No, it is not just my productivity secret. If you haven’t stopped already, perhaps this website might sway you:

http://www.coolwormvirus.info/w32-blaster-virus-w32-worm/w32-blaster-virus-w32-worm.html

I admit, I was apprehensive at first about clicking on a link that had the word “virus” in it three times. But I figured, I’m in a public Cornell computer lab, what’s the worse that can happen (to me)? (Hackers crash the Cornell network, student records are compromised… in hindsight maybe it wasn’t such a great idea. This could come back to bite me later) Nevertheless, I am happy to report that the website is clean and your records are safe.

We live in an age where information travels at the speed of light, and all business relies on efficient communication. It is only a matter of time before everyone on the face of the earth and your neighbor’s dog will all be connected to the internet. We’ve become so dependent on this electronic networking medium to the point that I’ve seen people in the same room communicate with each other via instant messenger (IM) rather than by mouth. Remember when people use to write letters? How about when news had to travel via the messenger boy on horseback?

We live in a time when not only people can get sick, but our computers can come down with the sniffles as well. The easiest way for your computer to get sick? IM. According to John Sakoda of IMLogic (now owned by Symantec Anti-Virus):

“IM viruses and worms are growing exponentially….Virus writers are now shifting the focus of their attack to instant messaging, which is seen as a largely unprotected channel into the enterprise.”

As if attacking your computer wasn’t bad enough, hackers can easily steal your confidential information. And not only are you not safe, neither are your family and friends. In a large network, having individual nodes compromised rarely poses a threat to the integrity of the entire network. However, in this case, it is possible for one node to unknowingly infect many other nodes, which can potentially give rise to a cascading effect. Over a billion people use the internet, with new users joining the network each day. Take for instance your 80 year old grandmother, my mom who just learned how to forward email last week, and my friend’s 7 year old kid brother. None of these people have bad intentions intentions when they log onto the web, but each of them can easily be the victims of other people’s bad intent.

As discussed in Tipping points, an epidemic requires three key elements to sustain itself. First of all, there are connectors, the hackers that are well-connected in the network and are in a position to target many people. This also applies to the victims of hackers who are well-connected socially, as they have the potential to cause the most damage. Secondly, there are the mavens, the people who thrive in acquiring knowledge and sharing it with others. Unfortunately, malicious individuals of this type also exist. According to the article, “hacker manuals” are readily found on the internet that can guide you in gaining access to any system. Also, the article claims that “hacker-friendly providers” exploit their position over customers by providing software that facilitates access to your computer. Finally, there are the salesmen, those unique individuals that are highly skilled at their craft. In the same way that a skilled salesman can change your feelings and preferences, a skilled hacker can easily manipulate your computer. Perhaps in the context of internet security, these three factors may not necessarily sum up to an epidemic, but it should certainly raise awareness of your online habits, especially on IM.

At least there’s still Google chat.