Digital Privacy: A Curmudgeon’s Guide

Do you feel it’s a losing battle trying to keep your information private? If you do, you’re smart. It’s impossible to live in our modern society without people knowing more about you than you’d like.

* Your doctor wants you to hand over your families’ health history and you social security number.

* The supermarket wants to track how often you buy frozen pizza.

* The government now wants your garbageman to report any suspicious behavior going on in your basement.

What’s the solution? Get grumpy. When people ask for information, say no. If they insist, ask for their manager. Ask why they need the information. Does this require some backbone? Yes it does. Just reach around with your arm. You’ll find you still have one.

David Holtzman, a privacy curmudgeon, as he puts it, says people respond in different ways to privacy concerns. His categories include the Curmudgeon, the Ignorer, the Avoider, the Deceiver and the Aggressor:

“Ignorers think that there is no problem; Avoiders go out of their way to not be in a situation where they have to give information; Deceivers deliberately give false information whenever possible; and Aggressors get indignant and talk about lawsuits or write nasty letters.”

Curmudgeons don’t lie or avoid privacy issues. They meet them head on. Here are his six guidelines for becoming a privacy grump. Some are extreme. Don’t feel bad if you don’t follow all of them. I don’t. Just realize that you are exchanging convenience for information:

* Just Say No - If the information requested doesn’t have anything to do with product or service you’re buying, just say no.

* Pay Up Front - When requesting medical services.

* Ask Why - If they answer, “the computer system requires the information”, ask again.

* Pay Cash - Cash transactions can’t be tracked.

* Don’t Use Wireless Devices - Cell phones and other devices can track and record your whereabouts.

* Don’t Use “Convenience Cards” - They are designed to track and analyze your purchasing habits.

Do you buy a lot of stuff on internet auctions like eBay? I’ve bought a few inexpensive things, but I wouldn’t consider buying an expensive item from someone I’ve never seen before.

Auction fraud does occur on eBay and Yahoo Auctions, just ask Darren Barringer. Darren paid for a laptop on eBay in June 2002, but received a Montreal phone book in his FedEx package instead. That made him upset and curious. So he decided to look through other auctions to see if he could pick out the fraudulent ones. Here’s what he found as possible signs of a fraudulent listing:

* Low priced high-ticket items, like high-definition TVs, laptops, or jewelry — especially if there are multiple items for sale.
* Brand-new sellers with no sales history.
* Sellers requesting wire transfers for payment, or payment in foreign currencies.
* Auctions that begin and end over a weekend, since eBay customer support is light during those days.
* Seller telephone numbers or addresses that can’t be verified.

I’ll be creating some additional information about internet fraud, and auction fraud specifically in the coming weeks. Until then, please be careful when clicking the “Buy” button.

A hacker conference held in New York July 12-14 is making AT&T pretty worried. In the past, conference-goers have called AT&T during their presentation and using social engineering hacking tecniques to get passwords and other information in order to break into computer systems. They record the conversations and later sell the videotapes at their conference. Capitalism at its best!

What is social engineering you ask? It’s simply asking the right person for the information you want, posing as someone who should have access to it. For example, suppose the Director of Security from your bank called and told you there had been some unauthorized activity at the bank and he needed to confirm your account information. Would you give it to him? A lot of people would, and that’s what makes a hacker’s life much easier.