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10 Ways our Privacy is invaded

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2POnce you become active online…and especially once you become “connected” with a smartphone…your privacy will be in sizzling hot demand—and in fact, you can bet that as you read this, it is already being invaded in ways that you couldn’t possibly imagine. Here are some of those ways, provided by wired.com:

  1. Someone could be collecting information on you via a keylogger: It’s a little tool that records your keystrokes, that someone secretly inserts into your computer. A keylogger, however, can also be deposited by malware that you unknowingly downloaded.
  2. Tracking technology that retailers use. You are in a large department store and must pass through several departments to get to the one you want. Your smartphone is connected during this time. The tracking technology scans your face (or maybe it doesn’t) and connects with your phone, identifying you as a potential customer for the goods that are in the departments you are passing through or near to. Next thing you know, you are getting hit with ads or e-mails for products that you have no interest in.
  3. Video surveillance. This is old as far as the technology timeline, but it is still a favorite among all sorts of people including those with twisted minds. Video cameras can even be hidden in your front lawn. They can also be found at ATMs, placed there by thieves, to record users’ PINs as they punch them in.
  4. E-mail monitoring. Your e-mails could be being monitored by a hacker who has remote viewing capabilities of your computer (because you unknowingly let in a virus).
  5. Personal drones—those small-enough-to-by-held-by-a-child aircraft that are remote controlled; they can be equipped with cameras to take pictures of you, and they can even follow you around.
  6. Public WiFi. Snoops and hackers can eavesdrop on your unsecured WiFi internet with the right hardware and software. Use Hotspot Shield to encrypt your data.
  7. And in addition to these ways your privacy could be invaded, a hacker could be spying on you through the little Webcam “hole” above your computer screen (a piece of masking tape over it will solve that problem).
  8. Peeping Tom. And of course, there is the old fashioned way of intruding upon someone’s privacy: stalking them (on foot or via car), or peering into their house’s windows.
  9. Reverse peephole. A person could tamper with a peephole on a house’s front door, apartment door or a hotel door, then be able to see what’s going on inside.
  10. Remote access technology can be malware installed on your device designed to extract all your sensitive data. Make sure to keep your devices security software updated.

Robert Siciliano is an Identity Theft Expert to Hotspot Shield. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen See him discussing internet and wireless security on Good Morning America. Disclosures.

How to stop Browser Tracking

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Maybe you don’t mind the ads for that bicycle rack following you around in cyberspace after you visited a site for all things bike, but browser trackers (“cookies”) also create a profile of you that gets sold to other advertisers and third parties.

2PAre you doomed to be stalked forever by bike ads? This is caused by third-party cookies. You can use third party software such as CCleaner, which can identify third-party cookies and clean out the cookies in your hard drive. It’s the third-party cookies that are the enemy. The first-party cookies come from the site you visit so that your subsequent visits to that site are easier.

After you rid the third-party cookies, you’ll have to alter your browser settings.

Google Chrome

  • In the upper right corner click the little lined box.
  • Select Settings, click Show advanced settings.
  • At Privacy click Content Settings.
  • Under Cookies check “Block third-party cookies and site data.” Hit Done.

Internet Explorer

  • In the top right corner, click on the gear.
  • Select Internet Options.
  • At the Privacy tab click Advanced.
  • Check “Override automatic cookie handling.”
  • Set the Third-party Cookies to Block. Hit Okay.

Firefox

  • Click the lined icon in the upper right corner.
  • Click Options or Preferences for PC or Mac, respectively.
  • At Privacy, under History, change “Firefox will” to “Use custom settings for history.”
  • Change “Accept third-party cookies” to Never.

Safari

  • Safari automatically has third-party cookies turned off, but to be sure:
  • Go to Privacy and select the option that blocks third-party cookies.

Additional Ways to Stop Cookies from Tracking You

Here are things you can do, courtesy of an article on the Electronic Frontier Foundation site. These steps should take you about 10 minutes to complete.

You need not worry that these tactics will negatively impact the ease at which you navigate the vast majority of websites. For websites that get testy about these changes, you can temporarily use a private browsing mode that has disabled settings.

  • Install AdBlock Plus. After installation, change filter preference so you can add EasyPrivacy. You’ll need to visit AdBlock Plus’s website.
  • Change Cookie Settings. Go into Chrome’s settings under Settings, then Show Advanced Settings. Under Privacy click on Content Settings. Hit “Keep local data only until I quit my browser / for current session.” Check “Block third-party cookies and site data.” This will force cookies to expire after you exit the browser and prevent third-party cookies from activating.
  • Install the extension “HTTPS Everywhere.” This will prevent websites from snooping in on you and will help shield you from third parties.

