Cybersecurity guide for developing countries Section I.1 – Cyberspace and the information society I.1.1 Digitization Information technologies are transforming the way we think about and do almost everything in our lives. They are bringing about important structural changes, by allowing us to model objects of all kinds in the form of information, and hence manipulate them electronically. I.1.1.1 Digital information Digitization creates a digital image of something real (a virtual version of the object). All information, whatever its nature – whether voice, data, or image – can be digitized and represented in some standardized manner. Digitized information becomes disembodied, that is, it is no longer tied to the medium in which it is represented and stored. The information itself (content) adds value, because it costs a lot less to share and store than to produce (Figure I.1). In addition, data can be localized and processed in several places at once. The possibility of perfect duplication ad infinitum hollows out the notion of “original” data, with potentially troubling implications for the concept of copyright protection. Figure I.1 – Virtualization and digital information Volatility, tampering, destruction, copying, theft, etc. Vulnerabilities DISEMBODIED INFORMATION representation Content 01001 11010 00010 01011 11110 meaning RAM, disk storage, CD-ROM, radio waves etc. Vulnerabilities Medium PHYSICAL CARRIER I.1.1.2 Digital technology Digital technology, by standardizing data production, processing and transfer, has made it possible to construct a continuous digital information chain. In combination with data compression techniques, this digital convergence creates opportunities for synergies between IT, telecommunications and audiovisual media, as illustrated by the phenomenon of the internet. So the real technology revolution was brought about by the digitization of information, and its consequences go far beyond the world of telecommunication. Cyberspace and the information society 3