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Straight Talkin Mike~~8 Privacy Threats Worse Than Google

5/5/2012

 
8 Privacy Threats Worse Than Google

Google's privacy policy tweaks this week caused a fresh flurry of outrage. But Google should not be your top privacy worry.

4 Comments | Thomas Claburn | March 03, 2012 09:10 AM

Google has taken a lot of heat for combining several dozen privacy policies that few people ever read into a single set of rules that people might actually glance at, even if they don't really want to bother with the specifics.

The outcry is both appropriate and ridiculous.

  Worries about online privacy are appropriate because online privacy is terrible. Remember Facebook's Beacon ad targeting system, which caused similar controversy in 2007? Well, read Google's new privacy policy, the part about pixel tags.

Google explains, "A pixel tag is a type of technology placed on a website or within the body of an email for the purpose of tracking activity on websites, or when emails are opened or accessed, and is often used in combination with cookies."

That's basically what Facebook's Beacon system did. But it's not just Google doing this, it's pretty much every online ad company and major Internet service. Get ready for the Soylent Green moment: The information economy runs on your information.

[ Read Google Insists Privacy Change Is Legal. ]

But worries about online privacy are ridiculous because we don't really want privacy. We want to feel like we're in control, whether or not we are or can be. We want a property right in the information we generate and passively express. You'd better hope that we never get that far because there won't be any information economy after that.

Privacy doesn't sell, at least beyond those in the market for tin foil hats. I've lost track of the number of companies that have tried and failed to sell privacy as a product. It doesn't sell because we'd rather be connected and share, because we'd rather have advertisers subsidize online services, and because it's difficult to place a value on privacy.

Worries about online privacy are ridiculous because much of the hysteria comes from companies using fear mongering to compete, from lawmakers who don't understand technology, and from interest groups with ties to industry. Real cases of privacy-related harm are few and far between. Remember the Borings, the couple in Pennsylvania that sued Google for photographing their property with a Street View car? They settled for $1. Google paid too much.

In a more recent Street View privacy-related lawsuit, a French man is suing Google for capturing an image of him urinating in his yard. Although his face was blurred, locals apparently recognized him. Maybe Google will have to shift to full-body blurring, to protect the privacy necessary to relieve oneself in public.

Worries about online privacy are ridiculous because we're so schizophrenic about privacy. Google has to blur the face of people captured in Street View images, yet these same people are probably present in the backgrounds of tourists' pictures and video posted to countless social-sharing websites. We surrender our privacy to our employers and yet accept that companies have a right to operate without much scrutiny. We submit to invasive body scanning at airports and become indignant at the thought of seeing ads tailored to our interests.

Though Google consolidated its privacy policies to allow it to generate more ad revenue by delivering more relevant ads, it also is offering what it believes is a better experience. So before you take up arms against Google, which is mainly trying to make enough money to pay for all those videos you're uploading and watching on YouTube, here, in no particular order, are a few privacy violators to worry about.

1. Shoulder surfers. Remember, you don't have much privacy and you have even less sitting in a cafe or on a plane where people can see your computer screen.

2. Hackers. No computer user with an Internet connection is immune from hacking, but you can mitigate the risk by choosing strong passwords and using two-factor authentication. Sure, it's a pain, but assuring that your computer is secure will help you maintain your privacy.

3. Other people. When things are going well in a relationship or friendship, it's all about sharing. When things turn to divorce, child-custody battles, or other disputes, you might realize that your enemies don't adhere to privacy policies. And even your friends might cause problems, posting pictures or sharing email messages that don't portray you as you wish to be portrayed.

4. Governments. If you're more concerned about what Google knows than you are about what governments know, consider whether any government is more true to the "Don't Be Evil" motto than Google. Who watches the watchmen?

5. Credit bureaus. Unlike consumer credit companies, what Google knows about you probably never prevented you from getting a loan.

6. Information vendors. Google might be able to point people to a lot of public information about you, but companies such as Intellius, when presented with an email address, will produce a report that includes a person's personal name, address, residential and cell phone numbers, and location details.

7. Your employer. Google is reasonably specific about the information it collects and it allows users a fair degree of control over that information. Your employer probably has a record of all the websites you've visited while at work and access to your work-related email. Before you sue for employment discrimination or back pay, be sure your own conduct online at work has been beyond reproach.

