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roger_grimes
Columnist

Comment to my Two Internets column

Analysis
Jan 22, 20072 mins
Data and Information SecuritySecurity

Comment to my two Internets column. ------ Hello, I was just reading your article "A Tale of two Internets" and I had to respond. While I agree there is an overwhelming need to change our current email system to provide authenticated identification of email sources, your solution of creating a "new internet" at a premium cost would be one of the worst social outcomes I can imagine. Those with little monetary res

Comment to my two Internets column.

——

Hello,I was just reading your article “A Tale of two Internets” and I had to

respond. While I agree there is an overwhelming need to change our

current email system to provide authenticated identification of email sources, your solution of creating a “new internet” at a premium cost would be one of the worst social outcomes I can imagine. Those with little monetary resources would be relegated to a “ghetto” internet where they are more likely to become victims while those who can afford the “Internet/S” (i.e.-elite internet) would be protected and secure. Looking at your last few paragraphs… “Would I join?” I have to say that I might… email authentication is a good and necessary goal. But… Would most of my students and many people I know be able to afford to join… no. Creating an economic class system would not be the best way to implement this solution. A system like this needs to be implemented in the emailing world in general. Truly universal “universal authentication and… loss of default anonymity ” is what would truly discourage online attackers. Protecting a few and leaving the majority open to predators would still provide a vulnerable target and make it less likely that these internet criminals would even be pursued since their victims would have less of a voice in society.

I applaud your call for authentication but I think the way it’s implemented needs to protect everyone or it would lead to more problems for us as a society.

roger_grimes
Columnist

Roger A. Grimes is a contributing editor. Roger holds more than 40 computer certifications and has authored ten books on computer security. He has been fighting malware and malicious hackers since 1987, beginning with disassembling early DOS viruses. He specializes in protecting host computers from hackers and malware, and consults to companies from the Fortune 100 to small businesses. A frequent industry speaker and educator, Roger currently works for KnowBe4 as the Data-Driven Defense Evangelist and is the author of Cryptography Apocalypse.

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