Turn off referers. Install an extension called Referer Control. Scroll down, locate “default referer for all other sites” and hit Block.

Robert Siciliano is an Identity Theft Expert to Hotspot Shield. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen See him discussing internet and wireless security on Good Morning America. Disclosures.

Stay Safe While Traveling this Summer

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So, when you think about summer travel safety, what comes to mind? Which beach you’ll be lounging on? Sunburns? Shark attacks? While sunburns and vacation plans are rational concerns most have when traveling during the summer, shark attacks are a new one.

4WWith all of the news of recent shark attacks, people are now anxious about wading into the waters, despite the fact that the chances of getting mauled by a shark are a whopping one in 3.7 million. No guarantees, of course, but your odds are looking pretty good.

Conversely, the odds of getting your identity stolen or your other valuable information compromised while on or planning for these fun summer trips with the family are much higher. So instead of worrying about sharks this summer, let’s worry about the real predators out there —online hackers and phishing scammers.

In order to ensure you and your family’s online safety while on vacation, you first have to find an ideal and preferably well-rated vacation spot to travel. The Web is replete with scam sites touting glorious vacation spots for bargain prices. Be wary because a lot of these locations are fictitious or are actual pictures of someone’s home “stolen” from, for instance, someone’s family blog or social media profile. The thief will then put up a fraudulent ad for renters and will request a wired upfront payment.

Book travel plans only via legitimate, reputable sites. McAfee® WebAdvisor is a tool you can use that will help to warn you of most unsafe web pages. Make sure to check reviews of any private lodgings and use legitimate, well-known travel review sites.

We all love to share what we’re doing on social media, especially kids, but avoid using location services when possible. According to the recent Intel Security study : Realities of Cyber Parenting , one in three children who are active on social media turn on location services for some or all of their social media accounts which can alert thieves that you are not home, making you vulnerable to break-ins.

Many users are unaware of these features, but the service is available, and probably enabled on almost all of your most used apps, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. In order to fully protect your online data, when your computer devices are not in use, the Wi-Fi, location services and Bluetooth all should be turned off. Educate your kids to disable these services and not to download apps that request this information to run.

Additional Safety Measures You Can Take:

  • Lock your luggage
  • Do not post your travel plans online
  • If you’re taking any computer devices along, back up all their data first
  • Power down, password-protect, and lock these devices prior to travel
  • The person next to you on the plane can visually eavesdrop while you type in login information—beware. Better yet, avoid computer use while on the plane, and watch movies instead
  • Never use public Wi-Fi, at least for important transactions including purchases. Not only can thieves snatch data out of the air, but cybercriminals can also install public computers with data-stealing gadgets. If you must use public Wi-Fi for sensitive communications, use a virtual private network (VPN), which will scramble your data

Even after taking all of these precautions before and during your trip, your job is not done! Once you return home from your trip, it is vital that you make sure all of your information and charges are accurate. Make sure to immediately check your online credit card statements for unauthorized charges—before you invest time posting all about your trip on social media. Credit card fraud or identity theft can occur in well under 24 hours, so don’t put off checking your card status when you come home.

Robert Siciliano is an Online Safety Expert to Intel Security. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Mobile was Hacked!

App Tells Who’s Digging into Your Personal Data

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Did you know that sometimes, the apps you use for your smartphone have access to your personal information and are capable of sharing it? Are you aware that your privacy can be invaded across the network board? That includes Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google+ and more.

1PAnd how can you tell which applications can do this? MyPermissions can tell you. Once you load this and do some setting up, you’ll see which apps on your device has access to your information.

For instance, it’s not just a matter of who can get your information, but how often and just what, such as your contact list, photos and more. The more apps you use, the more likely your personal information is getting “shared,” i.e., leaked into cyberspace without your knowledge.

MyPermissions will alert you when an application barges into your sensitive information. It will give you control over who gets access to your data.

Without MyPermissions, it’s like walking through a crowded area and dropping one copy after another of your driver’s license, bank statement, credit card and family contacts.

So let’s suppose you’d like to start with Facebook. You tell MyPermissions you’d like a scan. MyPermissions will use your FB account to look for external connections. You’ll have a dashboard to see who’s getting into your information and you’ll be directed in how to stop this.

