Before Google’s New Privacy Policy Goes Into Effect, Learn How To Remove Your Search History

Google will be implementing a new privacy policy  on March 1, 2012.  This is a unified policy that will affect all of your Google accounts, and any information collected on you before March 1^st.  It will also include any information Google collects on you in the future.

Currently, all of your Google searches and visited sites (Google Web History) was kept separate from all other Google services.  Your Web History tells a story about you that you may not want others to know.  This story can include your location, gender, sexual orientation, age, health issues, spiritual beliefs and so much more.  

In order to stop Google from merging your Web History with any information gathered about you from Google + or YouTube, you should remove everything from your Web History.  Not only that, but you should also have the detailing of your Web History stopped from the present into the future. 

The steps you need to take in order to do this are as follows:

First, sign into your Google account.

Second, go to https://www.google.com/history

Next, click on “Remove all web history” button.

 Finally, click “OK”.

Notice that by removing your Web History, you are also pausing it.  The Web History will stay off until you decide to re-enable.

When your Web History is enabled, Google will keep your records indefinitely.  However, it you disable your Web History, your records will be partially cleared in 18 months.  Also, some customized search results that would normally be sent to you will be barred.   Following the advice in the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Six Tips to Protect Your Search Privacy will help you to lessen the amount of records Google will keep on you.

Keep in mind that you will need to follow these steps for each Google account that you have.  It is also important to note that Google will still be able to store your  information to use internally.  Disabling Web History will not prohibit Google from sending any information stored to any law enforcement agency, if requested.

Facebook’s Timeline Causes Privacy Concerns

Facebook’s newest version is on its way to your computer.  Timeline hasn’t even made a widespread appearance yet, and it’s already causing people to bring up some privacy concerns.  As with all things Facebook, this newest version has its good points and its bad points.  However, if you read the Privacy Policy and take the time to set your privacy controls, you should be able to continue on with your love of Facebook without too much worry.

Most of the issues raised about Timeline involve the new feature, “Maps”.  This feature takes all of the information you ever posted to Facebook…events, locations, jobs, pictures…and uses it to “map” your Facebook life.  All of your friends will be able to see where you’ve been, what you’ve done and who you’ve been with.   All of this information is posted on your wall along with the dates that each particular thing happened.  This is one feature that you cannot opt out of.

According to Facebook’s Privacy Policy:  “We receive data from the computer, mobile phone or other device you use to access Facebook.  This may include your IP address, location, the type of browser you use, or the pages you visit.”  When you agree to the Terms and Conditions, you are letting Facebook know that you have read, and understood everything in their policies.  You should know and understand that there is information gathered about you and that information will be shared with others in the Facebook community.

Each time you or a friend uploads a picture to Facebook from a GPS enabled phone, you are tagged to the location and the information goes on your “map”.  Whenever you update your profile to show a new home town, or new job, that information will also have a place on your “map”.  Even if you don’t update often, your map will show past updates, pictures and posts regarding your life events.

Even your choice of music will be public knowledge if you listen using Spotify.  When Spotify first became available, you had no say in the posting of what you were listening to.  Due to an outcry from users, you are now offered an option called “Private Listening”.  There is a slight problem with this though:  if you restart the application for whatever reason, or you don’t use it often, you have to remember to reset the “Private Listening” option.

 Now, think of all the times you posted an RSVP on Facebook by clicking on “Will Attend” to an event.  Also, how often do you click on the “Like” button for a particular product, cause or service?  Each time you do this, the people on your friends list will be asked to either attend or “like” because you are “attending” or that you “Like” them.

Another thing you need to be aware of is that if you use an app to read an article on line, and that app asks for permission to “Allow” your information to be used, you are not just allowing for that one particular time.   You are “allowing” that app to get your information every single time you read something.   Each time you read an article, that information will be posted on your Facebook wall.  If you don’t want people to know what you’re reading, don’t click on “Allow” unless you think very carefully about what this would mean at a later date.

Yes, this is a lot for you to have to think about, but isn’t your privacy worth taking a little bit of time and effort?  Read and fully understand all of Facebook’s policies, then once your account is switched over to Timeline, carefully select the privacy preferences you feel most comfortable with.  And, please remember that clicking on “Attending” or “Like” isn’t as harmless as you would have thought when it comes to your privacy. 

Why Should You Use A Proxy Server?

Have you ever thought about how cyber-criminals are able to steal your identity?  They do this by following the digital tracks you leave behind whenever you log onto the internet.  This new brand of crook sits waiting for someone to let their guard down, so he can pounce. 

When you go to your favorite coffee shop to have your morning coffee…or even if it’s to unwind after work… and you decide to take out your laptop to send out some e-mails, or do some shopping, you could be putting your identity at risk.  Whenever you use a public hotspot, the WiFi connection may be free, but the penalty could be very costly.  Think about it…how many other people are also using this connection?  You see all of the open laptops, but some of those people may be hard at work hunting for information.

The internet connections in public places leave you vulnerable to identity theft.  Any information you send through this connection  is unencrypted, which means anyone who can find your IP address can intercept your data stream and see everything that you are doing.  

The internet is such a vital part of all of our lives and we are at the point where we don’t give a second thought to entering our personal information.  Every day, we sign up for online newsletters and interesting websites.  We shop on line because that way, we’re not limited to store hours.  Each site asks for a user name, an e-mail address and a password.  If we enter this information over an unencrypted connection, that cyber-criminal posing as a fellow businessman will be able to use it.

