PRIVACY MATTERS
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Google ImagesAre you protected? |
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Another question we need to ask is -am I being watched??
What about those Cookies?
In this weeks reading the Federal Trade Commission outlined consumer information regarding online tracking "how it works, how you can control it...and that the answer may be in the cookies" (Federal Trade Commission, 2016). Cookies are stored by your web browser every time you visit a website and "by keeping track of you over time cookies can be used to customize your browsing experience, or to deliver ads targeted to you" (Federal Trade Commission, 2016). Check out the link below to better understand how your information is tracked.
(Ebay Australia, 2016)
So now that you know what they are - what can you do about them?
Browsers have different ways you can limit or delete cookies and your security software can also assist in managing cookies. By deleting cookies and your past browsing history, "companies may not be able to associate you with past browsing history, however they may be able to track you in the future with a new cookie" (Federal Trade Commission, 2016). Also, if you block all cookies, your browsing experience may be limited and not as personalized. (Federal Trade Commission, 2016).
"Imagine, virtual shopping with advertisements strategically popping up in this reality; advertisements that were chosen by marketers who already know everything about you and have used this knowledge to predict your shopping patterns. This personalization within the virtual experience alone could control the way users shop, mold user interests, detect user preferences, and convince users to buy products by making users think they need something" (Susanalli2017/Boston College, 2016). Check out this shopping experience:
This weeks discussion focus is about social media security and privacy and how to protect yourself. What about companies? There is much to consider in respect to a brand.
1) Discuss your company's social media policy and if it doesn't have one, why it should?
2) Discuss how you have changed the way you look at privacy and some best practices to protect your online identity.
References
Ebay Australia. (2016, May 18). The World's First Virtual Reality Department Store - brought to you by eBay and Myer [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAuiXhJPnr8
Federal Trade Commission. (2016, June). Online Tracking | Consumer Information. Retrieved from https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0042-online-tracking
Federal Trade Commission. (2016, June). Online Tracking | Consumer Information. Retrieved from https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0042-online-tracking
Covering built-in cameras and microphones on your computer is a great security tip, thanks for mentioning it! I use my camera fairly often, but I keep a heavy post-it note folded over it any time it's not in use. Even Zuckerburg covers his computer camera, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/23/technology/personaltech/mark-zuckerberg-covers-his-laptop-camera-you-should-consider-it-too.html?_r=0
ReplyDeleteHi Victoria, thanks for sharing the the link on Zuckerberg. After learning more about how hackers can get in, it's a practice that I'll use on my computers. Sounds like you are already ahead of the game and already protecting yourself!
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ReplyDeleteMonica,
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading your blog, one of the first topics that came to my mind was the security and privacy issues with iCloud. We have all heard news about hackers retrieving and releasing celebrities personal photos but that's not all they can do. Hackers are also able to access all information stored through the cloud on compatible devices such as iPhones, iPads, Macs, etc. Forbes recently wrote an article on Apple devices and how the company "hoards 'deleted' browser history going back more than a year" (Fox-Brewster, 2017). The information that is stored contains personal information about a user including their interests, concerns, health information, banking information, etc. It is unclear why Apple stores "deleted" information (cookies and caches, photos, notes, etc.) for such a long period of time, however users are able to turn off all syncing capabilities to the cloud to limit/avoid their data collected from that platform.
References
Fox-Brewster, T. (2017, February 09). Apple iCloud Hoards 'Deleted' Browser History Going Back More Than A Year. Retrieved February 22, 2017, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2017/02/09/apple-safari-web-history-deleted-stored-icloud/
Kerstin,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great example of how technology is ever-changing. Being a Apple product fan I was very interested in the article. I was not happy to learn that cleared cookies did not delete them. Fox -Brewster reported that Apple has been working on a fix and at the end of the article they noted that there was progress. (Fox-Brewster, 2017)
Last year Yahoo announced they had been hacked. "Yahoo shocked the world when it revealed that at least 500 million user accounts had been breached... Making matters even worse, Yahoo later disclosed that the hack itself had happened in 2014 but only came to light in 2016, so the attackers had access to user information for years"(ZDNET, 2016) Unfortunately, that was not the only hack they admitted to last year. "In mid-December, Yahoo dropped the jaw-dropping revelation that a separate hack occurred around August 2013 that leaked the data of one billion users—double the record-breaking hack from September" (ZDNET, 2016).
These examples really enforce the need to be vigilant and perhaps we can just play catch -up at times.
References
Fox-Brewster, T. (2017, February 09). Apple iCloud Hoards 'Deleted' Browser History Going Back More Than A Year. Retrieved February 22, 2017, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2017/02/09/apple-safari-web-history-deleted-stored-icloud/
ZDNET. (2016, November 11). The 10 biggest hacks, breaches, and security stories of 2016 | PCWorld. Retrieved from http://www.pcworld.com/article/3152367/security/the-10-biggest-hacks-breaches-and-security-stories-of-2016.html#slide2