Are you concerned about Internet privacy?
I read a story by George Hesselberg in Monday’s Wisconsin State Journal that was alarming. It noted that Monday was “Data Privacy Day” and explained why you should stop slumping at your computer, sit up and take notice.
Your digital presence, Hesselberg wrote, “is being probed, attacked, tempted, lured, sweet-talked then dragged into a virtual alley and relieved of password, purse and personal effects.”
A UW-Madison official suggested “we cannot be paranoid enough,” and that attacks on the system happen “tens of thousands of times daily.”
Hesselberg wrote that a state agency warns that tracking a digital footprint has never been easier.
The state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection's Office of Privacy Protection logged nine “data breaches” affecting state residents in 2012. Sometimes such breaches can expose your Social Security number.
While companies and their data can get hacked, most are traced to information contained on stolen laptops, Hesselberg wrote.
Sandy Chalmers, division administrator at DATCP, urges computer users to change their passwords; make them long, strong and complex; and use different ones for different accounts.
As I’ve mentioned in my blog before, I don’t do my banking or pay bills online because I don’t trust the security systems. Some readers suggest I’m being paranoid, and I know many of you think nothing of making purchases online. I, however, try to avoid online shopping.
Greg Peck can be reached at (608) 755-8278 or gpeck@gazettextra.com. Or follow him on Twitter or Facebook
Jan 30, 2013 at 7:42 p.m.
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Hey Greg, how about getting rid of those tracking cookies!
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Right now, Ghostery is blocking four cookies just to read and post this message!
Jan 30, 2013 at 4:24 p.m.
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Banking and bill paying online is fine. Doesn't anyone bother to look at their statements? If one sees something amiss, then take action, you are not liable for thefts that occur this way. In particular, if you catch and report them, it is not your responsibility. It is such a convenience and money saving thing to be able to take care of most things online, that to me it is well worth the minute risk involved.
I would think that these bloggers who so abundantly write about their home, who lives there, who works, when they work, the approximate location of their home, their assets, their income level, at least as far as bragging about their vacations, their vacation property, their vehicles, make and model, the places that they frequent, and on and on would be more concerned about that security breech that they exposed themselves to. That is a real down home security problem when you advertise your personal facts like that. But oh well, to each his own.
Jan 30, 2013 at 4:23 p.m.
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I don't worry very much about my internet privacy. What few concerns I have are held in perspective by the fact that information I give up out in the real world (like using my CC at a restaurant or giving my address to a business) have more potential to impact me than information I give out online. While online information can spread more easily, it also offers more protections against random interception than information shared online.
I still take strong precautions online, stronger than most, and probably much stronger than needed...
I always check that websites where I share personal information (even Facebook) use HTTPS (look for the lock symbol in the address bar. This protects me from random hackers intercepting information about me.
I use completely random passwords on all websites I use. I keep a password protected encrypted database of all my password on my desktop so I still only have to remember a single password. This protects me from having sites I use gathering information about me from other sites I use.
I secure my wireless network. A lot of people do not do this because they have no problem sharing their connection with their neighbors, but this is a bad idea since an unprotected WiFi broadcasts all traffic on your network unencrypted. It makes it very easy to gather information about you. It also exposes you to liability if one of your neighbors uses your connection to do something illegal. This protects me from information my neighbors or nosey passers-by may gather about me.
I use a web browser that keeps no history. This protects me from information my wife may gather about me. :)
I also use a private VPN server with no logging to anonymyze and encrypt all of my web browsing. This protects me from information that my ISP may gather about me.
All of these things are well within the abilities of a moderately skilled computer user. If you are not that, you probably have a grandson who is.
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