cyber hacker
Since 2010, we have seen some jaw-dropping cases of cyber security failures and breaches of personal security. In fact, it seems like every day there’s a story of some major corporation being hacked. Not only that, but groups that are tracking and processing our information are then being exposed and compromised, leading to our data being stolen.
For instance, beginning with Wikileaks and Edward Snowden, we began to realize how many groups were tracking and storing our personal data, phone calls, emails, and other information. We found out that our social networks and cell phones have back doors for governments and corporations to spy on us. And these were just the situations where we didn’t know about it.
Other groups like Target and Equifax, who we knew were storing information on us were hacked and what we found out was that their security measures weren’t all that robust. Which, finding out your personal data, that you don’t even control, is so exposed is unsetlling to say the least.
That’s why this decade is going to be known for the lack of security, the exposure of sensitive personal data, and our loss of trust in groups that we thought had our best interests in mind. Which leads us to assume that the next decade will be focused on fixing these problems and shortfalls.
Security Becoming Commonplace
Already we’re seeing companies and governments start pouring billions of additional dollars into their cybersecurity efforts. Some of this comes too late, but the efforts should help stop future breaches.
But what we’re also seeing is the average person becoming much more aware of who has their information, what they’re doing with it, and how it’s being protected. And this is a good thing. The awareness of our digital footprint is something everyone should have. But waiting for governments and companies - the ones who got us into this mess - to also fix the problem is a little short sighted.
Because of this, while I also see the next decade being defined by security and privacy, I see the average person also taking a larger role in protecting and securing their data. The trust in other groups to do this for us is gone, and the void will be filled with personal responsibility.
Not just for Spies and Criminals
Unfortunately, a lot of privacy and security measures start off in shadowy corners of the internet. For instance, TOR, a browser that masks your IP and certain activities online, has been a popular tool for hackers and criminals for years. But in the last few years, its popularity has been growing with average internet users. Not because they’re looking to commit nefarious acts, but because they’re no longer comfortable with Google, Apple, Facebook, and the NSA tracking every activity they take online.
Privacy isn’t something that should be used only when you are trying to hide something, it should be a default for anyone browsing the web.
But it’s not just your browsing habits, social activities, and phone calls that are being spied on either. Google and other email groups also let advertisers target your email inboxes based on your interests. And how did Google discover your interests? By reading your emails.
Are we really surprised though? Again, it’s these big companies that have been providing governments with back doors and getting hacked, let’s stop being shocked when we realize they don’t have our best interests in mind.
Taking Matters Into Our Own Hands
One of the main issues with hacks and breaches in security is the idea of storing your information in one place. With the advent of the cloud over the past decade, many people thought that Google, Apple, and Amazon were a more secure way to store their data, but they were proven wrong. What we instead found out is that we exchanged one silo of data, for a different, cloud-based silo, that we no longer controlled.
But a new technology called the blockchain can change how our data is stored and how our privacy is enforced. By using a distributed network of computers to store and validate information, the blockchain is infinitely more secure than traditional storage and security measures. And it’s why many people who saw the revolution the internet was going to cause, are now backing the blockchain.
And groups that are leveraging the blockchain are starting to become the new hot trend in technology. And one such group that is tackling the problems we’ve been talking about in this article is FortKnoxster.
Powered by the blockchain, their application provides an end-to-end secure and encrypted solution for chat, email, video calls, phone calls, and storage. They’re basically taking all of our communication from our everyday lives and putting it into a lockbox that no one but us can access.
Mickey Joe Nathan Johnnyson, the Danish CTO and Co-Founder of FortKnoxster explains further. “Not only do we want to ensure that our users have a secure place to store their information, but we also want to make sure no one is listening in or tapping into the lines of communication. And while this level of security is usually reserved for governments and enterprise corporations, our solution is something anyone, anywhere can use.”
Even though they’re a young company, they already have a working product and will be raising additional funds through an ICO, or an initial coin offering, on the 24th of this month. You can find out more about that here.
While we’re still not to 2020, we’re already seeing the trend of the next decade start to take shape. And companies like FortKnoxster and technology like the blockchain are just the start of a revolution in privacy and security that will define the next 10 years.