MI5 set to counter terrorism’s new offensive – social networking sites

Two issues must be concentrated on before we move further, MI5 and need of proficiency in computers, to be more precise, in social networking sites. I’m confident that you have already got baffled since your small effort to find out a correlation between these two leads to nothing. Well, wait a minute. We all are aware of MI5 (Military Intelligence, Section 5) and it is the government agency in the United Kingdom that is responsible for internal security and counterintelligence on British territory. Now the same prime UK government agency is bent on expelling a number of its tried comrades or older staff. Reason? These warriors of yesteryears are not skilled enough to get over social networking sites, especially Facebook and Twitter.

The development is certainly painful but MI5 has its own justifications. On the word of key personnel of MI5, worldwide dreadful terrorist groups are making use of the internet to plan more and more attacks. The rampant uses of globally acclaimed social networking sites so as to communicate have got to be monitored by officers and there is hardly any other alternative, speaks key intelligence officers. As per sources, Britain could be crippled by a successful cyber onslaught before long.

If we take the version of Jonathan Evans, Director General of MI5 into account, redundancy programme to MPs Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee last month attains the greatest focus owing to several factors. In accordance with him, the programme would take account of both "voluntary and compulsory redundancies" alleged to mainly impact upon older workers. Well, to compensate such a loss a recruitment drive is being aimed at students with computer degrees.

If you are still raging, Patrick Mercer, Chairman of the Parliamentary subcommittee on counter-terrorism, United Kingdom, can help you to comprehend the changing reality. As indicated by him, pattern of terrorism is changing across the globe and hence counter-terrorism must be smart and professional enough to cope with the same. MI5 has got to be completely comfortable using computers and the latest technology and there can’t be any compromise with the same.

UK in favor of body scans at airports

There have been lots of controversies regarding body scans yet and all these did induce Islamic hardliners to issue Fatwa even. But, if the current attitudes of people in United Kingdom are taken into account, the majority or 90% of them have started to accept body scans at airports. In accordance with a recently published poll by security group Unisys, the approval rate is far higher for the UK compared to many other countries. The poll involved Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Hong Kong, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, the UK and the USA.

There have been other developments as well. Among the 10 other nations surveyed, as many as one in three people in Germany and Belgium would object to the machines. In the realm of Hong Kong, only 45% of people were in favour of the scanners, whereas Mexicans were even less enthusiastic. 76% of the population saying they were against the new technology. Again as per the survey, 91% of the UK's public would be willing to submit biometric data, for instance iris scans and fingerprints, to identify them when travelling by air. The poll did make a survey among 10,000 people, including 977 in the UK.

Commenting on this laudable development, Neil Fisher of Unisys, stated, together with airport operator BAA also reporting positive responses to the full-body scanners, it does appear that the early controversy surrounding the technology has died down. People are taking a pragmatic approach to their safety, added Fisher. But this enthusiasm of holidaymakers to accept the scanners hasn’t come as a surprise to the Association of British Travel Agents. What do they consider, the same is the maturity of public opinion.

It is to be noted that scanners were introduced to the UK following the attempted bombing of a plane over Detroit on Christmas day last year. The machines, at the moment, are in place at Heathrow and Manchester airports, in spite of objections by some groups considering the same do violate passengers' right to privacy.

Is Microsoft’s financial prudence drive decisive for selecting Infosys?

It’s certainly a great achievement on part of Indian IT giant Infosys Technologies even though many may term the same as the mere addition of a feather to its colorful hat. Infosys Technologies, if truth be told, has been able to have a three-year IT outsourcing deal with the globally acclaimed technology giant Microsoft. Certainly Microsoft needs no new description. It is a widely celebrated multinational computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices and covers, in short, 104 countries, if not more.

What shall be the first and foremost focus of Infosys in this context? Well, Infosys will deal with Microsoft's global internal IT services and these include helpdesk, desk-side services, IT infrastructure and applications support. Nevertheless the value of the transaction ha remained undisclosed yet but in accordance with leading pertinent analysts, it has got be in excess of 100 million dollars by any means.

Has there been any official comment from the Indian IT giant? As stated by Infosys, it will be in charge of operating Microsoft's in-house services for applications, devices and databases in 450 locations. It, in this regard, has partnered with Unisys so as to proffer worldwide desk-side support and service desk services.

Lots of views are coming to the fore owing to the selection of Infosys Technologies. One school of thought considers owing to declining sales in more than a few major divisions, Microsoft has been on a financial prudence drive and the Indian IT giant has been selected to cope with the rapidly changing reality. Whatever it is, competence and expertise of Infosys is overwhelming.

Infosys Technologies Limited is a multinational information technology services company headquartered in Bangalore, India. It is the second-largest IT company in India with 105,453 professionals (including subsidiaries) as of Nov 9, 2009 and has offices in 22 countries and development centers in India, China, Australia, UK, Canada and Japan.