If there was one thing our parents always told us, it was that what you tell someone is no longer a secret the moment you share it. Another truth seems to be that no matter how secure you try to make something, whether it is your nude photos all the way up to your home security, there are people trying to break in and steal it. Locks thwart some who look for open doors while more sophisticated security systems try to stop those more daring in their attempt to smash and grab. And despite all that has happened in domestic terrorism, we still have people circumventing security to jump off One World Trade Center or replace flags with white surrender flags on the Brooklyn Bridge. We are never completely safe from those that want to break in.
And just as celebrities are upset that their nude photos were stolen and shared, The Home Depot became the latest business to have its credit card information hacked. And as surely as I write this, another security breach will occur. So who is at fault? Apple's iCloud platform, Target and The Home Depot's credit card data breach are also victims. If there is a will, there is a way, and in the digital world, stealing can happen without even leaving the comfort of your chair. As long as someone wants to hack, they will; it is not a question of if, only when. Who are at fault; those that want to steal what is not theirs are the ones we should blame
Is there a solution? As security systems get more sophisticated, so do those trying to hack them. It is a game, a puzzle, where the prize is to solve them. But the repercussions are untenable. Security fraud, identity theft, information and financial loss seem more at risk the more our information is shared on cloud based platforms. And we must balance that risk with the value the cloud also offers in accessibility, transaction ease, social networking, and more. It is a tightrope of security breach and mobility that we continue to face in our society.