Worried if MyPermissions will share your data? Don’t. It will never collect, store or use any of your private information.

A similar application is that of Online Privacy Shield (free from Google Play Store). It will tell you which of your apps are nosing around in your private files and what they’re getting. And you could control who gets what.

Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc., all have different ways for terminating access to your privacy, so bear with that—don’t expect all to terminate with one simple click just because one particular service has a one-click termination.

Be prepared for a shock: Hundreds of apps may have access to your sensitive data. You’ll need to embrace and appreciate the time required to get all of this straightened out. But when all is said and done, you’ll be glad you took that time.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to BestIDTheftCompanys.com discussing identity theft prevention. Disclosures.

How to sign out of all Google Accounts

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Let’s cut to the chase (never mind how you misplaced your phone): There are several ways to sign out of your Google accounts remotely. It takes three steps, and you’ll need the desktop version of Google. gg

  • On a mobile use a browser opposed to the Gmail/Google app and sign in at gmail.com.
  • Seek out “Desktop version” at the bottom of the window/browser. Click it. You may need to login again.
  • At the very bottom you will see “Recent Activity” in the right corner. Look below that to see “Details.” Click that.
  • A window will pop up giving you information about your account.
  • Look at the top of the page for a button, “Sign out all other sessions.” Click that.
  • And that’s it! Do this now to test it out.

You just signed out of your Google account. What this means is that anyone who might be in your account gets signed out or anyone who gets ahold of your lost or stolen phone/laptop etc will not be able to gain access, because they will need your password (which hopefully isn’t something dopey like 123password or password1, being that these are among the most commonly used passwords and thus very easy to guess at).

Keep in mind that Google has a device location tool. It works only when you’re signed in on the said device. So if you just signed out of all of your Google accounts, this location feature will be of no use. But if you happen to know precisely where your “lost” phone is, then it makes sense to sign out on all Google accounts.

Sounds odd, because chances are, if you know exactly where the phone is…it’s probably not in the hands of a crooked or nosy person. But you just never know.

For example, you may discover your phone is missing after you’ve returned from the gym. So you call the gym and sure enough, your phone was found in the locker room and turned in to the front desk. Thus, you know precisely where it is. However, who’s to say that a bored employee won’t tinker around with it?

If you know where the phone is, don’t delay in retrieving it.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to BestIDTheftCompanys.com discussing identity theft prevention. Disclosures.

Managing Your Online Reputation

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You’ve been “Googled.” No matter how small a speck you think you are in this universe, you have without a doubt created an online footprint that is attached to your name. Chances are high that someone out there has followed this footprint of yours via a Google search.

http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-images-online-risks-sign-road-banner-image34668294Whether by a business colleague, family member or even a significant other, it’s reasonable to assume that your name will be “searched” online for personal information about you. But, what are the results of these searches? Are you comfortable with what they might have discovered?

Online reputations are a part of everyday life that should not be taken for granted; they can be key factors in finding (and keeping) a job, not to mention personal and professional relationships.

Make sure your online reputation isn’t tarnishing your personal image. First step: search yourself! You can use any or all of the popular search engines, such as Bing and Google. You will want to make sure to view the search results when you’re logged in and out of your browser, as this can alter the outcome. Results can be different depending on many factors including the type of web browser, geographic location, web history or data center that is serving up the search results. You may be surprised to find that there is negative information you’ll want to get rid of.

If this is the case, and you want to remove some damaging results, you can use this link for Google and this link for Bing to request the removal of particular search results.

Use these tips to ensure your online reputation isn’t susceptible to generating negative search results:

  • Set your social media accounts to private to prevent unwanted retweets, shares, likes and posts (and think before you post).
  • Review the privacy settings for your social media accounts so that people aren’t seeing things you don’t want them to see.
  • Review all of your avatars. They are the world’s first impression of you, even if it’s obviously not you (e.g., an image of an evil dictator).
  • Review photos of yourself. Duck-face mirror selfies and party pictures are a major red flag. Remove any other unfavorable pictures that may lead to negative search results.
  • Remove any insulting or otherwise negative comments you may have made.
  • Now add in some information that elevates you.
  • Never drink while posting. While PUI’s are legal, you could regret it.

