OK, let's be provocative. From the vantage point of 2Q2011, the world is immersed in embracing, evolving, expanding and executing a digitally-centric world. Briefly stated, the Pandora's Box of the digital revolution has unleashed countless benefits and opportunities spanning communications, education, entertainment, business efficiencies, research, storage and more. Companion to these growth areas are the associated employment opportunities ... many that have allowed new generations from '3rd World' nations to also join and participate in the global economy.
However, many are also aware of downsides to the digital revolution that fundamentally manifest themselves broadly in the area of 'Security' but more specifically impact things ranging from online transacting (buying of digital and physical goods and services by sending personal financial information in the form of credit and debit card numbers, checking account numbers, etc); security
breaches of customer databases at online retailers, banks, etc.; new types of vulnerabilities to the increasingly digitized power/smart grids that are the backbones of many of today's societies; to the full spectrum of nation security and national defense infrastructures ... ALL subject to malicious attacks by very intelligent, well funded and coordinated efforts across all of the above with aims ranging from theft and disruption to power and control.
While I do not recall seeing any commentary about the 'dawn' of the post-digital age, it will arrive ... just as the 'post-modern' age followed the 'modern-age' (a rather arrogant label used during the mid to late 20th Century for cultural trappings ranging from architecture and design to philosophy and more).
The Digital Age is increasingly revealing significant vulnerabilities to the way-of-life of societies. Virtually every preventative security measure deployed in all of the above fields become
vulnerable to attack the day after deployment by a hacker community that generally seems able to stay a step ahead of defensive/protective measures. Innovators and long term thinkers, what does this paradigm suggest? Sure, the daily tit for tat dance/race to stay a step ahead (or at least even) will continue in the short term .... but think ... can't a better 'way' be developed to address perpetual security risks? Maybe that answer doesn't get discovered until the 24th Century, but I ask now to start thinking outside the digital box.
As an analogy (or maybe more accurately labeled: a warning), think about how people are increasingly becoming dependent upon GPS technology to navigate themselves. While this digital technology is remarkable in its accuracy, I contend that it is 'dumbing' people down.
A 'GPS-dependent' generally will be effective at utilizing this tool to navigate themselves through the trees ... but that same person is almost completely clueless about the forest. Is anyone troubled that GPS-navigators have less of an understanding of the big picture than we've seen in at least generations? Not a good thing on many levels spanning insight and perspective to security, vulnerabilities and more.
Long term thinkers, are you catching the premise of my blog post here?
Innovators, fire your analog brains (and maybe tap some digital resources) and think about the potential for exciting opportunities to address significant problems of the digital age ... that will grow in importance and magnitude with each passing day. The stakes are high because the digital hooks are into virtually every fundamental cornerstone of 21st Century civilization.
