World Without Secrets

The future of computing-the future of business Rapid technological innovation is moving us towards a world of ubiquitous computing-a world in which we are surrounded by smart machines that are always on, always aware, and always monitoring us. These developments will create a world virtually without secrets in which information is widely available and analyzable worldwide. This environment will certainly affect business, government, and the individual alike, dramatically affecting the way organizations and individuals interact. This book explores the implications of the coming world and suggests and explores policy options that can protect individuals and organizations from exploitation and safeguard the implicit contract between employees, businesses, and society itself. World Without Secrets casts an unflinching eye on a future we may not necessarily desire, but will experience.

"...the book is important — it contains fresh thinking, a rarity these days.... [Richard Hunter] is always provocative. He gathers impressions and conversations from a surprisingly broad array of sources. He assembles this material into something approaching a coherent whole.... [Richard Hunter's] [i]nsights...are well worth the price of admission to World Without Secrets." (New York Times, April 28, 2002) World Without Secrets: Business, Crime and Privacy in the Age of Ubiquitous Computing by Richard Hunter delivers a first-rate explanation of the impact of technology on the public, government, business and communities. Hunter, who is vice president and director of security research for GartnerG2, a division of the world's largest technology research firm, writes expertly and urgently about the panoply of internet-related problems each of these diverse groups will face in the years ahead. "There's way too much information-about everything-out there now, and it's going to get a lot worse," Hunter argues. Because technologies arrive at different times, their impacts are cumulative. We don't see the true effects of a technology's use until long after that technology has invaded our everyday world. Looking forward, Hunter describes a world in which loss of privacy, technological terrorism and the heist of artistic rights are a foregone conclusion. This is an important book which sheds thought-provoking light on the slippery slope we are descending when it comes to Internet technology. (BookPage, August 2002) "...I would however definitely recommend this book as it certainly is an interesting, if not a little chilling, read..." (M2 Best Books, 5 September 2002) "...an excellent introduction to contemporary attitudes towards and policies of surveillance..." (Free Pint, 31 October 2002) "...written with a mixture of eloquence and frivolity that makes the book hard to put down...it is carefully crafted from numerous interviews with people...to create a well-rounded and multi-faced story..." (The Times Higher Educational Supplement, 15 November 2002)

RICHARD HUNTER is Vice President, Security Research, GartnerG2, the strategic business growth division of Gartner, Inc., the world's largest technology research firm. Hunter is internationally renowned for his expertise in technology and security, cybercrime, information management, and privacy. He was formerly Vice President and Director of Research for Applications Development at Gartner. Hunter earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard University with a concentration in music and is also a world-class harmonica virtuoso. He works in Gartner's headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, and lives nearby.