THERE has been a lot of publicity given to hackers in the Internet recently. For example, the media reports about the Melissa virus and CIH (chernobyl virus), etc.

There are a lot of hackers (and crackers) around the world, made popular by movies such as Hackers and The Matrix.

I think hacking activities can have a negative impact on our society.

The culture of hacking is applauded by some, but it can also pose a danger to our society.

As the world gets more connected by the second, we are in danger of living in a truly uncontrollable environment.

We know that there is really no such thing as a fool -proof security system in this world.

We can lock our doors, install the most sophisticated security system in the house but anybody who knows how the lock or security system works can break in.

Today, anyone can log in to the Internet, get the relevent information and tools, then start cracking.

Sad to say, they are usually successful in getting what they want without leaving any trace.

Some developing countries are setting up electronic government, hoping that their administration will be more effective.

I think it is too risky if standard protocols are used in implementing e-government.

If e-government is using currently available technology, whether encryption, SET (Secure Electronic Transaction) or whatever preventive methods, there is still a big security risk.

Experienced hackers know how they work.

When it comes to e-government, all bits and bytes must be isolated from the Internet because the Internet is open to everyone.

Those who know how Internet protocols work can manipulate everything in the Internet. Simply put, we cannot afford to lose any inside information to unauthorised parties. If we lose information, we lose power.

It is very important that Malaysia develops its own protocol for internal use. This is the first step in ensuring national security under our own control.

For example, some versions of PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) were only available to the United States for security reasons. It is time we use our home-grown encryption technology or protocol to ensure maximum national security in e-government.

The Internet was once a proprietary network built for military purposes, but later spawned into a global network for everyone. We cannot be sure if it is still used for military (or domination) purposes but we can be sure it is the most dangerous place to connect our computer.

Soon, more sophisticated protocol will be used in the Internet2.

We must get ahead of the pack with extensive research and development.

Otherwise, we will not be able to lead in the networking field.

We can't afford to follow foreign technology for the sake of national security.