Online Privacy

We need to teach students and staff how to protect themselves online, so that their privacy is not intruded on. All too often, people take these new technologies for granted, and use them for immediate gratification - quick answers or instantaneous information, without giving too much thought about what the secondary effects down the road might well be (See http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2009/11/19/quebec-facebook-sick-leave-benefits.html ).

Some things I have learnt about how to protect one’s online privacy are detailed below. Some are "common sensical", but mostly these are things I am not familiar with :

• Set up my web browser using a pseudonym instead of real name, and to leave out any personally identifiable information that need not be shared

• Check the internet default program – Windows Internet Control Panel to ensure that all personal information is anonymised

• Turn off cookies that can track my motions through a web site. Cookies can be managed or blocked using cookie management software and services, for example, Internet Junkbuster at http://www.junkbusters.com/ht/en/ijb.html, InterMute at http://www.intermute.com/, Adsubtract at http://www.adsubtract.com/ ,CookiePal at http://www.kburra.com/cpal.html/ or http://www.websashger.com/

• Cookies can be deleted after surfing

• Use Cookie cleaner at http://www.ccleaner.com/ to delete traces of online activities such as Internet history

• Keep a clean email address, like a side account using some pseudonymous or alternate address (e.g. free yahoo mail or hotmail account)

• Use someuser@example.com if needed to furnish an email account to use a website ; this is fine so long as there is no need to actually go to this email account to access information (like passwords) sent to this address

• Keep a tight fist on personal information online and be wary of online acquaintances

• Avoid sending/discussing sensitive information using office email

• Avoid Web usage at the office unless it is for work-related purposes; employers can monitor all web usage

• Be aware of sites which offer rewards for contact information

• Do not reply to spam mail, as doing so confirms that the email is read by a real person

• Use anti-spam services such as Spam hater at http://www.cix.co/uk/~net-services/spam/spam_hater.htm to block spam mail

• Check for web security when transacting online – look out for https:// instead of http://

• Disable spyware (spies on online habits and other personal details) from your computer by using http://www/lavasoft.de/• Active X should be turned off when surfing, and should be turned on only when it’s a trusted website

• Turn off home computer when not using it to prevent malicious attacks or stealing of confidential information. Sites like http://wwwshareware.com or http://www.download.com can also offer protection

• Check offline contact information before engaging in online transactions and check if seal programs such as TRUSTe at http://www.truste.org are in place to protect one’s privacy

• Use encryption software for email and files such as Pretty Good Privacy at http://www.pgpi.org/

• Use proxies across the internet to wrap your IP address while browsing the web - http://www.torproject.org/

To be honest, I have not had time to really go into these websites to do much exploration as yet, but certainly intend to find out more soon. Indeed, I think it is needful for both teaching staff and students to know what they might be getting into on the web. Perhaps it is good to have everyone go through a course to learn some of these tips and tricks to protect their online privacy. All students should be taught early on, especially so they are even more vulnerable than adults on the web. I think we have to remind ourselves often, that we can and should control what information we choose to reveal, when, why and to whom.