Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/782193
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 2017 44 Feature It is a simple fact, but with deep ramifi- cations. Once information is online and it spreads, then it is impossible to have all copies removed. Sharing information online is not a bad thing, especially if you are using the experience to spread nice things, such as information about hobbies, or as way to reach out to long-time friends, or to spread interest in a par- ticular topic. However, you should al- ways proceed with caution as any in- formation which goes online can never be completely removed from the inter- net. At a young(er) age you may find nothing wrong with posting pictures of wild partying, or claiming affiliation with groups or ideologies which may not always be mainstream. At any age one may be misguided into sharing on- line the excellent meal one would be having at a restaurant, or the amazing views that one is enjoying on a holiday. There is nothing wrong with such sharing of information, however, this information can be used by others with less than noble intentions. If you are sharing that you are in a restau- rant, you are indirectly verifying that you are not at home. If you are sharing your amazing views when on holiday, then you are confirming that you are away from home for a long time. And if you are making it obvious that you are not home, potential thieves have an easier time trying to bypass your home alarm to make off with your possessions, assum- ing that you do have a home alarm to be- gin with! You must also take into consideration that the information shared online can be accessed much later in your life, possibly portraying a type of person with a character which may not be desir- able at that time in your life. Potential employers fre- quently check the online profiles of would-be employees, and certain posts may also have an undesirable impact on the outcome of a job inter- view. We have heard so many tales of infor- mation posted online which destroys the lives of the people linked to that in- formation. These could be in the form of compromising pictures, a comment said at a time where it could be tak- en out of context, which gets quoted over and over, even a message that is wrongly marked as public when it was not to meant be so. Things cannot get much worse than the recent case where an Italian woman took her own life after a video, showing her in inti- mate moments, was circulated online. Information shared online can never be truly restricted to a few people. It is not always the case that such peo- ple betray your trust and re-share such information, although it does happen as friendships break down too. But these people could become infected with malware that may disseminate this information, or steal usernames and passwords that would allow someone else to access online accounts contain- ing personal information. Recent examples, especially of celebri- ties, have highlighted how such information can be used for black- mail purposes. It is not easy to know what the future holds, and lacking a work- ing crystal ball, and some magic to use it properly, we have to rely on a lot of common sense, and a little bit of restraint, when we are about to click share, or upload that picture, or comment on something which may have got our blood boiling at the time. Just presume that what goes online is a permanent record detailing your ac- tions, and if you do not like that, then consider not putting it online. This article is part of the National Cyber Security Awareness Campaign that was recently launched by the Ministry for Competitiveness, Digital, Maritime and Services Economy, in collaboration with the Steering Com- mittee responsible for the National Cy- ber Security Strategy implementation. MITA is collaborating in this campaign which aims to cover the online security interests of the public sector, citizens, as well as the private sector, while giv- ing particular attention to SMEs. CEDRIC MALLIA MITA Computer Security Incident Response Team Manager shared online can be accessed much later in your life, possibly portraying a type of person with a character which may not be desir- able at that time in your life. Potential employers fre- quently check the online profiles of would-be employees, and certain posts may also have an undesirable information, although it does happen as friendships break down too. There is no delete button on the Internet!