Ubiquitous Computing
“The most profound technologies are those that disappear. They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it.“
Mark Weiser (1952-1999)
The term ubiquitous computing was coined by the late Mark Weiser, a computing pioneer who maintained that the purpose of a computer is to help you do something else, and that the best computer is a quiet, invisible servant.
Mr Weiser was a visionary, who predicted that the computer would one day be absorbed into normal life. He looked to a future where computers would be an everyday tool, whose only purpose was to serve – not to command. Human cognition and innovation would continue to lead the way, and this tool, created by human cognition and innovation, would be our servant.
The Internet of Things
This future was not so far away. In the year 2020, we’re living it. Ubiquitous computing really is woven into the fabric of everyday life.
The Internet of Things – commonly abbreviated to IoT – refers to the online connectivity between objects embedded with electronics, software, and sensors. The IoT can prevent disaster by detecting combustion gases and pre-emptive fire conditions. It’s used to detect vibrations and changing conditions in the material of buildings and bridges. It can even be found in the form of an ingestible pill sensor, powered by contact with stomach fluid.
Cybersecurity must be a part of everyday life
For every door, there’s a lock. For every bottle of bleach, there’s a child-proof cap. Therefore, it stands to reason that for every cyber function there must be some form of cybersecurity.
IoT home-security devices, such as Amazon’s Ring, are supposed to enhance security in the home or workplace, yet they’ll sometimes be the means of weakening it. There have been high-profile incidents of hackers accessing IT systems that support CCTV cameras and audio devices. Privacy has been violated, information has been stolen, and children have been terrorised.
What we need to remember is that computers do not exist or operate independently of human beings. The computer is our servant, and its sole purpose is to help us to do things. This means that we must take full responsibility for the computer’s performance.
Dedicated, Real-Time Cybersecurity
The humble password has had its day. Basically, we’ve become overwhelmed with the vast number of passwords that we need to get through each day. We’re too lazy to create 100 unique passwords and to keep a record of them, so we use the same one or two, over and over again. To get around inconvenient situations, we share our passwords with others. There’s nothing wrong with the password per se; it’s just that we can’t be trusted with it.
We’ve reached a point where we should be using multi-factor authentication (MFA) as a matter of course. Criminals are the bad guys, obviously. But users are just as big a threat to an IT system.
At Fortify247, we provide multi-layer cybersecurity, including: endpoint detection and response (EDR) software, which enables your team to identify and react to unusual activity; system and organisation controls (SOC) to assess and protect against vulnerability; anti-virus software; multi-factor authentication for secure access; back-up and disaster recovery; and user training for your whole team.
For more information about cybersecurity, email [email protected] or give us a call on 01263 805012.
Article produced for and on behalf of Fortify247 Ltd by Hazel @ Folio Copywriting
