Discussing Internet Privacy Issues

Now we will look at some of the web links related with Internet Privacy issues .

This paper by a suffolk University researcher Morris A. Singer  notes in particular the privacy issues involved in Social Networking sphere. You can take a look at it   

http://suffolkmedialaw.com/2010/05/20/how-privacy-limits-utility-using-facebook-as-a-case-study/

Below is an excerpt from that paper.

"On April 27, 2010, U.S. Sens. Al Franken, Charles Schumer, Michael Bennet, and Mark Begich wrote a letter to Facebook, urging the social networking company to change their privacy settings modifications from opt-out to opt-in. In a statement accompanying the letter, Sen. Schumer said:


Millions of New Yorkers use social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter every day with an expectation that their private information is shared only with those they choose to connect with . . . . [I]t’s vitally important that safeguards are in place that provide users with control over their personal information to ensure they don’t receive unwanted solicitations and other nuisances, and that they are not automatically gathered into online groups without their consent."

Science Daily had some of the reports below running  last year, discussing issues related with Privacy, How Facebook and other  Social Networking sites pose concerns for a user, where the user signs away his rights to the online entity.

You can read about the Science Daily  report discussing this particular issue.

 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013162746.htm

Another Science daily  report discussing a research at Worcester Polytechnic Institute,  how practices of many social networking websites make available a User's browsing information with the tracking websites.

You can read this report

 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824151307.htm

Recently there were many privacy issues reported in the media, when it was noted that Engineers at the web giant Google were detected to have copied or collected a huge volume of private data illegally, while surveying the streets in European cites, for the Google's Street View application.

Read related BBC story

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8684110.stm

Google has been since in damage control mode and  made clear that it has already purged or are on the way to purge complete data collected illegally, and then recently Google tightened up it's employee privacy policy when dealing with Customer data. Read related Yahoo report here.

There's no reason to doubt the steps taken by Google in this direction, but the concern will remain high with How much user data changed hands or the content duplicated. Though these issues are still unfolding, and it will take time till the user's swarming the Social sphere can comprehend about what exactly is been done with their virtual identity, that's increasingly revealing more and more information about a User. And a fact that it no longer gives a User an identity, which used to seem so anonymous online a couple of years ago.

You can take a look at the Privacy Policy of the facebook

 http://www.facebook.com/policy.php

You can  take a look about the latest privacy features introduced by facebook recently  

http://www.pcworld.com/article/194866/facebooks_new_features_and_your_privacy_what_you_need_to_know.html
 
How do you think that your Privacy might be affected online ?
Do you think it is OK for tracking websites to scan your data from Social Networking sites with which a User actually signs a Privacy and Terms contract ?
When did you felt that your Online Privacy has been violated ?
Are you satisfied with Privacy Policy of all the online majors in the Social Networking realm ?


For Further Reading :

Internet Security and Privacy at stake 

Browser Security Essentials for User Privacy Part 4

Continuing from the previous post, we will discuss now what are session cookies and persistent cookies and how to handle them.

Session Cookies are sometimes used in authentication in order to log-in a customer into a restricted area, like chat clients, e mail, bank accounts and other authentication based user access websites, to record your visit and amount of time spent at a website and give seamless access to all the web pages associated with that website. 

Session cookies are also time duration sensitive and record your activity when using a website, if there isn’t any activity for a stipulated period of time, some websites prompts to re enter the authentication credentials to prove that it is the original user who is using the account, since there are so many ways that an account can be compromised. Always remember to clear the cache and other personal details like search forms, address bars and history of the browser when using a public terminal and also do not forget to close off the browser before leaving. 

The closing of the browser terminates all the connections with communication ports through which the data traverses on the machine. This all information is stored in an Internet Protocol header (IP header) and other memory registers on your system. There are so many other ways to work with IP headers. So when the browser window is closed it terminates all those ports involved in communication at that particular moment of time. So when a new Browser is opened it has to initiate all the requests to establish a new connection with new set of values.This in many ways helps protect your privacy.

Communication technologies have converged fast, 4G networks are already deployed in many parts of the world particularly in some markets in Scandinavia, North America and South East Asia. More and more devices are hooking up, more technologies and gadgets are developing at a rapid pace, the more the security issues are involved with all the devices which we use for our daily communication needs, and it is highly advised to update your understanding and techniques of using these technologies, so that we do not fall victim to attacks and loose our precious data and time.

And now we will come to discuss Persistent cookies, these are the cookies which note a user's preferences and other needs like customer settings like language, mode and other user preferences while visiting a site and stores this information in the cookie to be placed onto your system. So when you make the next visit, it is easy for us to be offered services at a faster speed. But the problem with these set of cookies is same as ever, that it could be used to target you knowing your preferences, if a malicious user gains access to these cookies. So it will be up to you to clear the cookies when you visit a site. Or the level of trust you place with the site being visited.

So you need to focus on how to set privacy settings on your local browser, if you're using multiple browsers, you need to understand where you need to look for the privacy settings in different browsers. You need to understand how to clear cookies from your system, how often and when.

In the upcoming posts we will look into how other types of persistent cookies( which are almost impossible to remove), flash objects and scripts pose serious privacy issues for a user and how to deal with them.

