|
Question: How much information can
companies get about me while I'm online?
Response: Companies can easily get your IP address,
and the sites you visit through the use of
"cookies." The Privacy
Tutorial page covers removing cookies manually and
automatically via a script. You can also download
some privacy trial-ware or freeware from the Protect
page.
Question: Why do I need these
utilities? When I delete a file isn't it gone from
my computer?
Response: Nothing is ever erased from your hard
drive, its just that you can't get to it. Think
about it for a second, when you delete a file where does
it go? It isn't like there's a trash chute that runs
outside of you computer. Secure deletion programs
attempt to permanently erase files by writing over them
with "junk" data so that it is next to
impossible for someone to recover the file.
Question: How do I know if a company will sell my
information to others?
Response: Look for a link to either a "Privacy
Statement" or "Privacy Policy" and click
the link. Read it carefully. Look to see if there are any
sections that mention something about selling your
information to third party or outside
companies.
Question: Can my boss track what I am doing at
work?
Response: Yes, and most likely they already do. Try to follow company policy about conducting
personal business at home.
Question: How much can a website find out about me
in one visit?
Response: They can find out which operating system
you are running, your screen resolution, the browser you are using,
the site you just came from and the site you're going to next,
as well as all sorts of other information. Rather
than tell you, let me show you - click
here.
Question: If I use a proxy, can the sites still
find out who I am?
Response: That depends. There are two
kinds of proxies: public proxies and anonymous proxies.
Anonymous proxies are designed to protect your privacy, public proxies
are not. Anonymizer
is hands down the leader in this arena and the service is
only $5/month.
Question: How can erase/cover my tracks after I
finish surfing?
Response: The easiest way is to Clear the
History. You can do this in Internet Explorer by following
these steps:
- Open a browser window
- Click on "Tools"
- Select the "Internet
Options..." sub-menu
- Scroll down to "Clear History"
- Click OK
If you would like a more comprehensive way
of deleting your tracks, check out the Internet
Privacy Tutorial.
Question: What is Carnivore?
Response:
Carnivore is a computer-based system that
is designed to allow the FBI, in cooperation with an
Internet Service Provider, to comply with court orders
requiring the collection of certain information about
emails or other electronic communications to or from a
specific user targeted in an investigation. In other
words, it allows the FBI to wiretap the Internet. This is
not a good thing and should raise concern. For more
information about carnivore, check out the following
links:
Go
Back to Top
|
