individual groups as long as they do not interfere with other folks. With the availability of smart sensors, it is possible to track the activities of various groups. Some groups of questionable activities may be targets of government agencies. These groups of interest to the government may be closely monitored by the government with or without their consent though it is their right to assemble and carry out their activities without external intervention according to The Freedom of Association Act (1948). This profiling is a breach of their right to associate and carry out their activities.
People have the right of privacy to their thoughts and feelings. They are allowed to express themselves as long as it is not in a way that is demeaning to another person. It is good of people to watch what they post online knowing too well that they should ensure safety as well as recognize and deal with online bullying be it as targets or witnesses. Technology today has made it possible to pass information quickly and efficiently to other people using various platforms like electronic mail, social media and the Internet. There is however concerns since the activities carried out by people over these digital networks can easily be monitored by government agencies. Smart sensors networks are able to collect the data we post online and construct it to possibly identify the individual of interest (Selmic, Phoha & Serwadda, 2016).
With the existence of wireless sensor networks it is possible to collect and construct information that can be used to identify the digital identity of a person. The things we post online, the websites we visit, the online surveys we take part in and other online related activities are all monitored and this information stored somewhere. The information can be stored by government agencies or even advertisement companies who may use this data as they so please without necessarily making the persons profiled aware. This information can include sensitive information like location, credit card numbers, medical records or even national security number.
Heterogeneous networks are designed to take care of the varied needs of users since network environments are never the same (Wang, Cui & Guo, 2014). The availability of heterogeneous networks provides seamless switching between mobile data and Wi-Fi. The heterogeneous network is part of the Singapore Government’s plan to ensure that both visitors and residents get connection to their devices at all times. Heterogeneous network makes it possible for users using wireless connectivity to access different technologies like Wi-Fi and mobile data. The series of sensors found in the Wi-Fi hotspots would affect the privacy of both residents and visitors (Langendoen, Ferrari, Zimmerling and Mottola, 2014) since the government agencies are able to access and dissect through the communications of these people using the series of sensors deployed. This would make those people aware of this fact reluctant to share their sensitive information using their digital devices (Langendeoen et al., 2014).
Heterogeneous networks provide flexibility so that users of various existing networks can access the network more efficiently and in a cost-effective manner (Marabissi & Fantacci, 2015). Heterogeneous networks provide uniform coverage and provide high quality and spot-free network provision Hu and Qian (2013) thereby improving the system throughput and boosting its capacity making it desirable for densely populated areas and business districts. Heterogeneous networks also boost availability and uniformity in access for users. There is also high data rates made possible by the existence of coordinated small cells that guarantee grander and seamless user experience.
Digital identity is the system or Internet identity comparable to the genuine identity of a man or even an entity like an enterprise or government. Digital identity is used as proof where one has to input their credentials in their personal computers, mobile phones or other personal gadgets like tabs, personal digital assistants before they are able to access and use these systems and devices (Cover, 2015). One needs to authenticate and value their identities before they can be able to use their digital identity. Digital identity consists of various attributes like a username and password, online search activities, purchasing history and characteristics.
Digital identities can be used to improve the security and privacy of individuals. Mukhopadhyay and Jiang (2013) mention that individuals are able to maintain their digital identities by implementing the right security measures. The use of two-factor authentication can improve the security of the accounts containing our digital identities. Two-factor authentication provides an extra layer of security since it requires the use of a unique identifier sent to the users as a one-time-pin to their cell phones. The one-time-pin is then used to verify the system together with the user name and password.
Cryptography is a good way for residents and visitors to implement so as to protect themselves from unauthorized access that may breach their security, privacy or both. Encryption stores the information in a scrambled form that is not readable unless someone has the decryption key (Stallings, 2013). Encryption uses an algorithm that makes use of an encryption key and a decryption key. According to Stallings (2013), a hash function can also be applied to encrypt data or the mobile device. When residents and visitors make use of encryption, the government agencies and criminals will have to go an extra mile in order to decrypt and possibly access their data.
Using applications that make use of encryption like WhatsApp which uses end-to-end encryption therefore making communication between its users secure. The advantages of using cryptography are; maintenance of confidentiality, integrity, authentication and non-repudiation. However, there are some downsides of using cryptography with the main one being access for even limited users in the scenario where they forget their credentials. Westcott & Coleman (2015) also identify that cryptography does not take care of other vulnerabilities like poor design of systems and social engineering methods that exploit human weaknesses therefore it is not fool-proof.
It is also important for people to check their privacy settings. This traverses many areas of phone use like browser settings, accounts settings and third party applications. It is important that one read the privacy policy before installing third party applications. They should also check through the settings of the browsers they use in their phones so as to determine whatever they allow others to view. By doing all these; checking privacy settings, viewing and disabling any sensitive permission they grant third party applications and properly configuring their browsers, the users ensure that they are in control of what they directly share with the world and other people (Olga, 2015). This can however interfere with the functionality of their devices since some applications may need specific permissions to work better. Where there is a wrong configuration of their devices, the devices will not perform to optimality therefore interfering with the quality of service they receive.
The third party applications we install are also a way that can be used to collect information about us. The types of applications we install in our phones speak a lot about our likes and preferences. These applications also come with special permissions that they need you to grant them upon installation. A good example is an application that acts as a flashlight and requires permission to access network connection and precise location using GPS and the network. This leaves you wondering what a flashlight will need GPS location for to work. It is also important to install these third party applications from trusted sources to avoid installing applications that may perform malicious activities in our digital devices.
To protect themselves, one can also make use of a virtual private network. Virtual private networks do not communicate the websites we visit but route the traffic through different servers of selection (Inamdar, 2016). Virtual private networks create a further layer of security and privacy by masking the IP address of our devices and spoofing our location. Virtual private networks also make use of encryption and encryption protocols like IP security, secure socket layers, layer 2 tunneling protocol and point-to –point tunneling protocol to offer differing levels of security. Virtual private networks are a good tool in keeping our information and communications secure. However, the companies that provide virtual private networks services can work with the government and government agencies to disclose data upon request. This is a major breach in the privacy of users who might be directly or indirectly affected by these actions.
Cookies are a way that can be used to identify someone by using them to trace the online habits of a person. Cookies are managed and stored by our web browsers. Cookies can be used by advertising companies to send target adverts. They can also be used by tracking networks to sell browsing data to interested entities. Cookies store bits of information like login details, personalized content like our shopping habits or travel habits, the websites we like visiting the most (Kizza, 2017). This information is available and is collected every time we use the Internet. It is therefore necessary to configure and set our web browsers to ensure that we check the permission we have granted the cookies. The advantage of managing cookies is that we control whatever we share with the outside world through the online environment. Disabling of cookies may however interfere with the working of some websites and in them providing a more personalized experience as we go about our online business of browsing and surfing.
As much as I am convinced of the benefits brought about by the deployment of smart sensors, they leave several unanswered questions. The existence of smart network sensors makes it possible for our governments and the relevant authorities to act promptly on any possible threats perceived thereby better protecting their citizens. However, constant and consistent surveillance of its citizens and visitors begs the question whether our actions and thoughts are free from scrutiny by government agencies. Are people allowed to operate freely without the watch of ‘the big brother’? It is therefore important to note that in as much as we would like to keep our affairs private and secure when it comes to matters digital, there is always a very thin line between these two.
References
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