The reason to take these issues seriously is, it is not all the time that a user can know in any way that his accounts are being used unscrupulously. Sometimes there is every chance that you will never know, how your personal accounts have been abused.

Browser Security Essentials for User Privacy Part 3

It is long time since I have delivered a post at my blog due to my busy schedule, but please remember one thing, that in absence of ready information, you should try to inculcate the habit of searching for latest trends related with Internet security.

And now we will further discuss Browser Security with respect to User's privacy, and how to handle the cookies that a user might come across while surfing the web. We will also discuss about scripts and flash running on a system in upcoming posts.

So now, lets settle down to discuss cookies. It is important to understand all the privacy issues associated with all types of cookies.

The types of cookies are tracking cookies( these are cookies specially designed to track the movements of a user when surfing the web),  session cookies, persistent cookies and and also the Local Shared Objects( Flash cookies ).

Session cookie are session based that are erased after a browser is closed, they are no longer stored on a users system, and that work with a typical session ID. They are stored in a temporary folder and automatically get erased.

Session Cookies are sometimes used as authentication cookies in order to log-in a customer into a restricted area, like chat clients, e mail, bank accounts and other authentication based user access websites. These cookies are specially designed both ways to protect a users account from intrusion from a hacker waiting in line to attack,  to record user's visit to a website and give seamless access to all the web pages associated with that website also recording your visit length simultaneously.

The persistent cookies are the one's which notes customer settings like language, Geographic location and other user preferences while visiting a site and stores this information in the form of a cookie to be placed onto the user's system. So, when user makes the next visit it is easy for him/her to be identified and offered services at a faster speed. But the problem with these set of cookies is same as ever, that it could to be used to target you knowing your preferences if a malicious user gains access to these cookies. It will be up to the user to clear the cookies when visiting a site. Or the level of trust a user place's with the site.

User need to focus on how to set privacy settings on the local browser, if you're using multiple browsers, you need to understand, where you need to look for the same privacy settings in different browsers. You need to understand how to clear cookies from your system, how often and when.

In the upcoming posts we will look into how other types of persistent cookies, flash objects and scripts pose privacy issues for a user.

Browser Security Essentials for User Privacy part 2

Before moving ahead we should understand what a term cookie is ?

 It is a small piece of Text string  placed in the user's memory ( System ), by  a host that is being visited. Why it is placed ? And How it is used ? are the two questions that a  user should understand and use it according to personal preferences, like the trust you place with a website being visited with respect to your online privacy.

 A cookie is used for many purposes including authentication, session tracking or  remembering the user preferences such as shopping carts and other data.

Authentication involves a host to know a particular user’s information and simultaneously it can allow it to log in at the terminal.  Here, a browser needs to accept the cookie,  without doing so, you may not be able to access the service.

Session tracking as the name itself suggests, is used to track the amount of time spent by a user at a website and other related info.

Also we understand, by remembering the preferences of a user such as shopping carts and other data, lets a host or other third party hosts know the details of user’s spending and this data further used in business targeting.

As you know now that a cookie is very helpful when it is used in a proper manner, but sometimes there are many bad sites which attack computers online, it is well advised to be cautious and you can enable switch it on and off  according to your preferences and trust which you place with the website. Browser security will be further discussed in the next post.

Browser Security Essentials for User Privacy Part 1

                                           
                                                       Source freepixels.com
One of the aspects of computer security mostly neglected or ignored is the browser security. 

Most users tend to neglect or ignore this important feature of securing their system from malware being run on their system when they inadvertently visit a bad site and click scrupulous  links thinking them to be safe. And let the malicious software’s intrude your system, the actions a wary user can avoid.

 This is a news story I followed this morning and this should be an eye opener,  how an unsuspecting consumer is led to click on malicious links and rogue anti-virus software’s getting installed onto your system without you knowing the veracity of the rogue software. 

The big part of the problem is removal, it is hard to get them removed from your system once you have installed them. So protection is better than cure here too. 

Check the authenticity of the security software you are downloading from the web.

One thing you will notice when visiting a website, you come across many other third party sites. Some times these third party sites are vulnerable and can pose a security risk to your system.

One thing a user should keep in mind when visiting a website, that the browser and the network are giving out information to the host. Like the IP address, the type of browser you are using, and other details, as most of us know this fact. So is akin walking onto an open street.

Besides this, our system also shares a level of security when visiting a host. That you allow a host to place a cookie on to your system and run scripts. You can simultaneously block these options. Why ? We will look into the reasons ahead in the next post Browser Security 2.

For Further Reading :

Browser Security Esssentials Part 2 

Broswer Security Essentials Part 3

Browser Security Essentials Part 4 
 

Bogus E-mails 'From' FDIC Link Computer Users To Viruses, Says Computer Forensics Expert

Cyber criminals are using fake messages claiming to be from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to deliver a virus capable of stealing unsuspecting victims' bank passwords and other sensitive personal information, says a computer forensics specialist.

