[IP] My, Dave Farber, Interview in MIS Asia Magazine (Singapore)
MIS Asia Magazine (Singapore), 07/08/2005
The Big Question: Will Cios Abandon The Internet?
By Tissie Adhistia
Professor David Farber, considered by many as the grandfather of the
Internet, recently delivered a talk in Singapore. He tells Tissie
Adhistia
that CIOs may not have a choice when it comes to use of the Internet.
As the Internet poses many annoyances and threats, CIOs may rebel
against
using it. What is your view?
I think they don't have a choice when it comes to the use of the
Internet.
It is part of the business fabric. It's like your telephone, it may
annoy
you but you can't get rid of it because you'll be out of business.
So, what CIOs should be doing is putting pressure on vendors to
implement
the best security measures. Essentially holding their noses to the
grindstone, and not agreeing to any exemptions. It is not an easy
problem.
It's all the cost of doing business. It's a trade-off and companies
could
actually say they can live with the problems because the benefits are
enormous. So I don't believe that people would turn away from the
Internet, as the advantages would balance off the annoyance and
threats.
How important is an Internet security standard and how do you see its
progress?
Yes it is important. In the long term, a security standard is
mostly going
to be motivated by insurance companies. In most companies, even if
they
don't have direct cyber insurance, they have insurance that covers
a lot
of their operations. And those insurance companies will start
taking into
account the risks that will be reflected in their premiums.
Also in the US, there are rules that require businesses to certify
that
their financial data is properly protected. If they lie about it,
certainly stockholders will not be pleased. So there are a lot of
practices that make people pay attention to Internet security.
Again, it's
a trade-off. I think people will be willing to spend a reasonable
amount
of money on security to meet the standard.
The Internet is dominated by a few major players. What is the
implication
given that it is supposed to be an open platform?
I think it is open. I use myself four different browsers and I
constantly
trade them. Each has its advantages. I would use them for different
purposes depending on the advantages. For example, Google is good
for some
things but terrible for others.
People use the whole set of these browsers or search engines, and more
will come out. Domination doesn't last long if they don't innovate.
The
Microsoft browser has survived only because it has sort of welded
into the
environment so it's hard to get rid of.
What is the future of the Internet with the claims of Internet-enabled
devices?
The Internet will be everywhere and it's progressively more
difficult to
get away from. The Internet gives access to the world, so nations that
tend to limit that will suddenly find themselves insulated from the
rest
of the world, and that can have a dangerous impact right now.
So I think it's going to be more difficult for people to remain
insulated.
In the long run, it will cause grief to a lot of businesses but
also a lot
of happiness.
Companies often stretch the truth
What is the critical thing CIOs must bear in mind when keeping up
with the
Internet?
I think they have to understand what's real and what's not from what
they're being told, because companies often stretch the truth. CIOs
should
ask hard questions and constantly demand hard answers, and use it
as they
go. If they're not technically competent themselves to ask
questions, they
will need to have staff who are.
CIOs also have to answer to CEOs on the business process, that it is
always secure. As CEOs are the ones accountable for the security of
the
business, CIOs who cannot give that assurance won't be CIOs for
very long.
David Farber, a career professor of computer science and public
policy,
School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University in the US,
has
been involved with networking for over 45 years.
He received the John Scott Award in 1996 for inventions that have
contributed to humanity (previous recipients include Madam Curie,
Thomas
Edison and The Wright Brothers).
His talk in Singapore was organised by the School of Information
Systems
of Singapore Management University and supported by the Infocomm
Development Authority of Singapore and the Singapore Computer Society.
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