Online Life; Is it safe?

It is true to say that we now live in a global village thanks to enhanced communication links, powerful computers and the internet. Information and communication technology helps man to connect to one another in every aspect of life today from financial transactions to meeting friends. This interlinked world may appear to be fast and convenient but have we ever wondered whether our privacy and safety is ensured in it?

Although computer technology was prevailing since 1930s, first real collaboration and data sharing among computers appeared with the development of ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) for United States Department of Defense. That along with the World Wide Web which is a set of interlinked documents allows data sharing and collaboration from anywhere in the world at any time. Now most of the personal computers can access the internet and there are powerful computers such as datacenters and internet servers which stores data and facilitate running various applications in the internet.

It is not wrong to say that the global economy and production systems running in the internet. Dependence of interlinked computers are extended from universities and a handful of global multinationals to governments agencies, SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprise), industries as well as military establishments. With the centralized data management and sharing system through internet, people no longer need to keep redundant data. They can access and manipulate their data from any location as long as they are able to hook up to the internet. It acts as a large cloud storing all the data and sometimes programs to manipulate data as well. We call them web applications.

Most of the big companies today, no longer put their data in to public networks. They have their own mini networks called intranets. They can be accessed typically by personnel from that particular organization only. The military and financial institutions have extensive use of these types of networks. Most of the time, a hybrid of public and private network is used by organizations because they need a network that can be accessed by both the insiders and outsiders of their organization on certain conditions. With business to business communication increasing, demand for above hybrid networks is very high.

Getting networked is an easy way to do all sorts of work remotely. It is a platform to share ideas and to collaborate (This is the new buzzword in the 21^st century). With social networks extending friend base, modern man is very different to what he was before the internet era. Now there are professional networks as well, most notably the networking website ‘linkedin’ which has a user base over 277 million as of 2014. Human face to face interaction is getting replaced with online communities, social networking sites and video conferencing via internet.

Although we get tons of benefits from the new connected word, very little is known about its vulnerabilities. Most of us don’t know the fact that the computers and network links are not impenetrable and the data in those big datacenters in which the internet resides can be stolen, lost or taken by the government for various reasons stripping your privacy.

Stealing confidential data is not a new phenomenon for internet. Hacking (in its simple form; unauthorized access to data in a computer) is happening worldwide at an alarming rate ranging from accessing a computer just for a challenge to crippling a whole corporate or government network. You should not be surprised when you see your bank details and other personal information gone in to a wrong hand despite of the security measures you and your bank have taken.

Cyber terrorism is the new frontier in modern asymmetric warfare. This new breed of terrorists are not armed to the teeth with guns, or wear suicide bombs but professionals who can get control of a secured network and use it for sinister purposes. Networks most vulnerable to cyber attacks are military communication networks, utility control networks such as nuclear power plant controlling systems, oil and gas distribution systems, airline control systems etc. This growing threat gives a disturbing possibility of bringing a might nation to its knees by a handful of computer hackers.

Loss of privacy is the next major disadvantage of internet. Computer can be a really good spy device. If someone can tap in to your computer without your knowledge, all the private information from your bank accounts to your private photos can be stolen. Social networks such as facebook, twitter and google plus may store even your most personal details. We assume that with the privacy settings set correctly, no unauthorized personnel can get in to our sensitive information but computer hackers as well as government security agencies sometimes tap in to the vast pool of social network data. Of course, the government may do that in the name of ‘National Security’ as the whistle-blower Edward Snowden disclosed. United States National Security Agency (NSA) was spying on US citizens, foreigners as well as foreign governments. NSA’s global surveillance apparatus has its claws on profiles on social networks to map the social connections [1].

Sometimes people may put even the most personal details in the internet such as their relationship state, family details, intimate photographs etc. They do not hesitate to even post their personal or family problems in social networking sites for the whole world to see. It is a well know fact that social networking sites contribute to collapsing of many families and we can’t ignore their effect on cultural norms and social values especially in a conservative country Sri Lanka.

Internet is growing and getting complex every day so are the internet related problems. When authorities are talking measures against ill-use of internet and other related networks, hackers are talking counter-measures to slip through. The major problem is the lack of authority over internet. It is on its own so there is virtually no one to centrally monitor its behavior. The only thing we can do is to take extensive safety measures when using internet. We should be extremely conscious when we share our personal information in social networking sites. Make sure the safety is 100% ensured in online financial transactions.

This new connected world is like a chained beast. We should get to know a way to harness the power of this enormous creature for our benefit without being a victim of his wrath. If all the countries get together and create a universal governing protocol for internet and other interlinked computer networks, we will be able to make online collaboration much more safe, beneficial and productive.

