The danger of a networked world

While the internet has certainly made a lot of things easier (how did we ever goof off at work before it arrived?), it has also created a vulnerability to which most Americans remain oblivious.

Specifically, now that just about every business, every industry, and every agency of our government are networked and absolutely reliant on their computer networks, a lone hacker--or a foreign government--can wreak unimaginable havoc without leaving the comfort of their home or office on the other side of the world.

Counterterrorism expert Richard Clarke discusses the danger on NPR's Fresh Air, and this article raises the possibility that the Chinese were behind the 2003 power outage that was the biggest ever in the U.S.

I'm not one to worry specifically that "the Chinese are coming," but as someone who worked in the computer industry for nearly 20 years, it's definitely the case that the danger to our economy and national security is real, whether it be an attack from China, a terrorist group, or your neighbor's teenage son. And as we becoming increasingly dependent on computers for just about everything, the risk increases.