8. You. Google can collect only a limited amount of information if you haven't signed in to your Google account. And the company provides plenty of tools for limiting the information it stores. Have you done your part to protect your privacy? Here's a first step in the journey toward privacy awareness: Keep your voice down when talking on your mobile phone.

The list could go on. Insurers, retailers, ISPs, developers, telecom companies, electric utilities, grocery stores, and anyone rifling through your garbage might know more about you than you realize. Frankly, if Google's tracking is your major concern, you probably have very little to worry about.

That doesn't mean privacy isn't worthwhile. It's just complicated. We should expect and demand that companies are straightforward about how they're using information. Here Google and other businesses need to do more, to be more specific about how they leverage data. But we should not expect them to turn a blind eye to the information we don't take the trouble to protect, particularly if they make a good faith effort to be transparent and involve us in the process.

Trust as much as you have to, verify what you care about, block where necessary, and try to find your own personal comfort zone in the information economy.

New privacy rules might sound appealing, but they probably won't be very effective. Advertising has a way to surviving. And in the event it doesn't, guess who'll end up paying?

As enterprises ramp up cloud adoption, service-level agreements play a major role in ensuring quality enterprise application performance. Follow our four-step process to ensure providers live up to their end of the deal. It's all in our Cloud SLA report. (Free registration required.)

Source

 


Lifelock~~Identity Protection

4/21/2012

 
Recommended by The IQD Team

Lifelock

Relentlessly Protecting Your Identity 

We do more to help protect your identity. At LifeLock, we help protect you against more than just credit fraud, we alert you whenever we detect your personal information being used to apply for wireless services, retail credit, utilities, and mortgage loans within our extensive network. If you become a victim of identity theft while you are a LifeLock member because of some failure or defect in our service, we will spend up to $1 million to hire experts, lawyers, investigators, consultants and whoever else it takes to help your recovery.





Nine Easy Things You Can Do to Protect Your Identity

4/9/2012

 
THANKS TO DANIEL FOR SENDING THIS IN....

Nine Easy Things You Can Do to Protect Your Identity  

By Jeff_McRitchie

  Identity theft is frequently in the news these days and with good reason. It's become one of the most common crimes and anyone can become a victim of it. This is unfortunate because identity theft can be devastating. It can destroy your credit, drain your finances, and affect your reputation. However, you can fight back. Here are nine easy things you can do to protect your identity:

  • One of the best ways to protect your identity is by using a paper shredder. You should shred any document that contains personal information: canceled checks, bank statements, old credit reports, and so on. Cross-cut shredders offer much more security than strip-cut models and there are some devices that can shred items like credit cards and CD's. Shredders are available in a variety of sizes so it's easy to find one that's perfect for your needs and budget.

  • Whenever you're at an ATM or making a purchase with your debit card, make sure that no one can see which numbers you're pressing as you enter your PIN. Likewise, give people space when they're paying for something or banking. It's all about common courtesy.

  • Take care when creating passwords for websites. It's a good idea to use different passwords for different sites and to change your passwords on a regular basis. If you have trouble remembering your passwords, use a program like Password Safe that will keep them under wraps but still allow you to cut and paste them into web forms.

  • Make sure you pick up your mail daily and to mail your items at the post office. It's very easy for someone to break into your personal mailbox and if there's mail in it, he or she will have access to a wealth of personal information.

  • Take the time to read your bank and credit card statements every month so you can detect any fraud that may have occurred. You should also check your credit report on a regular basis and alert the credit bureaus if you notice any suspicious activity. You can get your credit report for free once a year, so be sure to take advantage of the opportunity.

  Safeguard your banking information
  • When you're making a purchase or paying a bill online, you should make sure that you're using a secured site. The easiest way to tell if a website is secure or not is to look at the beginning of the URL. If the beginning reads “https://” you're good to go. Also, try not to make online purchases with a cell phone. Chances are, the connection won't be secure.
  • You should try to limit the amount of credit cards you carry. Not only will this make it less likely for someone to steal your identity, you'll have better control over your finances and be less likely to find yourself in a lot of debt. You should also report lost cards when necessary and destroy expired or unwanted ones.

