July 2006 / Protecting Your Privacy Online

1. Use cookie notices in your web browser and reject unnecessary cookies

Cookies are packets of data that websites use to store information about your visit. Many cookies are harmless, such as ones used by online retailers to remember what you have in your “shopping cart”, or by sites that are password protected so you don’t have to continuously enter your login information each time you browse to a new page. But some cookies are used for “data mining” purposes and will track your browsing history for marketing purposes which may be shared with multiple advertisers. 

To best way to protect yourself from unnecessary cookies is to configure your web browser to prompt you every time a site tries to send a cookie. This will allow you to accept all cookies from trusted sites and reject cookies from advertisers or sites you wish to browse more anonymously. Usually cookie configuration is located in the “privacy” or “security” section of your browser’s Internet options or preferences.   

2. When submitting sensitive information, make sure your connection is secure

Some online forms may be digitally transported in ways that leave them vulnerable to undesired access, so never submit a credit card number or other highly sensitive personal information without first making sure your connection is secure.  

Depending on which browser you’re using, look for a closed lock (Windows) or unbroken key (Mac) icon at the bottom of the browser window when you’re submitting personal information to know that the site is secure. Or, in any browser, look at the URL line. A securely-connected URL will begin with “https://” instead of “http://”.

3. Clear your cache after each browsing session

After you browse the web, copies of all accessed pages and images are saved on your computer's memory. While these copies make subsequent visits to the same sites faster, your browsing record is a personal privacy liability, particularly if you share a computer or browse at work. To erase your trail, look for the “clear cache” option in your browser’s Internet options or preferences. 

4. Opt-out of third party information sharing

Usually when purchasing something online or signing up for a membership, many online companies will ask you if you would like to have your information shared with their third-party partners. By “opting-out” of sharing your information you’ll help curtail the amount of spam email you receive and prevent other companies from advertising to you.

5. Beware of sites that offer rewards or prizes in exchange for personal information

There's a very high probability that they are gathering this information for direct marketing purposes. For these sites, your name and address are worth much more to them than the value of the reward they may give you because they can sell it to other marketers who could in turn resell it again.

6. Use anonymizing software while browsing

Although you may feel anonymous while surfing the web, from the moment you type in a URL you can be tracked. The best way to preserve your anonymity online is through the use of anonymizing software. Programs such as Anonymizer will mask your IP address (a unique number which identifies your specific computer on the web) and keep your online identity secure.

7. Keep a “clean” email address

All web users should have at least two email addresses. Your main address should only be given out to a “members only” list of known, trusted individuals. Your secondary address should be used whenever mailing to unknown parties, posting to or chatting in public spaces, shopping, or signing up for memberships online. This will assure that your main address remains relatively free from spam, while if your secondary address becomes too spammed you can easily start a new one without having to notify your “members only” list of any changes.

8. Do not reply to spammers for any reason

If you get a spam email, never take the sender up on whatever offer they are making, and also don't bother replying with "REMOVE" in the subject line. This simply confirms that your address is being read by a real person, and you'll find yourself on dozens more spam lists in no time. Also, don’t follow the unsubscribe instructions in the email because they may be bogus as well. The best thing to do, depending on your email provider and anti-spam software, is to blacklist the spammer and/or mark the email as spam.

9. Use only one credit card for online transactions

Online credit card transactions are far more secure today than they were years ago when e-commerce was still in its infancy. But, you should still be extremely careful when giving out your credit card information online. In addition to making sure that the credit card submission page is secure (see above), you should use only one card for all online purchases. This will reduce your risk and allow you to better track your online purchases.

10. Always shut down your home computer

If you have a broadband connection to the Internet that is up and running 24 hours a day, be sure to turn your computer off when you are not using it. Hackers search for vulnerable, unattended broadband-connected home computers and can invade them with surprising ease. Having a firewall in place will also drastically limit their ability to hack into your computer.

It’s easy to protect your online privacy by following the simple steps that we’ve discussed. Above all though remember that your best defense when online is to use common sense, ask questions, and seek out resources. If you have any questions about protecting your privacy online or any other IT-related issues, please feel free to Contact Me.

Sincerely,

Dylan O'Connor, MCSE, CCA
Chief Technology Officer

email: doconnor@thrivenetworks.com
phone: 978.461.3999
web: www.thrivenetworks.com