NYPC Bytes

Electronic Privacy - Issues

Hackers	While you are connected to the Internet it is possible for hackers to gain access to your computer.
"Spyware"	Companies are giving away advertising sponsored software. Sometimes this software reports back on your surfing habits, what music you downloaded, etc. Sometime the "spyware" remains active all the time. Sometimes it remains even when you un-install the program it came with.
Data Collection	Web sites routinely collect information about web surfers. Sometime they ask you for information and sometime they get information from your browser. Cookies can be stored on your hard drive to identify you from one session tot the next, or from one site to the next.
Non-Internet Sources of Personal Data	Cell phone records: If your cell phone is turned on, you are broadcasting your current location to the phone companies. They record this information and keep it indefinitely. Public transportation: EZ-Pass, MetroCard (by subscription) Surveillance cameras in large cities, malls and other public places. There are over 2,000 visible camera photographing the public street and sidewalks of Manhattan. How many more are concealed? Store discount cards, frequent buyer programs track what you purchase. Many stores sell this information. Credit Cards: Many of them sell your transaction information.
Combining Databases	Marketers and other people who collect information are merging their databases to create a more complete profile of you.
Government Surveillance Are governments routinely scanning e-mail? What are they looking for and what are the methods? Echelon Carnivore	Since the Internet was originally funded by the US government and the Department of Defense was involved, rumors have been floating for years that the National Security Agency has been filtering every piece of e-mail for certain keywords. The ACLU has started EchelonWatch to investigate this. Recently the FBI has used Carnivore a computer based system which is installed on the premises of Internet Services Providers. It monitors all traffic that flows through their computers. The overwhelming majority of the traffic has nothing to do with the person(s) being investigated. We have to trusts that the FBI will not look at any of the other messages and web traffic logs. Click here to go to the ACLU's Carnivore page. Recently the federal government admitted to working with DoubleClick to monitor web users who searched for drug- related terms and those visiting the Drug Enforcement Agency's web site.and leaving a cookie on their hard drive so they could be tracked in the future. Click here for the New York Times article
Data Bureaus	Businesses that collect and sell data about individuals are merging databases. A very comprehensive profile can be created by merging medical and financial data with credit card charges, grocery and pharmacy purchases, MetroCard and EZ-Pass records, etc.
Employers' and Perspective Employers' Access to Data	Laws in this country do not allows employers or perspective employers to ask questions about certain topics, but they can now buy the information inexpensively.
Identity Theft	Information is obtained via the Internet or "personal engineering" and used to impersonate you.

Webzine Editor: nypc@hookbuilt.com

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