Read the full story at Science Daily

Dane Morgan on Mobile Security : A Guest Post

 Today we have a Guest Post by one of the popular Blog Catalog names Dane Morgan, Dane has started a new venture on freelance articles and reports.. I requested him for the more increasingly important topic of security concerning our Mobile Phones and since security being an important theme within the sphere of technology on this blog. Here's is his valuable insight into the issue.

Constantly increasing computing power and the data storage that comes with it, combined with increasing speeds of 3G networks are making mobile devices more attractive to hackers, spammers and scammers as the rewards are rising faster than the risks. - Dane Morgan

                    Until recently Mobile Security hasn't been taken very seriously by most mobile users and the companies that employ them, but that is changing.

Research has shown that a good majority of lost or stolen mobile devices contain confidential personal and company information and communications that can be used to target the employee or the company for fraud and other mailcious attacks.

Additionally, Mobile security is moving rapidly towards similar methods to those used to protect PCs, such as firewalls, anti-malware and virus detection.

At this point most experts agree that mobile security measures are required on every smartphone to protect agaisnt malware. malicious software that infects a mobile device can cause false billing, disclosure of sensitive stored information, and can be used to delete, corrupt, modify or steal personal and company data stored on the device.

The biggest threats mobile users face today really centr around:

• Privacy when they access the internet through a WiFi connection
• Data protection in the face of a malware attack
• Data loss and compromise when when a mobile device is lost or stolen
• SMS spam, which a steadily growing number of users report as a problem.

Constanly increasing computing power and the data storage that comes with it, combined with increasing speeds of 3G networks are making mobile devices more attractive to hackers, spammers and scammers as the rewards are rising faster than the risks.

Some protection methods include using passwords, data encryption, spam filters, antivirus software and firewalls. But the real first line of defense in mobile security is an educated user.

• Mobile users should avoid visiting websites that they are unfamiliar with or that they may not really have a reason to trust.
• Install a security solution that provides anti-virus and firewall functionalities.
• Don't open strange or unexpected MMS you receive, even from people you know.
• Keep your Bluetooth connection hidden at all times.
• Never install an application from a mistrusted or completely unknown source.

Anti-virus and anti malware solutions should automatically retrieve newest updates whenever any data connection is used, and use advanced SMS update mechanisms for critical updates when a data connection is not available.

Users should also take advantage of new technologies that allow for storage of sensitive data on a removable card that becomes inactive when inserted into a different phone. There are also mobile security systems available now that can disable smart phones and even lock down or delete stored information in the event that they are lost or stolen.

Mobile security is important in this day and age. It is up to both companies and those who work with them to take mobile security seriously and develop a security plan for their mobile devices and the sensitive information that contain.

Dane Morgan is a freelance writer and web designer. Visit his portfolio of freelance articles and reports.

Identifying ID Theft And Fraud

                                  

                   
                           
                   If the wife of FBI boss Robert Mueller has warned him not to use internet banking because of the threat of online fraud, then what hope is there for the average Joe? The results of research suggests that more of us are no longer entrusting our finances to virtual accounts.

Read the full article at sciencedaily.com

Introduction Posts :

1. Are you secure online ? gives a good introduction overview on the Internet Security threats we face today. I recommend to give it a read along with the post Mobile Security in Focus

People Are Still The Weakest Link In Computer And Internet Security, Study Finds

                                        
                                      

Source: freedigitalphotos

  Two decades ago, studies showed that computer users were violating best practices for setting up hack-proof passwords, and not much has changed since then. What's clear, say researchers , is that until human factors/ergonomics methods are applied to the problem, it isn't likely to go away. --- Science daíly

This article at Science daíly highlights the issue of security being taken lightly by the users, and further discusses in detail how the user ergonomics and other human factors can lead to change in the user behaviour concerning security.

Introduction Posts : 

1. Are you secure online ? gives a good introduction overview on the Internet Security threats we face today. I recommend to give it a read along with the post Mobile Security in Focus

Mobile Security in Focus

                                                               

                                                            Source : FreeFoto

The growth in the multimedia applications along with new advanced technology smart phones, the security issues concerning this sector is just beginning to unfold. Virus, Trojans etc., affect the Mobiles the same way they affect a computer, as now 3G/4G mobiles look and behave more similar to a computer. Additional to this, user privacy and data have more increasingly come under threat.

Here is a link to Symbian OS press release in July stating how a Trojan work horse passed out its security tests.

You can have a look at Mcafee’s 2009 report  on wide ranging issues concerning security of Mobile platforms.

It is important to understand the aspect of security, when it comes to using the communication devices like PDA’s, Laptops, PC’s or mobiles, that when you are accessing the outside world, you need to have a good security mechanism to prevent threats to your mobile security, privacy and data from being hacked, stolen and manipulated.

And this aspect gives rise to another question, Is there any security in place when you are roaming with your communication device and are required to access a Wireless network located at a hot spot ? The answer is no.

This article reflects here. Discusses other issues too.

Here's another link to a document giving some simple but useful info regarding, How we can help protect our mobile phone in general, which almost all of us know, but its still better to take a look, in case if  missing out on anything. So, remember always to browse safely when you are mobile.

1. Are you secure online ? gives a good introduction overview on the Internet Security threats we face today. I recommend to give it a read