| It has been publicly acknowledged we, the American | | | | technology. Without this technology, the nation will |
| citizens, will be known to our successors as “The | | | | confront a major relapse in productivity and the |
| Age of Information.” With the mass-public | | | | standard of living will decrease exponentially. |
| acceptance of computers and their other | | | | Being so dependent on technology, the nation will |
| technological counter-parts, we as a generation have | | | | severely suffer from any major technological |
| embedded these innovations into our everyday lives. | | | | catastrophe. If the nation ever had a major |
| While our reasons vary, from medical practice, | | | | power-failure, how would we recover? We would be |
| productivity, or maybe just to ease our workload, | | | | unable to call our families and loved-ones; the ability |
| we base our everyday life around technology, pieces | | | | to purchase any item at any store would be gone. |
| of powered metal and wire. While the trend seems | | | | The best solution we would have is to wait, and |
| to indicate that the more successful we become, the | | | | hope our power would recover so we may continue |
| more we integrate technology to improve our lives | | | | with life. Currently most major retail chains and a |
| – the more vulnerable we become. | | | | percentage of home-owners own a backup power |
| Everyday new technological advances, aimed at | | | | generator to combat a short power-outage. These |
| easing the lives of millions, are developed. Recent | | | | methouds are quite suitable for black-outs ranging |
| publicly-accepted evolutions such as Paypal and | | | | from secounds to a few days; however, these |
| Online-Banking make financial planning and | | | | alternative power sources become expensive for |
| management quick and easy. Computers offer | | | | extended periods of time. |
| additional services such as entertainment, shown best | | | | Power is not the only woe on the |
| with recent phenomenon, YouTube, allowing | | | | “back-burner” for many computer users; one |
| community members to share videos with friends | | | | single virus, engineered correctly, has the power to |
| and family. It is inventions similar to these that | | | | cripple the entire technology era. A virus, according to |
| conveniently enhance our personal standard of living. | | | | Merriam-Webster, is defined as “a computer |
| Personal profit is not the only benefit to come via | | | | program that is usually hidden within another |
| this technological era. Businesses such as FedEx and | | | | seemingly innocuous program and that produces |
| UPS are offering paid on-online shipment tracking. | | | | copies of itself and inserts them into other programs |
| While other companies are finding that they | | | | and usually performs a malicious action (as destroying |
| don’t even need to own property to develop a | | | | data).” If such a virus was engineered with care, |
| business, all they need is a website and consumers. | | | | infiltrating any networked and numerous off-line |
| E-bay, Amazon, and similar sites have made a | | | | machines will be possible; even the ability to |
| business out of just selling services or products via | | | | stealthfully manipulate government data. |
| the web; some even offer to supply the consumer | | | | As technology advances, security auditors play a |
| with the cheapest place to purchase from. This ability | | | | game of “catch-up,” releasing security |
| currently is taken for granted; lower expenses | | | | patches and strong security systems along with their |
| provide us more comfort in our lives and helps raise | | | | accompanying protocols. Technology will never be |
| the focal point of businesses. | | | | truly safe; the best precaution any consumer can |
| Online services and companies are not the only ones | | | | take is learning how to properly setup firewalls and |
| using technology to their advantage; think about your | | | | routers to protect and monitor their networks’ |
| kitchen. Your stove, microwave, and coffee-brewer | | | | traffic. The more secure the nation becomes in |
| are all there because of technology. Cell-phones, | | | | technology, the easier we can live our lives, as the |
| automobiles, even lights use energy and depend on | | | | threat to the modern inventions contracts. |