  • Keep your Social Security card and other important paperwork in a safe place such as a locked filing cabinet or a safety deposit box. Also, be careful about giving out your Social Security number. You should do so only when necessary.

  • When it comes time to move to a new residence, make sure you update your address with the post office, friends and relatives, creditors, etc. The last thing you need is to have a complete stranger receiving your mail.
Protecting your identity is easy to do as long as you make it a priority and stay vigilant. By following these tips, you'll be doing your part to make sure your identity stays safe. And if you do end up becoming a victim, let the proper authorities (local police, Federal Trade Commission, etc.) know right away so you can nip the problem in the bud. Good luck!

SOURCE

How to Remove your personal information from Spokeo.com

3/4/2012

 
How to Remove your personal information from Spokeo.com

You may want to check out http://www.spokeo.com to see what personal information is there. Spokeo.com is a new online phone book w/personal information: everything from pics you've posted on FB or web, your approx credit score, home value, income, age, etc. You can remove yourself by first searching for yourself on their site to find the URL of your page and going... to the Privacy button on the bottom of their page to remove yourself which takes you to http://www.spokeo.com/privacy. Pass this onto those you care about.

Protect Your Privacy: White Pages How to Remove Listing Information

3/3/2012

 
Thank you to one of our listeners who shared the information about www.neighbors.whitepages.com

If you are listed on this site and you want to remove it, follow the instructions below by going to www.whitepages.com:

How can I remove my listing information from WhitePages?

Easy. To remove a home or work listing, just follow these three steps:

    Search WhitePages for the listing you want to remove.
    If your search includes multiple results, find and click on your name.
    On the Details page, scroll down to the bottom of the page. Look for the link that says, "Remove this listing." Click the link and follow the instructions to remove your listing.

Following this process will remove published listing information (e.g. name, address and phone number) from WhitePages. Removing your published listing information will not remove information displayed through advertisements or other pages where non-listing information is displayed. For example, when doing a reverse phone search, we will return the city, state and phone "type" if full listing information is not available. On our "Names Popularity" pages we provide general information about names. No personally identifiable listing information is displayed in these cases and this information cannot be removed.



More information about White Pages:

Hi. We know that managing your privacy in today's info-rich world can be daunting. We'd like to help. Use this page to learn more about listing information published on WhitePages, as well as other resources that you may find helpful.
Our Privacy Policy

To learn how we collect, use, share, access and secure the information you may provide to us, please read our Privacy Policy.
Common Questions

Here are the questions we frequently hear from our customers about WhitePages and our approach to privacy.

    What is WhitePages?
    Is WhitePages the "phone company"?
    Where do you get the information for your listings?
    Why does WhitePages include age ranges, job titles and other info?
    Why does WhitePages include maps and directions?
    How can I remove my listing information from WhitePages?
    Will WhitePages re-publish listing information after it's removed?
    What other ways can I protect my information?
    Are there other "people search" sites that sell personal information?

What is WhitePages?

WhitePages is a privately-held company located in Seattle, WA. Our purpose is to make it fantastically simple for everyone to connect with confidence.
Is WhitePages the "phone company"?

No. WhitePages is not owned by or affiliated with any phone company.
Where do you get the information for your listings?

We get our listing information for home and work listings in these three ways:

    Publicly Available Information Sources This is what it sounds like: information that's available to the public. It includes addresses, street names, cities, states and ZIP codes. Other examples of publicly available information include published phone directories and information published on the Internet.
    Third-Party Data Suppliers Information from third-party data suppliers originates from a variety of sources. It may include publicly available information, such as phone directories, as well as information from other sources. For example, people often provide name, address, phone number, email address and other personal information when filling out forms for contests, sweepstakes, subscriptions or other similar offers. Often, this information can be shared with third parties. Whenever you provide personal information – either online or offline – you should understand how the information will be used and whether it can be shared with third parties.
    Member-Published Listings We obtain a portion of our listings from members who add their cell phone number or email address directly to our website. Member-added listings have this logo next to their listing: Member-added listing icon

If listing information is not on WhitePages, it is either unavailable or has been removed from our websites. You can choose to remove your listing from our site. To do so now, click here.
Why does WhitePages include age ranges, job titles and other information?

