Online Privacy - Is My Information Safe?

<h1>Online Privacy - Is My Information Safe?</h1>Author: <a title="Jim Rjindael" href="http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/jim-rjindael/91459.htm">Jim Rjindael</a> I think most people would be shocked at how little online privacy people have.   When you realise that every single web site you visit, every email you send and every forum you hang out on is logged and recorded for years it can make you feel quite uncomfortable. Sure you can log on to your favourite web site or online forum and search for their privacy policy.  You'll find lots of legal talk mainly designed to cover their backs as they record and monitor your favourite web pages, upload cookies to your machine and target your email with carefully selected special offers. The new wave of internet browsers are helping, feature like Chromes Incognito mode are blocking cookies and popups and stopping personal information being logged on your machine but that was always the easiest  privacy problem to solve. The most difficult part on protecting your online privacy is a simple little language or protocol called HTTP.   You see HTTP is how your web browser communicates with the web sites you visit.  It's very simple, very efficient and very fast but unfortunately it is also in completely clear text and is visible by everyone.    I always like to think of it as shouting across a crowded room, not everyone can hear because they are not listening to you but everything you shout is instantly available to everyone in the room if they care to listen. Thanks to the Hyper Text Transport Protocol, practically everything we do online has no privacy as it is is in clear text.   Absolutely everything we do online is stored at our ISP, any personal information we send is logged here, and in many other places on it's clear text HTTP journey.   Of course our service providers are not interested in all this information - there's simply too much of it and it is expensive to store. This is the reason that the ISPs are being directed by various bills and laws in countries across the world to keep this information.   The usual excuse for invading peoples privacy and accessing their personal information is to catch baddies and track terrorists online. This is of course a perfectly good argument but I do wonder is the slim chance of catching the odd online crook worth sacrificing everyone's online privacy.About the Author: 
I use the very best privacy software on the market and you to can <a href="http://www.ngbconsult.co.uk/Privacy/surf-protection.html">surf securely</a> too. It's fast, completely encrypted and gives you access to a huge network of private proxies. You can even use it to watch the <a href="http://www.anonymous-proxies.org/2009/02/using-iplayer-abroad-viewing-bbc-via.html">BBC Iplayer abroad</a> on a UK proxy.

Take care and stay safe 
JimArticle Source: <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/">ArticlesBase.com</a> - <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/online-privacy-is-my-information-safe-838112.html" title="Online Privacy - Is My Information Safe?">Online Privacy - Is My Information Safe?</a>

I think most people would be shocked at how little online privacy people have. When you realise that every single web site you visit, every email you send and every forum you hang out on is logged and recorded for years it can make you feel quite uncomfortable.

Sure you can log on to your favourite web site or online forum and search for their privacy policy. You'll find lots of legal talk mainly designed to cover their backs as they record and monitor your favourite web pages, upload cookies to your machine and target your email with carefully selected special offers. The new wave of internet browsers are helping, feature like Chromes Incognito mode are blocking cookies and popups and stopping personal information being logged on your machine but that was always the easiest privacy problem to solve.

The most difficult part on protecting your online privacy is a simple little language or protocol called HTTP. You see HTTP is how your web browser communicates with the web sites you visit. It's very simple, very efficient and very fast but unfortunately it is also in completely clear text and is visible by everyone. I always like to think of it as shouting across a crowded room, not everyone can hear because they are not listening to you but everything you shout is instantly available to everyone in the room if they care to listen.

Thanks to the Hyper Text Transport Protocol, practically everything we do online has no privacy as it is is in clear text. Absolutely everything we do online is stored at our ISP, any personal information we send is logged here, and in many other places on it's clear text HTTP journey. Of course our service providers are not interested in all this information - there's simply too much of it and it is expensive to store.

This is the reason that the ISPs are being directed by various bills and laws in countries across the world to keep this information. The usual excuse for invading peoples privacy and accessing their personal information is to catch baddies and track terrorists online. This is of course a perfectly good argument but I do wonder is the slim chance of catching the odd online crook worth sacrificing everyone's online privacy.

I use the very best privacy software on the market and you to can surf securely too. It's fast, completely encrypted and gives you access to a huge network of private proxies. You can even use it to watch the BBC Iplayer abroad on a UK proxy. Take care and stay safe
Jim

Rate this Article:

0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s)

Re-Publish

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/online-privacy-is-my-information-safe-838112.html

Related Videos
Related Articles
Ask / Related Q&A

Play

How to Create An Online Playlist

Play

Hot Topic: Email Privacy

Play

The Right to Privacy

Play

Online Dating Tips - First Online Contact

Play

Parents Online: Privacy and Your Kids

Latest Security Articles
More from Jim Rjindael

How to Prevent a Computer Virus and Protect Your Email?