There are also ways to build up your online reputation:

  • Check out online portfolio sites such as me, About.me and Seelio. These can help you to build your digital identity through a single website that showcases all of the positive information from your varying social media accounts.
  • Signing up with services such as Youtube or Flickr where you can promote your skills can also be a big reputation boost.
  • Another option is to create your own personal website domain, where you can represent yourself or your brand in whatever light you choose.
  • Look into online reputation management companies. Expect to pay some dough, but there’s nothing like having all that bad stuff swept under the rug.

Whether it is through posts, updates, or even mobile phones tracking location, just about every part of your daily life is somehow tied to your online profiles. This influx of time spent connected makes managing your online reputation a clear necessity to ensure the face-to-face image that you project into the world, matches the one linked to you online.

Robert Siciliano is an Online Safety Expert to Intel Security. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Mobile was Hacked!

Time to tighten up Google Privacy Settings

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There is good news for the tech-unsavvy out there: Google has made their privacy settings easier to work with. This day has not come a moment too soon. “My Account” is Google’s new dashboard.

ggWhen you use any Google account, the giant company collects information on you. The new dashboard will reveal what information this is. My Account also has other privacy related features; check it out first chance that you get. It has the following three sections.

Security

  • If you get locked out of your Google account, Google will contact you via the phone number and e-mail address you’ll see in this section, and you can change them, too.
  • You can look over a list of apps, websites and more that have access to your Google account info. You can place restrictions on permissions.
  • Lists devices that have connected to your Google account.
  • You can change your password.

Privacy

  • Google collects information on you including what you watch on YouTube; this section reveals which information on you is saved.
  • This section controls what phone numbers people can reach you on Hangouts.
  • Additionally you can adjust your public likes and subscriptions on YouTube.
  • Third, you can alter the information that you share on Google+.

Account Preferences

  • Here you can select the language for your Google accounts.
  • Here you can delete your entire account or some of it.
  • You can adjust the accessibility features.

Think of how great it would be to view a list of all the information that Google has collected from your computer, tablet or smartphone…and then delete whichever items you choose. You now no longer have to use the excuse, “It’s too techy for me,” to avoid delving into the privacy settings and making adjustments to your liking. You have a right to know what Google gets on you and what everyone else on the planet can see, too.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to BestIDTheftCompanys.com discussing identity theft prevention. Disclosures.

Consumers smartening up to Privacy Issues

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According to a recent report from Pew Research, many Americans take privacy seriously—as in the cyber kind, but also offline. 2P

  • 9% of survey respondents thought they had strong control over how much of their personal information was collected and shared.
  • 38% thought they had moderate control; 37% believed they had little control; 13% said they had zero control.
  • 25% used temporary e-mail addresses or usernames for some online activities.
  • 24% gave non-truthful information about themselves (e.g., when registering on a site to post comments, a single woman might indicate that she’s a married man; or a childless person might indicate that he has kids).
  • 59% cleared their browser and cookies.
  • 47% avoided giving out non-relevant information for online transactions.
  • 55% remained anonymous for some online activities.
  • 74% believe the government should have better limits to collecting people’s data.

Why don’t more people do things in the name of privacy like adjust the settings of their accounts or smartphone? For starters, some don’t want to hassle with “techy” things, while others don’t think it’ll make any difference. Some just aren’t worried all that much and have nothing to hide. Others don’t want to pay more money for more security. And some are clueless over how much of their data gets shared, such as those who blindly allow mobile apps “permissions.”

Some users also know that higher privacy, in general, comes with slower loading times and other inconveniences. People want efficient usability. Nevertheless, people are getting cranky.

For example, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration was surveilling Americans’ phone calls overseas. They’ve now been sued. Secondly, the Stop Online Piracy Act was on the brink of being shelved, but lawmakers put a stop to these plans.

The National Security Agency’s metadata program with bulk phone calls was recently deemed illegal after the American Civil Liberties Union brought a lawsuit to the U.S. federal appeals court.

And that’s just a sample. There are more lawsuits in the works in the name of Americans’ privacy rights.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to BestIDTheftCompanys.com discussing identity theft prevention. Disclosures.

Tips to being anonymous Online

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One of mankind’s greatest inventions (besides the wheel) is the Internet.

10DUnfortunately, with this marvelous invention comes the drawback of privacy—or shall we say, lack of.

The Internet is a wonderful tool, but users must fight to remain as anonymous as possible, because getting too much of yourself “out there” could lead to trouble. In fact, it’s a big business all in itself: tracking users’ data and selling it to advertisers. Now this may sound rather benign, because no matter how much or how little of you is “out there,” you’re always going to see ads anyways.