With so many websites, newsletters, and social networking sites to sign up for, at one time or another, we have all been guilty of using the same user name (usually an e-mail address) and password for everything.  After all, how can we be expected to remember 20 different passwords?  If a cyber-criminal has intercepted your data stream while you were sending e-mails, he now has your e-mail address and a password.  Once he has this information, he can go through all of your e-mails and collect information from them.  He also now has a password that he can potentially use to open other areas of your on line life.  Bank accounts, on line shopping accounts…your life will be laid out before him.  

If you use the same password for your social networking site, this thief can get into your account, which will tell him your name, location and names of your family and friends.   He is now armed with your name and city, so now it’s not only your identity that is in jeopardy, but also your home and family. 

The only way to deter a cyber-crook, other than never again using a public hotspot, is by using a proxy server.  With a proxy server, not only can you surf the net anonymously by hiding your IP address, but all of the information you enter is encrypted.  Even if someone could intercept your data stream, he won’t be able to decipher any of the information, so it would be useless to him.   

Don’t let a cyber-criminal into your life.  Start using a proxy server today!

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Fighting Cyber Crime the Better Way

As the use of mobile devices becomes more popular, the number of cyber crimes also increases. The internet can now be accessed by almost anyone who has a smartphone or other digital device. This worsening scene has made law enforcers look for more inventive ways of combating these criminals. The usual strategies alone cannot be effective against cyber crime. It needs a good deal of initiative, coupled with technology, in order to take a good stand against cyber criminals.

In California, a new special eCrime Unit is now catching and prosecuting internet crooks. This is a team created by the State’s Attorney General and, is comprised of 20 attorneys and investigators. It uses modern techniques to target criminal activities like email scams, piracy, child pornography, online fraud, and others. Many people have been, and are still being victimized by cyber crime, or e-crime, both online and off.

The unit has already solved one case and put a man in jail who was found guilty of hacking email and Facebook accounts. What he usually did was to break into an account, and he would then intimidate its owner by threatening to expose embarrassing pictures. Another case involved a criminal group whose main activity was using card scanners and hidden cameras at ATM machines to steal passwords and other sensitive account information.

Knowing that the internet is very important to the economy, to individuals, and to businesses, these criminals are not lacking in victims. From offline, their operations shifted online to steal very important information from individuals and groups. The year 2012 is seen to be a year of battling against online criminal activities. The past year proved to be problematic in terms of scams; this year will give rise to other types of online crimes.

More systematized and focused internet crime fighting activities will be delivered by the new eCrime Unit. According to the Attorney General, California would like to set a new trend in going after cyber criminals and prosecuting offenders. They will make sure that internet technology is useful not only to online criminals but more so to law enforcement agencies.

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Be Prepared for Narural Disasters

No matter what you call it, a natural disaster is something that comes with or without warning. The year 2011 was rich in natural catastrophes that cost billions of dollars. In the United States alone, there were numerous hurricanes and tornadoes. There were earthquakes that rocked and destroyed places on the East Coast, in Colorado and in Peru. Japan had her share of tsunami while Queensland, Australia, Bangkok and most recently the Philippines, suffered from devastating floods. Many people learned the lesson that natural disasters should be put at the top of risk concerns.

Businesses and government agencies have to be prepared for all these impending disasters. Every business and agency should have its own disaster recovery plan. In today’s information-driven world, power outages and network failures can be a result, and these further the chaos that comes with disasters. It should not be too late for every business to adapt and respond to risks if it is to survive. No matter what happens, there should be uninterrupted and continuous access to data, whether it is personal or corporate in nature.

So, how should one get ready for disaster? It is a given that the most important assets of a company or agency are its people. These people have their own most important asset, which is their family. The company or agency should have a plan on how to move its people, including their families, if the need arises. There should also be efforts to make a communication plan that is timely, clear and honest.

Because company and agency data are vital to the uninterrupted stream of activities, a data back-up plan should be verified and validated. Is it actually out of harm’s way? Is it accessible to the recovery location? What about data privacy? Cloud service is now available so a company or agency could use this to store key data.

Thinking ahead of the situation, it should be clear to all that catastrophic events could last for some time. The impact of such events could be expected to last for days, weeks or even months. What options are there if the business facilities, network, technology and people could not be available? It is also very important to think about those other businesses associated with it. Their being prepared has a direct effect on any company or agency because together, they form a chain or network. There is no point in doing everything right if everybody else around is not prepared.

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Securing Patient Data

There are new privacy concerns that were triggered by the continuous increase in data breaches at health care providers. There were some studies conducted to pinpoint the main cause of this exasperating situation. There were some that put the blame on insufficient funding for security, while others said that the sudden surge in data breaches is due to devices that were either lost or stolen. The first reason could be explained by the government’s priorities in distributing funds, but it is not good to hear that there is human error, or that health care professionals are not well informed about securing patient data.

Almost all private and public organizations are now using mobile technology in their daily operations. People in these organizations use smartphones or tablets to conveniently manage data because doctors and other health care professionals discovered the convenience of using these gadgets for electronic health records. These tools, however, do not possess the much needed, necessary security. Because they do not have enough background, some doctors are using these gadgets without taking advantage of the use of encryption technology, or even passwords.

A spokesperson from the American Health Information Management Association saw the need for education and awareness. He said that training sessions on the use of mobile technology in relation to data management are already being implemented. But he also added that these are not as effective as education and awareness. There must be better involvement if health professionals are to have the sufficient awareness of patient data security.

It is surprising to note that at present, 4 out of 10 health care professionals surveyed believe that patient data accessed by mobile devices is secured. An added surprise comes from knowing that 81% of them are using these devices to collect, store and transmit patient records. But the shocking detail is that almost one-half of the participants surveyed revealed that their organizations do not have any data security mechanism at all.

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