Do you know who's watching you?

Many social networking sites, like Facebook, have privacy settings that put most of the control in the hands of the user, and most users will say they keep their personal profiles relatively private. But how much of our privacy do we really control? About a month ago, Facebook once again changed its privacy settings without informing the users. When logged onto Facebook, take a look at the URL box at the top of your window. If it reads "http" instead of "https," you are not browsing with a secured connection. Though this can be changed by the user (if you would like to do so, I have directions at the end of the post), Facebook has it automatically set to the non-secure setting. Changes like these happen so frequently that they often go unnoticed by even the most secure and private users. So then, how secure are we? In the scroll box below, I have embedded a chart from wordstream.com that reveals some shocking and interesting statistics about the privacy of Google and Facebook users.

With scary statistics like the ones shown above, why do so many people continue providing personal information to social networking sites? Why do these social networking sites, like Facebook, make their privacy settings automatically unsecured? The answer to these and many other questions may never truly be answered. But one thing is for sure, most loyal Internet users will trust the Internet until they are given a reason not to, and by then the consequences may be too substantial to overcome.

How to secure your Facebook connection:
1. Go to "Account Settings"
2. Click "Security" on the left top corner
3. Click "Edit" next to "Secure Browsing"
4. Check the box, then click "Save".

Sources:
http://www.wordstream.com/articles/google-privacy-internet-privacy

The true meaning of "Face"book

We all have one. Some of us are one. Most of us ignore them, but some of us follow them. We can "like" them, or we can hide them. They can be stalked, or they can be blocked. Either way, we all know about them. Fellow social networkers, I'm talking about the Facebook Status Junkie.

Before the age of the Internet, privacy was an important and respected issue. People kept their private lives, well, private. Today, with sites like Twitter and Facebook, which averages over 800 million users to date, it's all about what you're doing, when you're doing it, and who you're doing it with. Some people join these social networking sites to get in touch with old friends, some to learn about new friends, but most utilize it to update their friends on the movie they just saw, how much studying they have to do, or the vacation they just took. Why do these "Facebook Status Junkies," as mentioned before, expose so much of their private lives to the ever-expanding Internet world? Every Twitter post or Facebook status we enter, every photo we upload, and every online conversation we have is shaping who we are on the other side of the computer screen, as depicted in the picture above. This illustration emphasizes the whole idea of privacy and how every virtual piece of information we put onto the Internet reflects a strip of who we really are offline; what we look like, who we hang out with, what we like to do, and so on. It evokes a sense of loss of self, and provokes Internet users to think about what they post on the Internet as a factor defining who they are in the real world. The way the strips of flesh peel back into bits of personal information floating into the computer screen really iterates the severity of how what we post online tears away at our privacy. It could also be perceived from the opposite direction, in that the strips of information coming from the computer screen shape every bit of who we are. It gives a whole new meaning to the term "Face"book, doesn't it?

For now, Facebook Status Junkies will continue to write statuses, avid social networkers will continue updating their profiles, and bloggers will continue blogging. But it is only a matter of time before the privacy of every Internet user is virtually nonexistent and nothing is hidden from the vast world that is sucking in bits of your personal identity from the other side of the screen.

Sources:
https://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics
http://www.maclife.com/article/feature/internet_privacy_101_your_safety_guide_social_networking

Identity theft is not a joke!

As the vast expanse of information on the Internet continues to rapidly grow, so does the rate of Internet crime. One of the biggest and most consequential of them all is identity theft. Identity theft can take many different forms, but the consequences are all substantial and lead to loss of privacy and property. For instance, someone could steal the credit card information you entered on an unreliable website on the Internet and charge thousands of dollars to your account. An identity thief could aquire an identification card with your name and information printed on it, but with their face pictured. They could even purchase a home or apartment in your name, without you even knowing until days or weeks later. Scary, right? This clip from one of my favorite shows, "The Office," depicts one slightly mild and unconventional form of identity theft, but proves that it is NOT a joke.


"Identity theft is not a joke, Jim. Millions of families suffer every year!" And surely, they do. According to the FTC, an estimated 9 million Americans fall victim to identity theft each year. Why is this number so high? Why are so many people becoming victims to this crime? The answer to these questions is quite simple; the information being stolen is most likely something the victim put out there by their own will. If you throw away an old credit card bill in the trash, it becomes open access for anyone to seek out and steal. Trusting in an unaccountable website and entering personal information is just like handing it over to a thief. It is for reasons like these why it is so important to be cautious when it comes to sharing personal information. Identity theft starts with the victim and what they decide to share with the world.

Identity theft is 100% preventable. Frequently monitoring account information can help with prevention and early detection should you become a target of identity theft. Shredding or burning any personal documentation that you plan to throw away is another way to protect yourself from dumpster diving thieves. As I stated before, identity theft starts with the awareness and carelessness of the victim, so become aware of when and when not to share information, and you can easily defend yourself against identity theft.

Sources:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/about-identity-theft.html
http://vimeo.com/1067344

Will that be cash or credit?

Having worked at a grocery store for more than 3 years, I feel like it is safe to say that I have rung up what seems like more than 1 million transactions. Most modern shoppers pay in the form of a debit or credit card, but every so often a costumer will whip out the old school checkbook, ask to borrow a pen, and take the time to fill out all the information a check requires, all while receiving impatient and disgruntled looks from the customers waiting behind them. Though these stuck-in-the-past check-writers are rare, I had an experience with one customer that changed my perspective on the use of checks. She declared to me that she was writing checks, and checks only, for the rest of her life - and for good reason. Her credit card information had been stolen online from a website that claimed to be "secure" and thousands of dollars had been charged to her account.

Traumatizing events like these are not uncommon. They happen everyday to people who put their trust in the internet by supplying their personal information to websites they believe will protect them. From the online shopper, to the online blogger, even to the online social networker, there isn't a user today who isn't accessing a website that doesn't require, or at least attempt to acquire, some form of personal information. Most retailers often have online stores that make accessing and purchasing their merchandise fairly simple, but most require a credit card number and mailing address. Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace don't require such personal information, but have blanks for the user to fill in varying information such as their age, a personal description, and even their location, if desired.

Why do so many people (myself included) trust in such sites to disclose personal information? This blog will discuss the topics of identity, privacy, and safety and how they apply to the internet and other modern technologies our world has come to trust and rely on.

Hope you enjoyed reading!