Our goal is to make it fantastically simple for everyone to connect with confidence. Based on extensive feedback from our members, attributes such as age and occupation are helpful in identifying the person they are searching for, especially if there are multiple results for a search.
Why does WhitePages include maps and directions?

Because our members want them! We do a lot of research and talk frequently with members. They overwhelmingly say that maps and driving directions are two of the most important and useful features on WhitePages.
How can I remove my listing information from WhitePages?

Easy. To remove a home or work listing, just follow these three steps:

    Search WhitePages for the listing you want to remove.
    If your search includes multiple results, find and click on your name.
    On the Details page, scroll down to the bottom of the page. Look for the link that says, "Remove this listing." Click the link and follow the instructions to remove your listing.

Following this process will remove published listing information (e.g. name, address and phone number) from WhitePages. Removing your published listing information will not remove information displayed through advertisements or other pages where non-listing information is displayed. For example, when doing a reverse phone search, we will return the city, state and phone "type" if full listing information is not available. On our "Names Popularity" pages we provide general information about names. No personally identifiable listing information is displayed in these cases and this information cannot be removed.
Will WhitePages re-publish listing information after it's removed?

We take steps to block the re-publication of listing information that's been removed by a member. However, similar listing information may be published. Here's why: if you move or change your name, a listing with your new information may appear on WhitePages. There's nothing we can do about that.

But, you can always remove new listing information that may appear. We encourage you to visit WhitePages regularly to check for newly published information. If you choose, go ahead and remove it.
What other ways can I protect my information?

There are a number of steps you can take to control how and where your listing information appears on the Internet.

    Understand the fine print on "free" offers. When something is advertised as "free" it often means that – in return for a free service or chance to win a prize – you must provide information about yourself. If you're concerned about having your info shared with third parties, be sure to read the fine print before you hand over your name, address, etc.
    Read websites' privacy policies (and other fine print). Privacy policies tell users how their information is collected, used and shared. Be sure to read a company's privacy policy before providing any personally identifiable information. It's also a good idea to review the terms of use/service to understand a company's principles regarding your use of their products and services.
    Get a P.O. Box. One of the most effective and inexpensive things you can do to keep your home address private is to get a post office box. Once you have one, submit a permanent change of address to that P.O. Box and use that address when filling out forms and applications. Taking these steps helps reduce the circulation of your home address, both online and offline.
    Use available technology. Here are a few useful technologies that protect your information:

    o Block "caller ID" on your phone.
    o Use spam-blocker, anti-virus and anti-spyware software on your computer.
    o Obtain your annual free credit report online. There's only one online source authorized to do that, and it's here: annualcreditreport.com
    o Set your web browser's privacy settings to your preference.
    Be vigilant. WhitePages offers a fast, easy and free method for you to remove information from our websites. Click here.

    Unfortunately, not every company that publishes listing information offers the same level of service. Your ability to control personal information held by offline companies is even less accessible. If there is not a clear path to remove your information from a company's website or records, we recommend that you contact the company directly to request the removal of your information. Persistence is often the key to success.
    Develop a personal privacy routine. Create a privacy schedule and set reminders for yourself. Spend time searching for and removing information that you wish to keep private. By establishing a sensible, recurring, privacy-centric routine, you will be better able to control and maintain your privacy preferences.

Other helpful websites.

Below are links to some resources that will help you further protect your privacy.

    Free Annual Credit Report: http://www.annualcreditreport.com/
    FTC Do Not Call Registry: http://www.donotcall.gov
    FTC's ID Theft Resource Center: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/
    BBB Online Privacy Tips: http://www.bbbonline.org/understandingprivacy/toolbox/tips.asp
    Network Advertising Initiative: http://www.networkadvertising.org/index.asp

Are there other "people search" sites that publish or sell listing information?

Listing information – your name, address and phone number – is available through a number of websites and third parties. Controlling your listing information on WhitePages is just one step in protecting the privacy of your information.

To understand the availability and use of listing information, here's a list of several websites that publish or sell listing information in some form.