By: Amy Zhou | 25/12/2009
Viruses and other malicious PC threats can easily infect our computer systems. Basing on my personal experience and study from the Internet, I would like to share some tips about how to prevent computer virus and safeguard your email.

Koobface - How to Remove Koobface?

By: Amy Zhou | 25/12/2009
"Koobface" is a kind of worm. With the increasingly large group of social network users, Koobface worm spreads crazily among Facebook users, so people also name it as Facebook worm. However, the name "Facebook worm" will soon be the past, because this worm has leaped out of the fence of Facebook, and madly sprung to other social network.

Computer Virus Removal - How to Remove Computer Virus Manually and Automatically

By: Amy Zhou | 25/12/2009
Do you really know how to remove computer viruses when you are suffered by these terrible unexpected intruders? Actually, as long as you read this article, and learn some basic knowledge about computer virus, you should know several ways to manually or automatically remove them.

How to Remove the Trojan Downloader

By: Amy Zhou | 25/12/2009
The Trojan-Downloader is a kind of Trojan, which once running will generate infection files, modify Registry and add Startup items, in order to make itself run at the computer startup. Use the antispyware program in safe mode to detect and remove Trojan-Downloader, and after which please download the Registry repair tool to repair your system Registry and check the startup items.

Free From Spyware Threats - You Need Real-Time Protection

By: Amy Zhou | 25/12/2009
Many computer users are suffering from the compromising of spyware, virus, Trojan, or other PC threats. To get rid of viruses or Trojans, a security tool should contain not only effective technology in scanning out or detecting malicious threats, but also robust and complete mechanisms in removing threats and infections.

Staying Safe on the Internet

By: Hannah Miller | 25/12/2009
If you are concerned about whether or not you are safe while you are on the Internet, there are a few precautions that you can take. It’s good to know a few basic things about Internet security and what could be a potentially harmful situation. Read more for some information about basic ways to protect yourself while you’re on the Internet.

TCP/IP Exploit Countermeasures

By: Steven James | 23/12/2009
Increasingly, offenders and network intruders are using highly advanced tools and techniques to facilitate their offenses and evade apprehension, inventing new challenges for law enforcement, security professionals and computer forensic examiners. However, a TCP packet is a data structure comprising of a sequence number, an acknowledgement number for connecting the packets of a communication session, flags, source and destination port numbers.

The most recommended Spyware Protection in 2009

By: topsofts | 23/12/2009
Spyware Doctor is one of the best-known spyware removal tools on the market. The program protects your system through real-time blocking, spyware scanning, and immunization against infections. The real-time scanner continuously monitors your memory and the web pages you visit. Spyware Doctor also monitors files, which try to run automatically on your system, and protects your system from security flaws. Whenever it detects a possible infection, it displays a dialog, allowing you to block the threat.

Twitter Hacked by Iranian Cyber Army

By: Jim Rjindael | 18/12/2009 | News & Society
Yes, it's true all you twitterers out there had nowhere to tweet today, when the site was inaccessible. Twitter was hacked by the oddly named Iranian Cyber Army.

Should Ordinary People Use Anonymous Software?

By: Jim Rjindael | 01/12/2009 | Security
It is an extreme simplification that you don't need to use software online to protect your data unless you've got something to hide. The simple fact that there is a huge information war going on all around us and the information generally being targeted is ours.

Watching RTE from Outside Ireland

By: Jim Rjindael | 24/11/2009 | Television
Ever wanted to watch RTE from outside Ireland? Found out that you couldn't, well read this article for more information.

Government Internet Surveillance in the USA

By: Jim Rjindael | 20/11/2009 | Security
Surely, this doesn't happen, I mean people monitoring ordinary peoples web browsing in the USA. Well if you don't believe me I'd like to tell you briefly about a room, and not just an ordinary room - this room has sparked a scandal.

How to keep your Internet Surfing Privacy

By: Jim Rjindael | 12/10/2009 | Security
Everyones getting more concerned with internet privacy and with good reason. A large part of our lives is conducted online, we shop, bank, socialise even date on line in some cases.

Do we Need to think about Anonymous Surfing ?

By: Jim Rjindael | 10/10/2009 | Security
Should we be worried about the lack of privacy on the internet? Does it bother you that what you can do or see online is increasingly controlled by outside parties? These are increasingly important issues and in some ways will decide the future of what we know as the world wide web.

Blocking Youtube, MySpace and Much more in Turkey

By: Jim Rjindael | 09/10/2009 | Internet
It was when Farmville that got blocked that it got silly. The Turkish ISPs directed by the newly formed Telecommunications Communication Presidency (TIB), blocked all access to this application from within Turkey. Read more here.