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Internet Privacy
Pamela Hindberg
There are ethical issues with technology being used to gain access to personal information when users browse the Internet. Concerns arise about whether or not certain websites will collect and store then share information about users. Keeping a person’s financial records private is another concern for computer users. They want to feel that when they use the Internet that they are protected from fraud, scams and possible identity theft.
Having the proper computer security in place can help protect consumers and businesses from becoming vulnerable and confidential information being compromised. Identity theft can occur when computer systems are hacked into and personal and financial information such as bank records, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, etc. are stolen. Computer systems are vulnerable to viruses and spyware infecting and causing damage when users access the Internet, reply to phishing emails, instant messages, and text messages. Therefore, it is important that computers have anti-virus and anti-spyware software installed and updated on a regular basis. The firewall also needs to be turned on as a preventative measure. Businesses should secure their operating systems so as to protect information about their customers and employees.
Use passwords that are unique and contain a combination of letters, numbers and symbols that have no meaning to the person is another preventative measure. Never use a Social Security number, birth date, names of family members or friends, or anything that is personal that can be linked back to the user. Don’t use the same password for everything in your computer system. If a computer system is compromised and the user has different passwords then hackers cannot gain access to everything.
Phishing emails are created to look like emails from legitimate companies that you may conduct business with. In these emails, text messages, or pop-up’s the user will be asked to click on a link to a fake website or call a phone number in order to update, validate, or confirm personal information. The individual is lead to believe that if they don’t reply to the message their service will be stopped or disrupted. Don’t respond to these types of requests as legitimate companies will not ask for personal information such as passwords, account numbers, Social Security numbers, etc. through unsolicited emails and spam. Having email filters in place will help to prevent spam and junk mail from entering the inbox. While browsing the Internet don’t respond to any emails or pop-ups that appear on the screen wanting money and don’t click on any links within that pop-up as legitimate companies don’t ask for this information by means of emails.
With advancements in technology companies have tools available to them to where they can monitor their employees while they are in the workplace as well as working from home. Through packet-sniffing software employers can monitor their employee’s network use when they access personal email, phone calls, etc. There are also keystroke loggers systems to where companies can record every keystroke made by their employees.
In this era of advanced technology children are on the Internet all the time so it is important to protect their privacy and personal information while they are online. Parents need to know what sites their children are visiting so they can find out what information these sites are asking their children to divulge. Reading the privacy policies of these sites is a good way to find out what information is being collected and how it will be used. If something does not feel right ask questions, research the website and just don’t let them visit the site. By law parents have the right to contact the website and have their child’s information deleted if they feel it is being misused. They can also report the misuse of information to the police as well as the Federal Trade Commission.
Shopping online maybe convenient for consumers, but they need to make sure that the website in which they are making purchases is from a credible and trustworthy source by confirming that there is a physical address and phone number before entering credit card and other information. Read the privacy, shipping, and refund policies as well as any other fine print that is contained within the site as anyone can set up a website. A legitimate business won’t ask for a person’s Social Security number, bank account numbers or your mother’s maiden name. They will only request information about the type of payment that will be made such as a credit card number, mailing address, and phone number. Make sure that the website is secure before entering credit card numbers and other information. One way in which to tell if the site is a secure one is by looking for a padlock icon or a web address that starts with “https” showing that the site has security measure in place.
Before a computer is sold, donated, or recycled it is important that the hard drive is wiped clean or physically destroyed in order prevent personal information from getting in the hands of criminals. When disposing of old computers businesses have to follow the necessary steps in order to secure the customer data by properly disposing of the old computer and hard drive.
By having preventative tools in place it can help the fight against criminals gaining access then stealing personal and financial information to be used in an unethical manner.
Works Cited
Britz, Marjie T. Computer Forensic and Cyber Crime: An Introduction Second
Edition. New Jersey: Person Education, 2004.
“Computer & Internet Privacy & Security.” Protecting America’s Consumers.
18 Mar. 2009. Federal Trade Commission. 14 Apr. 2009
<http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/tech/privacy.shtm>.
“Get Net Wise You’re One Click Away.” Internet Education Foundation.
2008. 11 Apr. 2009 <http://security.getnetwise.org/>.
Ghillyer, Andrew. Business Ethics A Real World Approach. New York:
McGraw-Hill, 2008.
“Privacy & the Internet Traveling in Cyberspace Safely.” Online Privacy. Mar.
2009. Privacy Rights Clearing House. 11 Apr. 2009
<http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs18-cyb.htm#PART_ONE>.