Thursday, April 14, 2011

The development and further research on Computers was associated with the perceived need of national security during the Cold War period. Discuss, with contemporary examples some of the risks and responsibilities involved with such justifications.

Cold war intensified the research in sophisticated computer technology and its pervasion into the modern life.

Computerization has entered all the fields of life: science, commerce, consumer goods, weapon system (national security) and has made them inseparable from it.

After the cold war, the US defense system, intelligence agencies and the other national security beureacracies continued the US government support to computer projects like ENIAC which was developed WII. Its main operation was to automate the calculation of ballistic table, which was need for high accuracy of aircraft and artillery system.

On the other hand USSR and UK encouraged computer expertise. By 1950s the USSR computer scientists came up with MEMS, the then fastest computer.

The US Manhattan project and OSRD (Office of Science Research and Development) took many steps to come up with high power computers. MIT was handed over the project to develop a computer thaat could handle SAGE. (IT was part of Windermill project).

Both space and military team came together for advancing computation as both space vehicle and missiles  needed powerful computers to launch, track and control them.

The priorities given to computer technologuy during the cold war continues to have its impact on society and economies of the world.

In the western, private enterprises made advancements in computer. By 1960s Jaapan, Europe, boasted robust domestic computers. Innovations like invisible aircraft were successfully handled by the US government. But with these initiatives came risks also.

One of the risk is , as the the whole system is computerised a hacker sittini in some corner can plant an information bomb or computer virus and destroy the computer network linked to control of weaponry financial transactions and communications. The heart of the military system can be completely destroyed. Through cyber warfare, the terrorists and foreign contries can get hold of politics of a country.

Our responsibilities:
1. Devise a system that is fae away from these threats
2. Develop corrections to the existing system to make secure the from vulneberality to these threats.

Duplicate the system. there shpuld one system ready at time of others failure.

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Sunaina D
EE09B037

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