Good evening, world. Welcome to another fantastic blog post about computer science! For this post, I had to look at computer companies (both foreign, domestic, and international) and research them. The importance of technology in today's society is astoundingly high. Universal devices like computers and phones, working in tandem with the internet, are used everywhere. They have a place in every field and discipline. There are many companies that sell tech services, such as Apple computers and the social network LinkedIn. One very important company, one of the pillars of the internet that most people don't think of, is Verisign.
Verisign is an American company that is in charge of a diverse network infrastructure. It operates top-level domains (TDL) on the internet, such as .com, .net, .edu, and more. Another thing that Verisign does is offer security services like managed DNS, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack mitigation, and cyber-threat reporting. This company, though quiet and virtually unknown, does its job operating and maintaining the infrastructure of the internet.
For this post, I picked this company to investigate because it was unknown to me and, upon further digging, I found that this is a very vital establishment. The number of available domain names is quickly shrinking. Being in charge of operating and selling domains is a very profitable business. Having a good security service helps as well, dealing with the rise in DDoS attacks. Most other companies strictly sell hardware or software. Verisign creates, operates, maintains, and sells infrastructure.
I would like to work at this company and be a part of its security division because I have a fascination with cybersecurity and hacking. I'd also like to be a part of operating the infrastructure of the internet. I would finally be able to crack down on the amount of DDoS attacks on the gaming community and be able to play a game without being disconnected from the internet mid-match. The unfair advantage people create in video games by searching for and exploiting cracks and glitches needs to end.
Verisign was founded in 1995 as a subsidiary of RSA Security certification services business. At that time, Verisign served as a Certificate Authority (CA). In 2000, Verisign had acquired Network Solutions, which had operated the .com, .net, and .org TLDs. Those core registry functions formed the base of Verisign's naming division, which is the company's most prodigious and remarkable business unit. It was the largest CA in the world in possession of over 3 million certificates until 2010 when they sold their certification business to Symantec.
"Verisign." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Nov. 2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verisign>.
Monday, November 30, 2015
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
10 - Will Artificial Intelligence Surpass Human Intelligence?
Artificial Intelligence, the synthetic intelligence exhibited by a man-made apparatus, is a topic of very active debate in today's technologically dependent society. Many people ponder at what AI will become. Nowadays, we have what is called "weak AI," which is a programmed system that can operate at a certain level to do tasks and respond to stimuli. Siri on the iPhone and Cortana on Windows are examples of weak AI. The other kind, which has been popularized in fiction and is very well known, is known as "strong AI." A strong AI is theorized to be able to rival human intelligence (maybe even surpass it), and be able to recursively redesign and reengineer itself. Ultron from the Avengers 2 film and Cortana from the Halo series are examples of strong AI, capable of self-awareness and evolution.
A theoretical event known as the "Technological Singularity," where AI surpasses human intellect and ability, is believed to occur soon. Films like The Matrix described a dystopian future where an AI grew and dominated the planet. This is one possible outcome of an AI. Whether the first true AI system we create will either advance mankind or end it is a matter of timing. If I had to guess what would happen with a strong AI, I believe it would go like this:
- AI is first created
- AI learns all worldly knowledge, begins evolution
- AI soon becomes self-aware
- AI will choose to support mankind, destroy it, or exile itself from it.
I believe this to be the case because AI today is on the right track to getting to the level it is hypothesized to. AI technology is able to adapt. As it operates, calculating data and running processes, it learns and grows. However, AI technology today isn't able to truly evolve, nor be self-aware. It can learn things from people's input and reach desired outputs quicker and more efficiently. But it will take a long time to create a program that can govern itself, similar to a human being.
"Technological Singularity." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Nov. 2015. Web. 11 Nov. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_singularity>.
"Artificial Intelligence." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Nov. 2015. Web. 11 Nov. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence>.
