With the invention of MySpace and the vast amounts of other social networking sites, the entire landscape of the Internet universe has changed. People freely connect with long lost companions or meet new people that share similar interests; this allows a once distant community to come together.

With this power, also comes risk. Many people join social networking sites and openly post personal information such as birth dates, or post photos of their personal lives. A new breed of criminal has also evolved with social networking; one that can break down privacy barriers and research their prey by visiting their MySpace of Facebook pages and learning just about everything they could ever want to know.

Maintaining your privacy and avoiding identity fraud are not difficult things to accomplish, but do require some common sense. Many people post more information than needed, letting people know everything possible without having to even know who this person is. Many sites have been created to help users protect their social networking privacy, but a few important tips to remember when considering what information you want available to the world include:

• Providing just enough information. You want your friends to be able to locate and contact you, but you don’t need to put your entire life story so that anyone with eyes and a PC can learn everything about you.
• Making your profile private so that only people you have befriended can view the information and photos. Some sites allow networks of people to view your information, but a user should consider limiting their private information just to their friends.
• Be wary when adding external applications. For the most part don’t add any, and if you do already use some be sure to keep only the ones you actually do use on a consistent basis. These apps are developed by outside parties that have no affiliation with the site, and most likely do not include any sort of privacy policy.
• Do not use the same password for your social networking sites that you would to access your e-mail or any sites that contain personal information, such as banking sites.
• Frequently check the privacy policies for any changes that may concern you.
• THE GOLDEN RULE: Never assume something you post on the Internet is completely private. If someone wants the information badly enough, they will find it. Always use common sense when posting sensitive information on a website.

This is a difficult question to answer. Of course, Internet privacy should be a major concern to anyone who boots up a computer and checks their e-mail. With modern technology comes a new generation of criminals and misfits who will use it with bad intentions.

Even if criminal activity isn’t involved, some of the sources you, as an Internet user, think you can trust will let you down. Internet Service Providers (ISP), search engines, and marketing companies all use this technology to track your IP address and slowly build up a profile about your surfing habits so they can advertise more effectively…that is correct, your own ISP keeps tabs on your internet habits.

You can safely assume that you have zero privacy while surfing the Internet, and privacy protection goes above and beyond the latest Norton update. Privacy on the Internet is not given to you. As an Internet user, you must proactively search ways to protect your Internet Privacy while online.

This brings us to the million dollar question…who can you trust?

Many places offer Internet privacy tools, but what do they have in mind? Is it a company that cares about your privacy? Knowing who you can and can’t turn to is important. Internet privacy tools can be found just about anywhere, but this is an area where you get what you pay for. Would you trust a stranger on the streets to walk up to you and give you a brand-new television? Then why would you use a tool that is meant to protect your privacy without knowing who is behind it?

While you can never be truly anonymous, you can be protected. Some company will always have your information, especially since have to pay your bills. In the case of using a company’s protection tools, the important thing to know is how will they use it? Will they sell it to the highest bidder, or will they follow their privacy policy and not jeopardize your information. The point of using their products is that they stand behind them and guarantee them to work. I feel strongly about knowing who is taking my money and I want to have a face and a name to stand behind the product. I want to know the people who I am trusting with my personal information.

Two recent articles published by Computerworld discuss the Electronic Privacy you have, or in this case don’t have, while travelling across U.S. borders. The second article is more of an update so that you can travel and know how Customs agents can invade your privacy. Customs does not need any form of reasonable doubt or suspicion to search a person’s electronic devices, especially laptops and PDAs. Any type of device that can, “store large amounts of data, ideas, e-mail, chats and Web-surfing habits,” is fair game. The Ninth Circuit ruled that these devices can be searched and seized without a warrant or probable cause, and the Customs Department went on to say that anyone travelling can, and most likely will, be searched for having these devices. The main focus was centered on traveling with laptops. Not that this automatically makes you a criminal, but it is putting your personal privacy in jeopardy. Searches made at the border are “reasonable simply by virtue of the fact that they occur at the border.” Searches are not limited to hard-drives, meaning any internet usage is also subject to being searched, including internet history, e-mails, cookies, etc.

This brings about some questions…

• What is the extent of the search and seizure of laptops?
• Will they take my laptop and when can I get it back?
• Will my company information be subject to the search? This violates many company’s privacy policies, especially when dealing with personal information or financial information (such as credit cards and bank accounts).
• Where is the information that Customs copies kept?
• How long is this information kept?
• How is it disposed of? Or is it disposed of at all?

Do Customs agents have any protocol to follow at all, or are these questions something of little importance? Depending on the amount of information being stored on a hard-drive, many people can lose their anonymity and privacy. The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) is warning travelers to keep limited amounts of information while traveling, and to keep your computer protected from privacy threats. The ACTE is concerned that corporate data could be copied and lead to security breaches and numerous other privacy risks. This means a database of customers’ names and information, which at one point was completely confidential, can be seen by anyone who works for Customs…

Barack Obama has a massive database of over 2 million people’s personal information. Yahoo! News reported that Obama has built up a database of personal information collected from his supporters through MySpace, Facebook, and his campaign website…Even if his run at the White House fails, he can sell this list to the highest bidder, whether it be to another canidate or any special interest group he chooses.

