For computing to achieve its full potential -- and to enrich the daily lives of people and businesses everywhere -- it must first be made as secure and reliable as it can be, says Bill Gates
January 23, 2003 - Not so long ago, most people paid little attention to cybercrime. Malicious hackers, hi-tech bank robbers and identity thieves were the stuff of science fiction novels; few outside the industry of information technology had more than a passing knowledge of their damaging potential. As recently as 20 years ago, the role of computers was mostly behind the scenes. The data they contained were relatively easy to secure because they were rarely moved or communicated to other machines.
That is not to say that the computer industry ignored security. In fact, it has worked to address security and reliability issues for decades, helping to ensure that banks could safely process transactions, that flight control systems functioned flawlessly and that sensitive data remained in the hands of those authorized to use them. But this all went on behind the scenes -- and the average citizen knew little about it.
The past few years have seen all that change. The amazing growth of PCs connected to the Internet transformed the nature of computing, setting information free and creating tough new security challenges. A number of malicious and highly publicized computer viruses demonstrated the importance of ensuring the integrity and security of these increasingly interconnected computer networks.