The internet is a vicious place and while your personal computer is connected to it, your online privacy is at a constant risk. “Right,” you say in that all-knowing tone. “I have a firewall and antivirus, what’s there to worry about?” you ask. Well, that’s exactly what this article is all about; what threats exist to your privacy, how to avoid and identify such threats, and how to remain anonymous while browsing the web.
What is Online Privacy?
Simply stated, online privacy is one’s right to restrict what personal information is revealed through the use of the internet. When we look further into the complexities of online privacy, we see that it also protects one against privacy invasion, such as unauthorized access into someone’s personal computer or online email and bank accounts. Online privacy is very similar to “off-line” privacy, where breaking and entering someone’s house is seen as an invasion of our personal privacy. When person X uses the internet to obtain personal information on person Y, and person Y has never given person X the consent to attain that information, person Y’s online privacy has been invaded. Account hijacking, hacking, unauthorized installation of malicious software, and online identity theft, are all risks to our online privacy.
Article Organization
Starting off, I’m going to cover the complexities of identity theft, how to defend yourself in the war against online identity thieves, and what to do if you or someone you know is a victim of identity theft. I’ll follow that section up with an in-depth overview of account hijacking, the nasty process of obtaining access into someone else’s account by immoral or illegal means. A section on personal online security will come next, and finally, I will wrap this article up with a section dedicated to helping internet users stay anonymous and explain why internet anonymity is more essential today than ever before.
Identity Theft
In today’s world, identity theft is one of the most detrimental crimes. Identity thieves all over the globe have begun using the internet as another means of “becoming” someone else and exploiting the personal information of others. For this reason, one must be very cautious about what they have stored on their computers and what they use their computers for. And, to be honest, no matter how secure you think your computer is, it will never be completely immune to the dangers of the internet.
Let’s take a look at some common means of identity theft and discuss ways to prevent jeopardizing your identity.
Account Hijacking
The most damaging of all online privacy invasions is that of account hijacking. Through inconspicuous means, such as phishing, key logging, and password cracking, account hijackers penetrate their way into our personal bank, email, PayPal, and eBay accounts; often without us even knowing. In this next section, I am going to explain a few of the ways online criminals go about account hijacking and detail what you can do to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of online crime and account hijacking.
Phishing
Phishing is the illegitimate act of impersonating a corporation or organization and therefore fooling people into submitting their personal information unknowingly to a possibly dangerous source. Email is the most common means of phishing and often scamming organizations will use spyware or malware as a means of distributing massive amount of fake emails, all of which look extremely legit and professional. This is where people are fooled; unknowingly, someone will open up a fake email that is impersonating a company such as credit card organizations or banks. The email will, obviously, try to lure one into clicking on the provided link and being redirected to a website in which they’ll be prompted to enter personal information or sign into their user account. The information provided is then sent to the scammer who made the fake site. So, if you entered your credit card number, name, or address, you could become a victim of identity theft without even knowing it. As you can see, phishing is dangerous business.
Worst Case Scenario: When it comes to phishing, professional scammers are out to get as much personal information as possible. The best scammers will send out emails asking people to update or renew their personal information and request everything from social security number to maiden names to your account password and user name. The scammers may then exploit this information to open other accounts and access your current personal accounts. If the scammers know what they are doing, you might start receiving charges to your credit card on products you never purchased, your bank account might be the scene of a robbery, and your credit might be ruined.
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