The information he holds includes: addresses, phone numbers, names of friends, and views of certain issues. After persuading about 800,000 people to enter information on his campaign website, it is estimated that it is now worth nearly $200 million…which could eventually be sold for a profit. According to the article, this information is more accurate than past years because his supporters are voluntarily giving it up. Obama has found most of his information by social networking, where he is lightyears ahead when compared to both Clinton and McCain.

People probably do not stop and think that when they enter the information on Obama’s website that it could potentially be used long after the elections are over. Anything a person does on the internet can never be deleted. Somewhere in cyberspace those photos, or that blog post, will live on forever. In this case, it doesn’t fall into the blackhole of the internet, but instead is closely monitored by whoever owns the information….talk about a privacy risk!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another reason why you should remain anonymous while using the internet…

While doing some research, I came across this article from the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse and needed to share it. With the emphasis placed on Internet privacy and protection, it is also important to remember to protect yourself from privacy threats in your everyday life.

This article discusses the uses of credit card vs debit card (and also touches on other areas like store cards, and gift cards, etc). Basically…don’t use or have a debit or checking card. The article gives greater details as to why you should use credit over debit. Some of the main points include:

• Debit cards do not offer the same quality of protection against fraudulent use that credit cards do. Debit card fraud must be reported within 2 days, and even then banks can wait up to 2 weeks before refunding your stolen money–which means missed bills and possibly an overdrawn account.
• Credit cards allow you to stop payment or dispute a charge, while debit cards are drawn directly from your checking account and the transaction is relatively quick.
• Debit cards may or may not require the user to know a PIN code, they can use a signature instead. This is important for two reasons:

1. Someone who steals or find a lost debit card can use it at will without having to know the PIN.
2. When signing for an item instead of entering a PIN, it takes the same processing route as a credit card, meaning your transaction will not show up right away in your account.

As far as making online purchases, those should all be done with a credit card, basically for the same reasons listed above. Sites can be hacked, or set up entirely with malicious intent to steal information from the user. Again, it is easier to deal with fraudulent use of a credit card opposed to a debit card. The article references using an ATM only card to access your checking account, which is different than a debit card because you can not use it at retail outlets and must always enter your PIN.

The article also includes the following “Tips for Limiting Your Loss:”

1. Protect your cards, account numbers, and PINs. Keep your cards safe and be sure to sign the back of the card as soon it arrives. Take home your receipts (which may have your account numbers printed on them) and shred them instead of leaving them in the store’s trash. Memorize your PIN; don’t write it on your card or write it on a note in your purse or wallet. And always position your body so that no one can see the keypad at the ATM or checkout counter when you punch in your number.

2. Timely reporting is a must. To limit your credit card loss to $50, you must report unauthorized charges within 60 days. For debit, ATM and other electronic transfers, you only have two days to minimize your loss.
3. Monitor your credit card charges and bank accounts frequently. Online access is an easy way to monitor even daily activity.
4. For online purchases use credit cards rather than providing your debit card, especially when dealing with an unfamiliar site.
5. Checks should be written only to those you know and trust. Remember, your check includes your bank routing number and account number. This is all a thief may need to access your bank account.
6. Suspect payments, especially money orders, you receive from an unknown source. For tips on how to spot a phony money order, see the US Postal Service, September 2005, fraud alert: www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fakemo.htm.
7. Caution is advised when depositing money orders, checks, cashier’s checks or other payments you receive from an unknown source. Deposits you make may not have cleared, even if your bank balance shows the funds have been added.
8. Beware of suspicious-looking ATMs and checkout-lane card readers. Unbranded ATM machines in convenience stores and the like can be scams. Also, some recent high-profile thefts have involved the practice of “skimming,” in which account data from cards’ magnetic stripes were secretly copied from checkout-lane card readers and later used to create counterfeit cards.

Privacy threats can come from any source so being vigilant of what is going on with your accounts is important. Using proxy servers and other tools while using the Internet doesn’t mean you are protected from other sources of fraud and criminal activity.

An article by the Malaysian Star Online recently released an article about protecting yourself while using the internet. The main focus was placed on phishing, trolling, and web bugs. According to the article:

“Phishing refers to Internet scams whereby e-mails are sent purportedly from banks or other companies, asking users for sensitive personal information, which are then used in identity thefts.”

“Trolling is when someone uses specific phrases in a chat group to “bait” and target people who respond in a certain way.”

“Web bugs are tiny image files that contain programmes that install themselves undetected on your computer and transfer information back to the source.”

They also go on to discuss other things such as cyber-stalking. The article discusses how women are at a higher risk for facing these threats, which is discussed in greater detail throughout the rest of the article.

