Privacy/Security

[antonius]

How concerned with personal privacy is everyone?

Most of us at least have some kind of pseudonym that we use (especially here), but beyond that how paranoid are you? Any hotmail member could track me down easily. Do you use any form of e-mail encryption? why/why not?
Anybody reading a summary of my posts could probably work out an awful lot about me - I'm not concerned about this specifically (after all, I trust you all or I wouldn't be here), but I do have a slight worry about this in a more general sense.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

(This was prompted by yet another Echelon story - The NSA are moving to the UK - lucky us - form Germany)

[Memnoch]

I'm not very paranoid, I probably should be more careful, but what the hell.

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[Moridin]

Agreed Memnoch! Not paranoid but the way I use my credit card online, I should be a little more concerned!

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Ever wonder if illiterate people get the full effect from alphabet soup?

Originally posted by antonius: How concerned with personal privacy is everyone? Most of us at least have some kind of pseudonym that we use (especially here), but beyond that how paranoid are you? Any hotmail member could track me down easily. Do you use any form of e-mail encryption? why/why not? Anybody reading a summary of my posts could probably work out an awful lot about me - I'm not concerned about this specifically (after all, I trust you all or I wouldn't be here), but I do have a slight worry about this in a more general sense. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? (This was prompted by yet another Echelon story - The NSA are moving to the UK - lucky us - form Germany)

Well i have started using a firewall at home after reading this article:

http://grc.com/dos/grcdos.htm


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Holy Avenger of the OHF and part time Pinguindiebjäger

[Bahamut]

well as memnoch said, what the hell!

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You know what happened. We are ONE, WE ARE, ahh.. er... I AM 'S favorite pet pea-cock...teehee and... Stay ahead of the Avalanche or risk being buried...

Paranoid enough not to use my real last name anywhere online and enough to be thankful that if I have a street address, I don't know what it is LOL!


Until I am forced by the government to do so, I will not make any purchases electronically or allow my bills to be electronically deducted from my checking account. I have seen firsthand, the way one certain Ins company overcharged an account for a policy that was never authorized to the tune of thousands of dollars. It cost more in the long run to stop them and to deny them access to the account than it would have to just send them the payments.

Now when it comes to people spying on you LOL...well we know that devices exist that can listen to what we say inside our homes from a remote location or even see what we are doing. I don't say anything I don't mean and I don't do anything I don't enjoy.
If my butt itches, I am gonna scrtach it.


Moni

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[This message has been edited by Moni (edited 06-11-2001).]

[antonius]

Thanks Moni - that's the sort of thing I was looking for

Originally I was thinking about just internet stuff (I spend more time here), but you're right - even simple things like credit cards can be used to build up a pretty accurate profile of someone. Not harmful in the least, but you have to draw a line somewhere.

I also read somewhere obscure about identities online - just how easy it is to build profiles of someone "anonymous" - just thinking about some of the things I've posted here I guess it's not difficult

[Reeka]

I wouldn't say that I'm paranoid just cautious. Only close friends know my real first name, nobody knows my last name or home adress. Or home phone number. I consider myself a pretty trusting person, but not a stupid person.

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O_H_F

Reeka,
If I may ask, what is the reasoning behind not wanting anyone to know your first name unless you are superstitious and believe that knowing your real first name can give someone at a distance some kind of power over you? Perhaps it is not superstition but truth, however, I consider myself to have enough of my own personal power not to allow anyone access to me from afar.

?
Just curious,
Moni

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[Charean]

Actually - this is something I have given quite a lot of thought to. Right now, anyone with access (or creative ways to access) can find out who you are, your social security number; from there, your credit rating, job, amount you earn, spending habits, driving record, insurance and possibly medical records. Any hacker worth a grain of salt can get any of this now with minimal effort.

The question is "Am I paranoid?" In a way, yes - but I also know that if I live fairly lawfully, and watch my accounts, I can pretty much make sure I can catch something early enough to do something about it. Credit cards even over the cordless phone can be tapped into now. Makes me think twice before doing it, but do it I must in some circumstances.

I guess I am aware of the risks, and choose to take a few anyway.

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Defender for the Light -
Goodness knows there is a lot of Dark out there!! - Where are my matches?!?
Wandering Soul - Finding my life's calling is Bodhisattva
Looking for lost brain - I left it only for a moment....and there it goes... rolling under the table!!
Noticing that the Light has gotten further down a Dark Tunnel than expected... Time to get the Lantern... Knowing sooner or later - I will get to the End of this Tunnel to the Open Air once again...