5 ways being on the Internet has changed over the past decade

Behold, the Internet!

If you were to tell yourself from the 1990s that you can today send a cat video over the Internet in less than 26 hours, you would probably get mocked with Ahnold-accented lines from the Terminator. But the Internet’s come such a long way in just two decades, and common online knowledge today might not have made sense just a few years ago.

In conjunction with the WWW Day, which falls on 1st August each year, Lim Suk Hua – Country Manager of Palo Alto Networks Malaysia, a cybersecurity company – talked about how the online landscape had changed within the past decade. And it’s equal parts fascinating and scary. For starters, these days…

1. There’s almost always someone watching you online now

And it’s not just corporations listening to you through your phone. According to Lim, companies across various industries – not just ad companies – are relentlessly collecting user data, aiming to understand consumer behavior, enhance targeted advertising, and improve their products or services.

Homaigad how are they doing this? Well, besides the things we put out on social media, one way companies can also collect your information is through something called cookies, which are roughly like turn number slips given out at some hospitals and workshops.

Much like how the turn numbers help different hospital departments figure out who you are, which doctor you’ve seen, and what you need next, cookies help websites recognize who you are and track your activity. There are several types of cookies you’ll encounter on the Internet these days, and they’re not all bad: good cookies make a website convenient and easy to visit.

The worse ones keeps track of everything you do and look at, and even collect your personal data. These may later be used for advertising or sold off to other companies.

“This extensive data harvesting raises concerns about data privacy and protection. It is crucial to be aware of the information we share online and take necessary steps to protect our privacy.” – Lim Suk Hua.

If all this bothers you, spend some time fiddling with the privacy settings on your social medias, and the next time you see a popup asking whether you want cookies when you enter a website, just say no to most of them.

2. More things are connected to the Internet now than ever

Remember the days when you have to sit in a good spot near a router (or even use *gasp* cables) just to get Internet? Well, them Internet rays are everywhere now. You can even get WiFi on a balik kampung bus these days.

Mobile Internet had been improving a lot within the past decade, and with faster and more responsive 5G technology now in the picture, it’s now possible to do previously unheard-of things. Like maybe a farmer monitoring his microchipped cows through his smartwatch, whilst his smart tractor tells him that more air is needed on the rear left tire to accommodate a cow’s 3kg weight gain. Or something.

“The emergence of 5G technology with its faster speeds and lower latency further propels this “always-on” culture. This integration of 5G will significantly benefit IoT devices, enabling real-time data processing and smarter automation.” – Lim Suk Hua.

Anyways, the point here is that with things being more connected now than ever before, we need to equally be more cautious about our connections. Always use a strong password to secure your mobile devices, opt for encrypted connections, and be careful about connecting to just any WiFi connection you find.

3. AI’s power now being used by just about anyone with Internet

No, not Anwar Ibrahim. While previously Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the stuff of movies to a lot of people, these days even the sweetest of summer children are familiar with AI through things like ChatGPT and Midjourney.

Besides chatting up Internet strangers and drawing pictures, AI technologies these days are also distracted from their robot uprising by being used to improve people’s Internet experience by recommending relevant content and products. Busy as they are, they still pose some danger, mainly due to their accessibility.

“…as the prevalence of AI grows, it leads us to uncharted territories. Among the advancements facilitated by AI, deepfakes stand out as a significant concern – these are software that utilize AI to create convincing digital forgeries.” – Lim Suk Hua.

Just as any schmoe can use AI to steal an artist’s style to make pictures and sell them on the Internet, so can any lowlife use AI to steal people’s faces and voices and make fake videos starring them. Usually called ‘deepfakes’, these forged videos became a concern recently because it’s possible to take someone’s picture and voice from social media and have AI make them say things, strip them naked, and even star in pr0n.

It’s an ongoing problem, and for now the best you can do to prevent some awkward explanations is to be mindful of what you share online, and review your privacy settings on social media – don’t let just anyone see your stuff!

4. Malware are getting more canggihly disguised

Malware is short for malicious software, which are programs and apps that can really screw you over if you download one. At best, your computer or phone will slow down and random ads will pop up, and at worst, you can lose all your money or have your deepest personal information exposed to the public.

Some years back, you would have to be a technologically-challenged grandma to download one, but these days, it can be hard for normal everyday users to tell the difference.

Just recently, scammers sent out wedding invitations to people’s WhatsApps, and if they click on the attached apk file, it downloads a malware that lets the scammers take control over the phones, letting them see everything: the photos, the messages, the banking details, and even TAC/OTP messages coming in.

“Malware can be disguised as legitimate software, infected email attachments, or malicious websites. Android malware has also had a surge in popularity, primarily targeting mobile devices running the Android operating system, bringing extra vulnerabilities to smartphone and tablet users.” – Lim Suk Hua.

Don’t be a victim! Regularly update your phone and your antiviruses (or get one), watch out for sus files before downloading them, and stay away from sus websites or links. In short, don’t just simply click on anything.

5. Scammers are evolving to keep up with the times

With Internet banking and cashless transactions becoming more popular, scammers are quick to adapt to every layer of security put up to stop them: you may remember a few years back when scammers used to call and ask for TAC numbers, which is maybe why a lot of banks require app authentication now.

But one thing that’s harder for banks to change is the behavior of their customers, which is why hackers and scammers have upped their social engineering game. Social engineering, essentially, is using psychological tricks to get people to do stuff like reveal their passwords or other sensitive information, and their methods had gotten more creative over the years.

Recent examples would be Macau scams, where scammers pretend to be an authority – like PDRM saying that you have an arrest warrant for you – and try to get you to transfer money. Or sending a message as the post office saying you have an unclaimed parcel, and asking you to click a link.

Or, as in the example above, sending a malware link disguised as a wedding invitation. In fact, Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 found that links are getting more popular as ways to get people to install malware, accounting for over 77% of cases.

So how to sidestep this? It helps to read the latest news about scams so you know what you’re dealing with, and always verify anything sus. If someone claiming to be so-and-so calls, it’s okay to drop the call and verify first before doing anything rash. And always, always think before you click on links.

With greater convenience, comes greater dangers

Verily, the Internet had improved by leaps and bounds within just a few years, bringing us much convenience… and dangers as well. With more and more people depending on the Internet, it would do well for everyday people to think about cybersecurity as well, because that topic is no longer just for companies.

Thankfully, staying safe online is easy, and it’s nothing you haven’t heard of before: use strong passwords, regularly update your softwares, and stay informed about the latest threats.