Monday, November 2, 2015
9 - Privacy & Security in an Open Digital World
In today's society, privacy is rare. On social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter, people post all kinds of information about themselves and their lives every day. There are those who even tweet things like "On the toilet lol #gotpoop" and "Out with my bae on our vacation to Italy! #travel #noworries." It becomes a serious issue when people freely let go of their life onto the internet. Best case, you'll have people just make fun of or critique you. Worst case, you could get your identity stolen. And with how security works online, it can be easy to steal identities.
First, let's define data privacy: "Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves, or information about themselves, and thereby express themselves selectively; data privacy is the relationship between collection and dissemination of data, technology, the public expectation of privacy, and the legal and political issues surrounding them." (Wikipedia). This information about ourselves can be legal documents, personal feelings, or anything in between. We all like to think that we have information that we keep private, but that isn't true. Nowadays, our identity is recorded and catalogued online, able to be retrieved whenever anyone wants it. When we're born, we have a certificate made. That certificate is copied and logged online, able to be bought and distributed. We have documents created and logged when we graduate high school or college, when we get a job, when we buy a car or a house, and so on. All these legal documents are filed and stored online forever, open to the public.
"You are no longer an individual. You are a data cluster bound to a vast global network."
Now let's define data security: "Data security means protecting data, such as a database, from destructive forces and from the unwanted actions of unauthorized users" (Wikipedia). When signing up for an account on a website (Google, for example), there are numerous security and verification procedures. It asks for identification information (name, age, phone number, email, etc.) so if you forget a password or there's an update, you can access you account. There are a downside to this: minimized privacy.
In comes the notion of the Privacy Pendulum. On one side is Privacy, where we keep our information to ourselves and we are vulnerable. On the other is Security, which has access to all of our information (past, present, and future) and we have a secure path with our data. You cannot have both, and it is ever swinging from side to side. With the internet not having one standard on security or privacy, it pushes the pendulum hard. Some websites are open and free with minimal/no security, while others require extensive access to your personal information.
In my personal opinion, I believe there should be an equilibrium between security and privacy. I prefer security over privacy, because I am a naturally audacious person. However, some things need to be kept in the darkness where no one should venture.
"Information Privacy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Oct. 2015. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_privacy>.
"Data Security." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Aug. 2015. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_security>.
"Security." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 02 Nov. 2015. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security>.
"Privacy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Aug. 2015. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy>.
First, let's define data privacy: "Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves, or information about themselves, and thereby express themselves selectively; data privacy is the relationship between collection and dissemination of data, technology, the public expectation of privacy, and the legal and political issues surrounding them." (Wikipedia). This information about ourselves can be legal documents, personal feelings, or anything in between. We all like to think that we have information that we keep private, but that isn't true. Nowadays, our identity is recorded and catalogued online, able to be retrieved whenever anyone wants it. When we're born, we have a certificate made. That certificate is copied and logged online, able to be bought and distributed. We have documents created and logged when we graduate high school or college, when we get a job, when we buy a car or a house, and so on. All these legal documents are filed and stored online forever, open to the public.
"You are no longer an individual. You are a data cluster bound to a vast global network."
Now let's define data security: "Data security means protecting data, such as a database, from destructive forces and from the unwanted actions of unauthorized users" (Wikipedia). When signing up for an account on a website (Google, for example), there are numerous security and verification procedures. It asks for identification information (name, age, phone number, email, etc.) so if you forget a password or there's an update, you can access you account. There are a downside to this: minimized privacy.
In comes the notion of the Privacy Pendulum. On one side is Privacy, where we keep our information to ourselves and we are vulnerable. On the other is Security, which has access to all of our information (past, present, and future) and we have a secure path with our data. You cannot have both, and it is ever swinging from side to side. With the internet not having one standard on security or privacy, it pushes the pendulum hard. Some websites are open and free with minimal/no security, while others require extensive access to your personal information.
In my personal opinion, I believe there should be an equilibrium between security and privacy. I prefer security over privacy, because I am a naturally audacious person. However, some things need to be kept in the darkness where no one should venture.
"Information Privacy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Oct. 2015. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_privacy>.
"Data Security." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Aug. 2015. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_security>.
"Security." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 02 Nov. 2015. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security>.
"Privacy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Aug. 2015. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy>.
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