The Untamed Web

For over a century, propaganda war has been one of the greatest weapons among the countries and blocks. From Hitler to the WMD gaffe, the mighty and the powerful have used the media to convince the masses across the world about stories that never happened. In retrospect, it appears as if the past and future events were premeditated, orchestrated and implemented with impeccable precision. Thank God, the premeditated and orchestrated outcomes of such events are not predictable.

But, since the dawn of the internet era, the clout on the propaganda game is shifting towards a small group of people from different countries and ethnic groups. They might be small, but their collective power has helped topple governments and shutdown biggest corporations. They might look different and speak different languages. But, they all have a common goal: Fight against the unjust. And, the superpowers or the rich or the powerful can do nothing about it. Thanks to the Web and Social Networking. It is called the Cyber War.

This is how it works to wage a Cyber War.

All you need is to mobilize an intensely fast-paced Internet forum with hundreds of determined activists and a simple piece of software called a Low Orbit Ion Cannon. Activists choose targets by consensus, download the LOIC – initially developed to help Internet security experts test website vulnerability to DDoS attacks – and start firing packets of data at the targeted website.

• Role in Tunisia’s “Jasmine Revolution”.
• Wikileaks-inspired attacks on Mastercard and Visa.
• Attack on Zimbabwe government (seen as enemies of free speech).
• Attack on Estonian government (due to a row between Estonia and Russia)

There have been reports about Tunisian inspired demonstrations in Yemen and Algeria. I can imagine a group of activist working day and night to facilitate demonstrations and add fuel to fire. Most of these activists claim that they do not have bad intentions and they consider themselves as good Samaritans fighting for the weak against the unjust powers.

Pen is mightier than the sword. Cliché, but it is apt for any generation, as it reflects the power of the human mind and spirit. Books and Newspapers are used to rekindle the human spirit, but the power of it has lost its thrust and reliance, as most of the World events are perceived by the public as orchestrated. Thanks to the Corporations that have tamed the offline media.

The Internet has evolved as an effective online platform for Social Networking. The intuitiveness and accessibility of the Internet for the masses has made it so powerful and intensive to stir the human spirit across boundaries.

Thanks to the untamed Web. At least, it is untamed for now.......

Credit Card Scams at Hotels

Human weakness is a hacker's paradise. Human weakness?! Pride, Overconfidence, Ignorance etc. And, I am not even talking about high-tech hacking. Common sense is good enough to qualify as a hacker. Here is a real-time example of how anyone with a fairly decent common sense can avail human weakness.

You arrive at your hotel and check in at the front desk. When checking in, you give the front desk your credit card (for all the charges for your room). You get to your room and settle in. Someone calls the front desk and asked for (example) Room 620 (which happens to be your room).

Your phone rings in your room. You answer and the person on the other end says the following, 'This is the front desk. When checking in, we came across a problem with your charge card information. Please re-read me your credit card number and verify the last 3 digits numbers at the reverse side of your charge card.

Without much thought, you might give this person your information, since the call seems to come from the front desk. But actually, it is a scam of someone calling from outside the hotel/front desk. They ask for a random room number. Then, ask you for credit card information and address information. Sounding so professional that you do think you are talking to the front desk.

If you ever encounter this problem on your vacation, tell the caller that you will be down at the front desk to clear up any problems. Then, go to the front desk and ask if there was a problem. If there was none, inform the manager of the hotel that someone called to scam you of your credit card information acting like a front desk employee.

Never underestimate such fraudsters. They specialize in Human Weakness and they will get to you before you know it.