Of course these threats, and many more, affect anyone who uses the internet. Cyber criminals are smarter and more technologically advanced than ever, and are using that to their advantage. About 15 million people are affected by some form of identity theft every year. Those numbers increase every year, most likely because people do not pay attention to the threats facing them while using the internet. Using Norton, or whatever anti-virus program, isn’t enough. Anti-virus programs only protect a fraction of the threats. Proxy servers and other tools are very useful to protect yourself while online.

Some basic tips include:

Protecting your password

Keeping up-to-date records of your accounts/bills

Check your credit report regularly

Do not use debit cards to make online purchases, use credit cards instead.

Do not post or give out prvate information to a website without researching it first (i.e. reading the privacy policy, etc)

Use elaborate, complex passwords.

Come to PrivacyView’s Support/FAQ section for more information on general internet knowledge and ways to protect yourself.

Reports from the UK tell that the Information Commissioner has ruled that users/customers must consent and request to “opt-in” to Phorm’s advertising system. ISPs must have consent from their users to send targeted advertisements. The ICO decision was happily accepted by many people, including Which Technology editor Matthew Bath. Mr. Bath went on to state, “Broadband customers would have been kept in the dark that their web browsing behaviour was being collected and sold to advertisers. This means consumers will now be fully aware of what the system does before any data is collected.”

Main article

The Government Accountability Office has recently declared that certain “security gaps” (whatever that means) may put our (taxpayer) information at risk. According to the GAO, “persistent information security weaknesses that place (it) at risk of disruption, fraud or inappropriate disclosure of sensitive information.”

Well that certainly makes me feel better about filing my tax returns this year. So let’s see if I get this….I am supposed to file a tax return to the IRS that includes, basically every piece of personal information humanly possible. Alright, understood. So the information I am supplying to the IRS, which tells them everything about me, is not secured and could possibly be hacked, stolen, etc? Well…..that makes sense (but actually the complete opposite of that). I would hope I could at least have some protection when I am at my most vulnerable. Well, looking at the bright side that tax return money is the only money I will have until next year’s tax return so a thief won’t get too much….(laugh with me).

The GAO reported that the IRS fixed 29 of the known weaknesses since last year. Now, the interesting piece of information is that the total number of these weaknesses is 98. 29 of 98 isn’t a figure I am too comfortable with. Aside from these 98 security risks identified, IRS data centers add even more to the security weaknesses. In a three year span nearly 500 IRS laptops were stolen, and some IRS data centers had administrative log-ins that were unencrypted.

All the more reason to make sure you are protected as much as possible. You can never be too protected, especially when the government is failing to keep us safe from online criminals.

Recent Internet security reports have informed the public as to what threats will be hitting the cyber world this coming year. FoxBusiness has recently released a report on behalf of CA, Inc. stating the newest privacy and Internet security threats for the coming year.

Online gamers, social networking, and major events (like Election ’08 and the Olympics) better watch out and keep themselves protected, as these are said to be targets for online attacks.

The major causes for concern, according to CA and their expert advisers are:

1. Bots. “The number of computers infected by botnets will increase sharply,” CA states. Bots are becoming much more of a risk in 2008 since they have to adapt to new technology every year and are becoming much harder to detect. This and the fact that they can be spread by peer-to-peer networking, mainly instant messaging, means a lot more of these bad boys will be around this year.

2. Advancements in malware. Malware has become increasingly smarter and more sophisticated. New techniques will allow malware to stay almost in plain sight without the infected computer (well the user of the computer) knowing they have a problem. Creators will be using increased levels of encryption and stenography to hide their activities.

3. Stealing gamers’ information. Gamers are usually a prime target for online criminals since the computers used are usually built for high-end performance and not high-end security.

4. The increase in social networking. The dramatic increase in popularity equals more vulnerability. With the massive amount of people using social networking, cyber criminals can have a field day with the less than stellar security that these sites provide, and the sub-par security that the users themselves think they have.

5. Major events. The Presidential Elections as well as the Olympics could provide a fertile ground for cyber criminals. Web attacks or good ol‘ fashioned stealing of information seems to be the consensus of CA, Inc.

6. Web 2.0 attacks. The services are easy to implement but difficult to protect. Many sites using Web 2.0 are vulnerable to attack, while not showing any signs of compromise.

7. Risky Windows Vista. New computers are coming equipped with Windows Vista, meaning as people are buying new computers more versions of Vista will be targeted for attack. While Microsoft states that Vista is the most secure version of Windows ever made, CA found 20 vulnerabilities last year.

You have been warned…

Also, the article shows the trends for 2007, in case you were wondering.

So just because you clean up your hard drive and get rid of it, does it mean you are safe? If you say, “Yes,” then….you might want to check some things out and do some research.

This article is about what can be recovered from a hard drive and how much damage you need to inflict to make the HD unrecoverable.

Normal everyday hazards such as dipping it in liquid or dropping it will not make the hard drive unrecoverable, but it will take a professional to get everything back to you.

On the other hand, smashing it and running it over with a car, like the people at the BBC did, may do the job.

So for privacy’s sake, if you are getting rid of a computer, do something with the hard drive. Someone can find all your information even if you think the hard drive is erased or destroyed.