Internet Interests

Keeping Your Privacy Private

Are you giving away more information than you intended to when you are visiting websites on the Internet? In the world of Identity Theft, the three most important pieces of information to have on you are your social security number, your date of birth, and/or your signature. Armed with one or more of these pieces of information, the identity thief is off and running.

Common methods of unintentionally giving your information away on the Internet include:

	Registering for contests, banner click-thru payments, free credit reports…
	Using unsecured online forms for sending your confidential information
	Donations to uninvestigated or temporary charities
	Using “quick-fill” type online software (MS Passport for example) that allows websites to gather your address, phone numbers, etc. and insert it into that website’s forms for you
	Posting too much personal information on your Personal web page
	Giving away sensitive information in “private” chat rooms
	Replying to SPAM or emailed advertisements with your confidential information
	Filling out “non-required” fields in online forms
	Genealogy searches (Mother’s maiden name)
	Searches for lost friends and relatives
	Searches for money that is supposedly owed to you
	Cookies that track your activities

Common sense says to use your head and think about who will be receiving the information that you are sending. A good place to begin investigating about who will have access to the information is by reading the Privacy Statement [or Notice] that is usually offered by most reputable businesses and organizations. However, the most prudent course of action is to not give away anything that you aren’t required to.

Since much of your personal information is constantly being migrated to the Internet, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to prevent identity thieves from continuing their illegal activities; but there is no reason why we have to make it any easier for them to perform their thefts. Any time that a web site asks for confidential or sensitive information from you, you should automatically become suspicious and immediately reconsider your decision to provide your private information.

Respectfully submitted by Steve Duell
SFBA Chapter Webmaster