Tag Archive for: Privacy

Internet Privacy and Cybersecurity: Why is it needed?

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The world continues to change in numerous ways due to the internet. The internet’s future is bright, with opportunities for study, communication, politics, and government across its spectrum. The issue that most people would be asking themselves right now, with 5G taking shape in many parts of the world, is how fast connectivity will affect their online privacy.

The capacity to manage how much of your information including browsing, financial, and possibly sensitive personal data that third parties can access and use when you go online is known as online privacy, often referred to as Internet privacy or digital privacy. Put differently, you have the right to choose the information you choose to reveal when browsing.

In actuality, web privacy is still a concern, and with high-speed connectivity, things can get worse. It’s widely acknowledged that threats like phishing, cyberbullying, and hacking persist despite laws that are more stringent in protecting internet users from unauthorised access to personal information and data.

When you use the internet, who can monitor your activities? Regretfully, almost everyone assuming, that is, that you do not take any steps to enhance your privacy. Unwanted tracking and third-party spying are rather widespread these days. Many parties, like ISPs, search engines, social networks, and websites that employ cookies to track users, have already been noted as being interested in your personal information. Your browsing history, location history, likes, comments, are among the data they gather.

Similar to search engines and webpages, mobile applications have access to a wealth of personal data. A certain quantity of your data is made available to an app when you install it on your smartphone. Furthermore, whereas certain permissions make sense (particularly if you trust the service provider), others could raise concerns about privacy. Certain apps have the ability to access your contacts, camera, microphone, and other installed apps.

Third-party monitoring is typically done for one very straightforward reason: Advertising. To distribute targeted advertisements, advertising organisations purchase client data. But the…

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Privacy Policy – Crawford County Avalanche

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The privacy of our website’s visitors is important to us.

This Privacy Policy explains what information may be collected through your use of our website. This Privacy Policy does not apply to third-party products or services for which a separate privacy policy is provided.

Your use of our website constitutes an agreement to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

I. What personal data we collect and why we collect it

Purpose of Information Collection
We collect information to help us analyze our users’ interest in our content, allowing us to make better decisions about the type of content we provide. We also may use the information we collect for marketing purposes.

Third-Party Analytics and Advertiser Services
Like most websites, we may employ third-party analytics and advertiser services, such as those of Google Analytics, AdSense, and Matomo, on our website. These third-party services use technologies such as cookies, web beacons, web server logs and similar technologies to collect information. The information collected is of the sort that web browsers and servers typically make available, such as your IP (internet protocol) address, your ISP, the browser you used to visit our site (such as Internet Explorer or Firefox), the time you visited our site, and which pages you visited throughout our site.
The information collected may be disclosed to these third parties, who use the information, for example, to evaluate use of the website. The third-parties may also use the information for geotargeting purposes (showing New York real estate ads to someone in New York, for example) or showing certain ads based on specific sites visited (such as showing cooking ads to someone who frequents cooking sites). Here is more information on how Google uses data.

We also may use DART cookies for ad serving through Google’s DoubleClick, which places a cookie on your computer when you are browsing the web and visit a site using DoubleClick advertising (including some Google AdSense advertisements). This cookie is used to serve ads specific to you and your interests (”interest based targeting”). The ads served will be targeted based on your previous browsing history (For example,…

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No federal privacy law? After the 23andMe hack, it’s time to take action

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This is a guest post by Kate Krauss, a digital rights advocate based in Philadelphia.

On Oct. 6, 23andMe announced the loss of customer data to hackers who targeted Ashkenazi Jews. The data of as many as a million people was reportedly stolen and is currently being sold anonymously on the Internet. The hack exploited customers who reused passwords and the platform’s feature called “DNA Relatives,” linking one person to another.

We won’t easily forget this awful hack — but every year, tens of millions of Americans become victims of information leaks, so many that they have begun to blur together. Microsoft, for one, has been hacked at least 10 times since 2018.

Victims range from ordinary people, like those in the 23andMe hack, to the most politically sensitive: the State Department’s China diplomats; the Secretary of Commerce. Hackers access people’s email and steal their social security numbers or their home addresses, and in one case, in-depth psychological profiles needed for top security clearances.

If we use the frog-in-hot-water analogy for Americans and their information privacy, this frog is dead.

Weak laws let companies get away with weak security.

Current US privacy laws are so ineffective that Europeans are afraid to send their data here lest it be hacked, leaked, or surveilled. This fear was the basis of the tensely negotiated “Data Privacy Framework” between the EU and the US over whether and how to allow the personal data of European citizens to be sent to this country.

Without the risk of a giant fine or, say, jail time, many tech giants can and do get away with managing their data security badly. They fail to update security keys, encrypt users’ credit card numbers or enforce multi-factor authentication.

Weak laws let companies get away with weak security. For instance, 23andMe didn’t require users to use two-factor authentication or warn users about the dangers of enabling “DNA Relatives.” If they have to pay a small fine — small to them — that’s the cost of doing business.

In 2019, the year that the Cambridge Analytica scandal caught up with Facebook, the company paid $5 billion to the FTC for illegally sharing…

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Security and Privacy Concerns with 2023’s Smart Gadgets

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In an era of rapid technological advancement, smart gadgets have become an integral part of our daily lives. These innovative devices, equipped with cutting-edge technology and connectivity, offer convenience, entertainment, and efficiency like never before. From smart thermostats that regulate our home’s temperature to wearable fitness trackers that monitor our health, the market for smart gadgets is booming. However, amid the convenience and excitement, there lurk significant security and privacy concerns that we must address in 2023.

Introduction

The Smart Revolution

Smart gadgets, ranging from smart refrigerators to voice-activated assistants, have transformed the way we interact with our surroundings. These devices leverage the power of the internet and artificial intelligence to simplify tasks, enhance our productivity, and provide entertainment. They have become an essential part of the modern lifestyle, promising to make our lives more comfortable and efficient.

However, with great innovation comes great responsibility, and the proliferation of smart gadgets raises several critical security and privacy issues that we need to be aware of.

Data Privacy Concerns

One of the most pressing concerns with smart gadgets is data privacy. These devices often collect vast amounts of data about us, such as our preferences, routines, and personal information. This data can be exploited if it falls into the wrong hands. Manufacturers and developers may also use this data for marketing purposes without our explicit consent, potentially compromising our privacy.

To mitigate this concern, it is crucial to read the privacy policies of smart gadget manufacturers carefully. Additionally, users should regularly review the permissions granted to these devices and exercise caution when sharing personal information.

Vulnerabilities to Hacking

Smart gadgets are connected to the internet, making them vulnerable to hacking attempts. Cybercriminals can exploit…

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