Internet Privacy When You Have High Speed Internet Access
The idea of Internet privacy is not a new one. Ever since the World Wide Web took off in popularity, there were those unsavory elements who sought to exploit it unscrupulously for personal gain. At times this meant hacking into an unsuspecting user’s computer system with the express goal of harvesting information such as credit card numbers and other information. At other times it may have been the surreptitious planting of a virus designed simply to destroy someone else’s computer. No matter what kind of illicit activity may occur, the average computer user equates the term of Internet privacy with the promise of being able to anonymously surf the ‘Net without encountering a variety of identity revealing or stealing software.
There are several threats to Internet privacy. While not each threat is a serious one, they may turn from harmless to serious quickly, and it is imperative that computer users are aware of the online risks that limit privacy. This is especially the case for those computer users who are accessing the Internet with high speed access.
Probably the least dangerous of all the privacy limiting risks are cookies. No longer referring to chocolate chip treats, a computer cookie is a piece of HTTP data that is picked up in the process of browsing the ‘Net and that is installed in a computer’s memory. While cookies have become an accepted way of doing business on the Internet, it is important to realize that they do open the door for personally identifiable information to be garnered by third parties without the express consent of the computer user. High-speed Internet users are at a particular risk of cookie abuse, simply because their connection is always open. Phishing is a relatively new term for an age-old crime.
Phishers use email to contact a large number of individuals under the guise of doing business on behalf of a popular merchant that many Internet users have accounts with. The criminals will go to great lengths to imitate the look and feel of a popular website to trick the Internet user into sharing her or his password, log in information, and also financially information. The phisher will then use this information to gain access to the user’s accounts, use her or his email address for spamming, or find enough personally identifiable data to successfully steal the user’s identity. Quite possibly the most annoying kind of attack on your Internet privacy is the presence of spyware. This kind of software will record a computer user’s web surfing activity and sometimes collect this information for third parties while other times use it to display unwanted pop-up ads in the user’s browser. The criminal elements who use spyware will seek to glean credit card information as it is entered by a user into a legitimate web form or credit card application online.
High-speed Internet users are at the added risk of falling victim to those who seek to infringe on Internet privacy simply because the connection is always open. There are several types of software available that will help computer users protect themselves against these attacks, but a lot of it comes down to common sense. Do not give out information via email simply because an official looking website asks for it. Instead contact the website independently and ask if the email is legit or a fake. More often than not you will find that such requests for information are spoof emails sent out in an effort to lure unsuspecting computer users to share sensitive information. Always update your anti-virus and anti-spyware software packages, and run sweeps of your system on a regular basis.
