Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Privacy & Confidentiality

Although we all benefit from technological advances and new media tools from using the internet, they too, have flaws. They have opened issues regarding privacy and security of users because the internet paved way for hackers and third parties acquire information of various internet users. The following privacy and security are identified problems associated with using new media:

1. Identity theft

Identity is one very serious problem that users of new media should always be aware of. Nowadays, we use the internet for online shopping, entering credit card information to the website that we are purchasing from. As internet users, we want that our information is secured and concealed from unauthorized users access. One way to make sure this does not happen is internet users being aware themselves that websites use Secure Socket Layer to encrypt information that they are typing.

2. Virus, spams, bogus emails and apps viruses

Facebook and other Social Networking Sites now offer various applications that users can play around with to kill time or as forms of entertainment. However, hackers find ways to insert viruses from this apps that can be easily spread to different users that are connected to the user infected by the virus.

3. Access to information by vast amount of audiences and third parties

Unknown to most internet users, Social Networking Sites collect and save information about their users who post profiles on the internet and connect to different users worldwide. They use these collected information to help them promote products and services to different target markets and increase revenues. There may also be possibilities that these collected information are sold to third party companies.

As users of their service, we should be aware of the default settings when we first sign up to these Social Networking Sites. Most of the default settings are not user friendly because they default profiles as public.

4. Cyberbullying
5. Cyber Predators

2 comments:

  1. nicely listed! it's true a lot of people don't bother checking their privacy settings. although it does take a while to navigate to each privacy setting, it's important for people to change it. SN sites should make it easier to change your settings.

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  2. Thank you. By the way, the link for the site that has the ratings regarding security and privacy is: http://www.smartmoney.com/spending/technology/What-the-Fine-Print-at-Popular-Web-Sites-Really-Says/

    The website is www.smartmoney.com

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