Digitization is the powerful engine that is catapulting us into the future. However, some experts believe it will be the source of our own demise.
The Achilles' heel of digitization is its dependence on electric power. An attack on critical IT infrastructures could very well have a similar impact as a nuclear war. Is this science fiction, or a realistic scenario? We discussed this with representatives from Homeland Security, the Chaos Computer Club and Israeli security experts.
According to Jeanette Manfra, Homeland Security/Cyber Unit, "no society can guarantee a life without risks." The challenge to society is "finding a good compromise to ensure a balance between security and our privacy."
Frank Rieger, a spokesman for the Chaos Computer Clubs, is less optimistic: "Our digital infrastructures are built on quicksand, more or less."
And Isaac Ben Israel, founder of the Cyber Bureau for Israel's Prime Minister and head of "Science Technology & Security" at the University of Tel Aviv, says that "the world is never safe and secure. With or without digitization (…) there will always be malicious people out there who will use the latest technologies, including computer technology, to serve their own purpose." He sees cyber threats as the dark side of computer technology.
Read more about this in our Special, available at www.telekom.com/digital-responsibility.
In the "Future is now" section, you can find out which security products that seem to be from the realm of science fiction are in fact readily available today. And, of course, we will show you what we at Deutsche Telekom are doing in terms of security.
I hope you enjoy this special with its fascinating interviews – and feel free to send me your comments.
