Respect: The Future of Our Lives

The future of technology is about respect, diligence, and community.

“Unsafe to Enter” by LOLren is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Maybe it’s a hunting trip with the family, or that weekend away at Disneyland your kids have been begging you for, but either way — it’s time for vacation. You pack, spend the morning stressing about all the things you forgot, and finally leave the house — making certain to lock the door behind you.

Not long after you’ve left, something moves across the lawn. A figure slips over the grass, up the front steps, and they’re at your door. The security system beeps once, confused, as the figure fiddles with the lock. But wait! A police car rolls up the road on patrol. The figure at your door turns quickly, lifts a hand, and… waves?

They finish with your lock as the police car drives on by. Your front door pops open. The alarm does not trigger. The figure slips inside.

The intruder is inside your house. They’re walking around, looking at your things, touching your possessions. They spend some time rifling through drawers, taking odds and ends. Maybe, all they do is snap photographs — but there are things you wouldn’t want photographed, aren’t there?

Finally, they’re done. But they don’t leave. They’ve found the day planner, the tickets to the Disneyland rides, the season pass for your favorite park; they know exactly where you went and for exactly how long you’re going to be away.

So, the intruder settles in. Feet up on the couch, they watch TV, sleep in your bed, they even order pizza in. Then, the day before you get back… they clean up their tracks, slip back through the house, removing any sign of their presence. They’re gone in a flash, out the door, back down the street, just another figure going for a stroll. Your security system beeps happily to itself: everything is under control.

We give away our keys too easily. (Image by author)

You probably don’t treat your cybersecurity with the same care you would with your house, and that means you are at risk.

The information that can be gathered from your digital life is just as personal, just as intimate, as something…