But it’s the idea that other entities are tracking you, and also the idea that you don’t know who. All the time, information about you is being swooped up without your knowledge.

  • IP tracking. The “IP address” of your computer stands for Internet protocol. The IP address is issued by your Internet service provider and is unique to every user. An IP address can be tracked, revealing the user’s home address. Law enforcement will track an IP address of, for example, someone making threats via e-mail to bomb a school.
  • ISPs insist they don’t track IP addresses. But there are cases that make this hard to believe, such as when someone downloads a copy of a new movie. Not long after, they get a letter warning they’ve violated copyright law. This means their browsing habits were shared with a private company.
  • Cookies. Visit a site. It has cookies or data pieces that will record that you visited it. This is why when you visit the site again a week later, you’re automatically taken to the page you were last on. Cookies can also build a pattern of your web habits, so that before you know it, ads are popping up everywhere relating to sites you’ve visited.
  • Social media. Sites like Facebook will track your browsing habits with cookies, leading to the targeted advertising.

So how can you remain as anonymous as possible?

  • Open new links in an incognito window. When you right-click, a selection box will appear; choose “open in incognito window.” The incognito window means you will not leave behind cookies or browsing history. However, this doesn’t mean you’ll be the Invisible Man. But at least it’s a way of cutting down on how much of your browsing habits are revealed and shared.
  • You can download Hotspot Shield. It will put a stop to third-party tracking and encrypt data that you share with sites. You may also want it even more for its ability to mask your IP address. There is a free version and a premium version that costs $29 bucks.

Robert Siciliano is an Identity Theft Expert to Hotspot Shield. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen See him discussing internet and wireless security on Good Morning America. Disclosures.

How to keep a Clean Online Presence

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At any given time, someone, somewhere, is probably googling you. This could be a former classmate, a neighbor, someone you’re trying to do business with, a relative, who knows?

1PAre you confident that whatever they find will be information that’s truly representative of you? Maybe if you have a really common name, it may be lost in cyber muddle, but the more unusual your name is (or how the first name is spelled), the easier it will be to find you. If you want a clean online presence, there are things you can do.

  • Search yourself on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
  • Google yourself and see what comes up within the first two pages of results. Make sure you’re logged out of Google or other browser you’re searching on. The results can be different vs being logged in.
  • Log back in and search your name again to see how the results look.

But how do you get rid of negative information and make yourself look better?

If you’re the creator of negative information, it’s a cinch. Just go into your Facebook account or wherever the unflattering information is, and delete it. Also adjust the settings for privacy, such as limiting post or image visibility to select visitors.

  • Search engines. Ask the search engine to remove the page result. For Google go here. For Bing go here.
  • Google+. Hide what you don’t want others to see. Check out the privacy settings.
  • LinkedIn. Make sure your profile is updated.
  • Twitter. Make the account private to prevent retweets. If you’re new to Twitter, think very carefully before you tweet, as tweets really do get around.
  • In addition to these tactics, try online reputation management firms. They aren’t cheap, but they work, mostly.
  • Go through all of your account profiles and upgrade them. Make them crisp, clear and free of fluff or anything that doesn’t flatter you. Add information that makes you more impressive. And use a good photo for your profile or avatar. Really, some Facebook profile pictures are ridiculous and unflattering, some not even making any sense.
  • Replace racy or otherwise negative images of you with more respectable ones. Or just delete them, period, like endless selfies that shout, “Ooh, look at me in this one!”
  • Be very careful what photos you put up on Facebook and Instagram. If you’re soliciting for donations, don’t have a photo of you eating lobster.
  • Sign up with a nameplate site like about.me, seelio or flavors.me where you can say good things about yourself and list your skills.
  • Get your own domain, even if you think your name is taken (use a variation), then use a reliable hosting company and put up your work.
  • Link all of these accounts so that visitors to one will be driven to the others.
  • Sign up with services to show your skills such as YouTube and Vimeo. See what’s out there for your various talents (e.g., Flickr for photographers).
  • Follow the cardinal rule: Don’t put anything in cyberspace that you wouldn’t want to reveal to 50,000 people at the coliseum.
  • Oh, drinking and posting don’t mix. Just don’t. Stop it. Really.

Robert Siciliano is an Identity Theft Expert to Hotspot Shield. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen See him discussing internet and wireless security on Good Morning America. Disclosures.