Information security and beware of surveillance technology
December 23, 2008 in Information Technology
Information security and beware of surveillance technology
By Shahidul K K Shuvra
Options of the information security must be properly addressed with the muscles of digital technology, which must be run by our trusted local cyber experts and talents. Our IT initiative is still neglecting the issue of information security and it seems we are freeing the ground for information thefts by inviting alien IT consultants and firms.
The news of the headquarters of World Bank in New York has fallen in the information meltdown that blew up our mind with a thunderbolt. Sensitive information of the much cyber-shielded bank has been licked out by spy software; reportedly the spy software was installed by Indian consulting and technology firm Satyam.
Such unwanted information channelling out was done by keyboard hacking with secretly installing spy software and via internet the information passed to an unknown location. Disclosure of the hacking rose questions about the safety of sensitive information at the world’s influential bank, which is committed to end poverty in the poor countries. It was suspected that huge data of developing countries went out by the spy software.
Data of a country is worthy thing equal to the treasure of the country. Westerns already understood the importance of data security, but we are not aware of it. In fact, without questions we like to provide personal information to others.
While I was preparing this feature for The Independent I attended at a consultation on ‘Privacy and the Protection of Consumer, Citizen and Economy’ at the VIP Lounge of National Press Club. The event on the privacy issue was organised by Voice in co-operation with London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and Privacy International.
There I enjoyed presentation of Dr. Gus Hosein of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and Privacy International. Later of the event I spoke to the international information security expert.
According to him, “Foreign companies involved with database maintain and development in Bangladesh means the information of the country is available in other countries, which can be a threat to the national security.”
So we can easily guess as our most of mobile phone operators are part of multinational companies, so copy of SIM card registration forms are available in other countries. During the re-registration of SIM cards BTRC collected our forms from the mobile phone operators. For further market study, expanding business and release new products all companies need personal data of customers. The multinational companies in our country are regularly conducting market study. So our information is saved in the computers of the research cells of the companies in outside of our country.
Vehicle tracking system was introduced to our country few years back to cracking down on car jacking. Car owners in associated with companies just install a SIM card in the secret location of the cars to monitor their cars’ movement. Same way mobile phone operators and their technical associates can locate you even when your phone is in just your pocket. You are trapped in surveillance when you are moving around the periphery of mobile phone towers. Furthermore, intruder can hack the tower to extend monitoring on you.
Information technology increases productivity and e-Governance is one of the keys to the accountability and transparency. National and Voter ID cards can jazz up life of commoners with taking some services from government. But the data has been taken from the people must be protected strongly and should not use in other purposes. Dr. Gus Hosein mentioned, “Data must be asked on the basis of necessity and we should not harass people by asking irrelevant data. Data collators must ensure people that they have no other intention to use the information.”
Yet we do not know why fingertips were taken during national ID card preparation and what is the urgency to take fingertips in SIM card reregistration? Excepts criminals governments and other bodies of many developed nations are not allowed to ask fingertips. It is being regarded as an offensive work in the western world.
Many NGOs, companies and research firms are working in favour of international bodies and their foreign experts are visiting our government offices easily. Without any bar they are taking public and government information for their survey and research purposes. Easily they visit government offices with laptop, CDs and pen drive that is not possible in the developed world where information security act is very strong.
Currently some IT companies and Information and Communication Technology for Development, ICT4D, NGOs are gathering information from government, people and public offices. With the names of projects like ICT Roadmap and E-gov Strategy they are so easily asking and getting information. Their uninterrupted entrance to government offices can be a threat to the national security. Despite being a well-known company Satyam brought a havoc to the headquarters of the World Bank. So such above mentioned projects which failed to prepare ICT roadmap and e-Gov Strategy paper should not be welcomed at the doors of offices without full check. Every alien before visiting offices must go into a decent checking for the protection of data.
To earn businesses some trade bodies advocate databased development and importing surveillance gadgets like telephone taping tools. Similarly ICT4D NGOs are fans of database development of poor for getting donor funds. Information security of people should be focused here more than the interest of trade bodies and NGOs. It should be noted our country introduced an upgraded citizen data collection system for National ID cards, SIM cards etc, but information security here is being neglected grossly. So the insecure data preservation can hamper personal life of people and the national security in future.
Caption- Think-tank Voice raising voice against the invasion of privacy.
The Independent
4 December 2008
Shahidul K K Shuvra
The Independent
Editor of IT and Science pages
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