Nothing seems sacrosanct

Nothing is secret on the Internet. In a clear warning to all users, the latest episode is the hacking and leaking — probably the first from an in- the- sky storage platform like iCloud — of the nude photos of celebrities. The prurient interest in such material also goes to show that nothing is sacrosanct, least of all images of rich and famous people, mostly entertainers. The FBI is investigating the leaks of the alleged hacker who originally posted the list of celebrities and photos on the 4chan website.

The moment such material is put on the Net, it has probably gone on to a million places in nanoseconds. Advocates of privacy can cry themselves hoarse but the fact remains that the Web is a public place with inadequate filters and controls and security that is in no way guaranteed. No wonder the Russians are talking of using typewriters for all their intelligence material rather than keystrokes on networked computers and servers that are vulnerable to surveillance or outright hacking.

Cloud computing will now come under attack. Unless people move back to storing all personal information on a standalone computer or switch back to personal storage on devices, they must be as vulnerable as any one of several billion Internet users. The argument about lack of security is so compelling that the moral question of users clicking on leaked nude pictures and so vicariously abusing the person is drowned. Far more secure encryption is the obvious answer, but the fear is we are years away from feeling secure in using a computer to connect to the Internet.