As of March 1, 2012, Google’s new privacy policy will go into effect. This policy will be in place for all services Google supplies and will affect all information that Google has assembled for you before the implementation date. Any information assembled on you in the future is also included.

Up to now, your Google Web History, which includes all of your searches and every site you visited, was separate from your other Google accounts. With the new privacy policy, everything is combined. Since your searches could indicate your location, age, sexual orientation, health concerns, spiritual beliefs, etc., you may want to hinder this.

If you do not want Google to merge your Web History with your Google + or YouTube activity, you must delete everything that is in your Web History. Further, you need to stop any activity in your Web History from this time forward.

To do this, you can follow these steps:

To begin, you must sign in to your Google account.

Next, go to https://www.google.com/history

Now, choose the “Remove all Web History” button.

The last step is to click “OK”.

You will notice that you are pausing the Web History as well as removing the information from it. Until you choose to enable the Web History again, it will remain off.

Google will keep all of your information for an indefinite period if your Web History is enabled. When you disable Web History, your information will be cleared, to some extent, in 18 months. Also, when disabled, the customized search results that are usually sent to you will be stopped. The EFF’s (Electronic Frontier Foundation) suggestions in their Six Tips to Protect Your Search Privacy will assist you in reducing the information on you that Google will store.

If you have more than one Google account, you must follow these steps for each one. Removing and disabling your Web History does not mean that Google won’t store your information for their own internal use. Also, be aware that Google will send any information available on you to any law enforcement agency at the agency’s request.

Very soon, every Facebook user will be introduced to the latest “enhancement”, known as Timeline. Timeline has not yet been incorporated throughout the Facebook community, however, many people are already voicing concerns over the lack of privacy it will create. There is reason for their concern, but if you take the time to set the privacy controls, you regain some of the lost privacy.

Timeline’s main feature is known as “Maps”. This feature uses all the information from your account, both past and present, and displays a map of all your activities on your wall. This map includes any photos you’ve posted, events you’ve gone to and posted about, places you’ve been and people you know. This feature can’t be disabled. What this means for you is that anyone with access to your wall will be able to see where you have been and what you have been doing at any given point in time.

If you take the time to read Facebook’s Privacy Policy, it clearly states “We receive data from the computer, mobile phone or other device you use to access Facebook. This may include your IP address, location, the type of browser you use, or the pages you visit.” In other words, Facebook is not only “stalking” you, but it is also allowing everyone else to see what you’ve been up to.

Think of all the times you’ve updated your information. If you change jobs, you post it. If you move, you post it. Facebook has all that information, and this is what they will use to make your map. Even if one of your friends takes your picture at a party, using his or her cell phone with the GPS feature turned on, that picture and location will be used on your map.

If you use Spotify, every song that you listen to will be posted on your wall. There was some concern voiced over this, so Spotify has decided to give users the “private listening” option. This will block sharing of their information on Facebook, but you would need to opt out each time you restart the application, or if you don’t use it for any length of time.

Whenever you are sent an invitation to an event, and you RSVP on Facebook that you are attending, this information will be made public. Also, every click of the “Like” button sends this information to the product’s manufacturer. This manufacturer will then solicit your friends, hoping they, too, will “Like” their product.

Even your interest in current events will be made public. If you see that a friend has read an article that looks interesting to you, you may click on the link. If it is the first time you are using that app, you will be asked to allow the app to access your personal information. Since you’ve probably done this about a zillion times, you hardly even think before you click “Allow”. But, when you do this, Facebook knows what article you just read and will post it to your wall. Since you allowed the app to access your information that one time, after that, every time you use that app, the information will show on your wall, without again asking for permission.

It sounds really scary when you think about it. The world will know where you go and what you do. Just remember to thoroughly read the Privacy Policy as soon as Timeline is available to you. Once you finish reading, make sure you set your privacy preferences so that you will feel comfortable. Also, remember to not be so quick to click on the “Like” button.

With a little extra time and effort, you can make Timeline work for you while still keeping your privacy at a level where you feel comfortable.

You can protect your family in many ways. Your local police department is at your disposal 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For added protection, you could invest in a security alarm for your home. All this is good, but what happens when the threat is invisible?

There is a new breed of criminal out there, and he is looking for you. He perpetrates his crimes over the internet, and he’s very good at it. The only way you can protect yourself from this cyber-criminal is by using a proxy server.

Every day, millions of people go to coffee shops and other places that offer free WiFi. These public hotspots are perfect places for these cyber-criminals to act. All the crook needs to do is sit back and wait for a victim.

When you log on to the internet in a hotspot, the connection is open, which leaves YOU open to hackers. Since any information entered on this open connection is unencrypted, anyone can intercept it and use it to their advantage.

Let’s say you’re taking a break from work at your favorite coffee shop. You decide to turn on your laptop and start browsing the net. You see a site that looks interesting, so you sign up to become a registered user. You enter all the information requested, which could include your full name, e-mail address and phone number. You may even need to choose a password. This is something you may do every day, so you don’t give it a second thought.

Little do you know that across the room, that other businessman working on his laptop is not what he appears to be. He is a hacker…a cyber-criminal… who is taking note of everything you enter into that site. Because the connection isn’t secure, he now knows who you are.

Since most people tend to use the same password for multiple sites, you are now at risk for identity theft. With your e-mail address, the cyber-crook can try getting into your account using the password you chose when in the coffee shop. Think of all the personal information that some e-mails contain!

Also, with your e-mail address and a potential password in hand, this crook can get into your social networking site. Here, he has your name, location and even pictures of your family and friends.

If you were using a proxy server, none of this would have happened. With a proxy server, not only is your IP address changed to that of the server, all of the information you enter into your computer is encrypted, also. If anyone is lurking around waiting to intercept information, yours will be safe. That person will not be able to read it, so the information is useless to them.

Your privacy is important. Protect it by using a proxy server and avoid the risk of being hacked.