    Addresses.com
    AnyWho.com
    Classmates.com
    Dexknows.com
    Facebook.com
    Intelius

    MySpace
    PeopleFinders.com
    PIPL.com
    PublicRecordsNow.com
    MyLife.com
    Spock.com

    Switchboard.com
    USA People-Search
    US Search
    Yahoo! People Search
    Wink.com
    ZabaSearch

(NOTE: The inclusion of the links above does not imply endorsement by WhitePages. All registered trademarks and service marks are used for reference purposes only, and remain the property of their respective owners. WhitePages makes no representations or warranties with respect to how the companies listed above handle your personal information. You should visit each company's website to learn about their privacy policies and respective opt-out procedures. We encourage you to read and understand the privacy policy and information practices of all companies with whom you share any personally identifiable information.)

Source

Dinar Recaps: Driver License & Identity Protection

2/29/2012

 
Driver License & Identity Protection 

Thanks to Dinar Recaps Post
Post By Smee2 Dinar Vets 02/27/2012  

Someone put up a post about being asked for his driver's license while trying to purchase more dinar and he was upset and wanted to cancel his purchase. There is a legitimate reason for the request and it is actually for YOUR protection. Read on ...

All this commerce by computer is making some strange demands on us, the consumer. I read your post and thought, this must be the next "glitch" that are going to have people pulling their hair out. This used to be an area of expertise for me years ago and though things change, they don't change all that much. So, try this on for size.

Some not-so-nice people, let's call them crooks, will get hold of some of your personal information. Oh heck let's call them identity thieves, it fits. It is fairly easy to get your credit card number, they can get it without you even opening your wallet with some of the newest scanning equipment.
...
They are still getting card numbers with the old double receipt ploy and several other sneaky tricks. But those numbers do not always come with an address. Take a look at your credit cards. Do any of them have your address on them? Didn't think so.

So, these crooks, oh no, I mean these identity thieves get your credit card number. They go on line and they buy ... oh, let's say three million dinar, just as a for instance.

 First of all, if the card is declined at the end of the transaction, they will re-enter the information for the purchase of two million. See, if the card isn't authorized for the amount they are trying to charge, it will be declined.

By lowering the amount once or twice, the thieves are likely to hit on the right amount that will be accepted. If they blow it altogether and none of it is accepted and maybe their lowest amount of the three would be say $1000, then they will try again in a couple of days.

If they try more than three times and it is declined that often, an immediate red flag goes up and you may get a call from the credit card company asking if you are in possession of your card and have you been trying to use it in the past hour, or whatever.

If you have not they warn you that your card may have been compromised. That someone has the number. And then you have the chance to have them stop all transactions on that number and give you a new number and card. Didn't know any of that?

 Well, it could save you a bundle. If the crooks find out that your charging per day limit is $1000 they will charge just under that amount every day until the account limit is reached and the card declined.

Okay, lets get back to the address part of this. The identity thief will start out with your number. And they go through whatever process they have to in order to find out how much they can take at a time from your account. Then they will use it.

If they are ordering on line there is a place to put the delivery address. They can pick a vacant lot. They can specify one or two day delivery in a lot of cases. They can then take a van, wait at the address they gave, take delivery of the goods, and drive off.

In case a vacant lot seems to obvious, they will use an apartment building, and get in to the lobby area and wait there for the day. Each time someone comes to the door to come in, usually a resident, they will come and open the door for them. Why?

Because they want to meet the delivery person even before he tries to push a button for your apartment number, which may not even be on the listing, because the crook may have given a non-existent apartment.

 But he will make sure that he is there to open that door. And when it is the delivery man, he'll ask where the delivery man is going because he (the crook) is waiting for a delivery. "Oh, that's me," he says. And he scribbles a signature and takes the package.

See, if the company you are buying from does not have your real address, and use a phoney supplied by the crook, then the delivery company is delivering to the phoney address and the crook is there waiting, and when you call to complain because you were charged for something you didn't get, didn't even order, didn't even want ... you are the one stuck paying anyway.

And if the crook can give a phoney address, maybe a real building but a phoney apartment number, one that doesn't exist ... the trail ends there.

So, to combat this, companies are now beginning to ask for proof of your address for shipping purposes. Hence the request for a fax of your drivers license.

The day may come when direct mailers and on line sellers may be able to tie into department of motor vehicles, or whatever it might be called where you live, and just by asking you your drivers license number they can look up your address to make sure the address they have been given for delivery is legitimate.

And that, dear DV friends, is why you may be asked for a copy of your driver's licence. So don't go off and get angry with the company ... it is just more progress.

Source
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