[1] James Risen & Laura Poitras, N.S.A. Gathers Data on Social Connections of U.S. Citizens, The New York Times, Sept. 28, 2013, at A1.

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Youth Unemployment, the Unsolved Problem.

Youth unemployment is an increasing problem in the world. More and more youth are out of jobs and it is increasingly difficult to find a job if not hold it for some time. We tend to neglect and put a blind eye to it because there are little statistical help to indicate the growing youth unemployment. Since the situation is worsening, clear analysis of this problem needed to be done.

Youth unemployment is the unemployment of people who are between 15 and 24 years. Generally jobless young people outnumber the old people who are out of jobs. The age between 15 and 24 is fuelling a debate because; some think that it is unfair to include children younger than 18 in unemployed youth category. Nowadays it is highly unlikely in the developed world and even in Sri Lanka, for a minor to enter into the work force. The typical age of starting to find employment in Sri Lanka is 18.

Most of us think that a young person can secure a job more likely than an adult because the young are more energetic so employers like them but it is not the case. Although young people have less commitment to social obligations and they can be employed for lesser wages but, they are not experienced. It may cost the employer more money to train an inexperienced youth than to recruit experienced adult worker for higher salary. This explains why the youth are the first to lose their jobs when an economic crisis hits. 

Young people experienced or not usually find temporary jobs, apprenticeships and internships. They are not well paid, have long work hours and require less if not no legal obligations for the employer to lay them off. In 2008 during the world financial crisis, developed countries were hit hard. Youth who were working temporary were the first to lose the jobs. Finding another work was getting harder and harder because when experienced workforce was getting laid off, they too compete with the youth to find work. This had happened in developing countries as well.

Sri Lanka’s situation

For a Sri Lankan youth, there are 3 main entry points to the job market

• Before finishing Advanced Level Examination (A/L) – Join family businesses and agriculture
• After A/L
• Graduates 

Only those who go for family businesses and agriculture without doing A/Ls can stay intact from unemployment. If their families are not self-employed or work in agriculture, it will be very hard to find even a low paying entry level job. Those less educated youth no longer has the luxury of getting into the army because, new recruitment is virtually halted after ending the Sri Lankan civil war. Large portion of youth searing for low paying jobs may get them but those jobs are not secure. Youth have a high chance of getting laid off occasionally.

Those who join the work force after Advanced Level Examination (A/Ls) may find employment in finance, marketing or small scale manufacturing industry. If a youth has done Science, Mathematics or Commerce as subjects in A/L may get a chance but others will be left out in the streets without jobs. Since the university entry is so competitive only 1% of students will get the chance to go to government universities. Those who can’t afford to go for private higher-education will face a dark future.

Only portion of the graduates are fortunate to find jobs. Even if they found, they will surely be under-employed working in low positions. Government may employ them but they surely be put into jobs which should be done by the second category (Non-graduated with only the A/L qualification). Sadly under-employment in which a worker is put to a job that is lower than his qualifications and pay grade is very common in recent graduates. Unemployed graduate problem is present despite of the government’s effort to give state sector jobs to graduates. Medical, Engineering and Finance graduates are less likely to be affected by unemployment where Arts and Humanities graduates have the threat of being under-employed if not unemployed.

Sri Lankan youth employee’s main problem is not getting laid off but finding a work first. . Lucky few find government jobs which are underpaid and seem to be a waste of time and youth energy. The irony is that the youth prefer it because those jobs’ security and less workload

To address this grave problem, modifications for global and local job markets, economies and education systems needed to be done simultaneously and synchronously. We need to train our children for jobs which have not been invented yet; for that, future trends need to be understood. More and more students should be moved from humanities field to technology and service oriented education. Arts and Humanities are also important but number of students doing that is currently high and needs to be lowered by giving quality humanities education for fewer students. Vocational education is also important. There will be more and more opportunities in construction and energy sector

The global population is aging. There are more and more old people so youth have to support them. We can’t afford to get the economy into recession which will cut the jobs and further put the economy in downward spiral to collapse. 

Although we are not aware of long term effects of youth unemployment, it stands off as one of the gravest problems lying ahead of us.  Youth are the power and life-blood of the future. That power needs to be harnessed correctly. If we don’t give the youth the chance to contribute to the economy, economic and social problems will surely arise. That can lead to youth uprisings, revolutions and chaos which eventually topple the world so it is our duty to address youth unemployment problem immediately. 

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