The Definitive Guide to Simple Internet Privacy and Security

The technological age of the internet has changed the way we shop, talk to each other and work. But with so much personal data being transmitted across what is at times a public landscape, the need to understand online privacy and security is more important than ever. Let’s take a look at some of the most important factors when it comes to internet safety.

Passwords

Having a strong password is one of the most crucial elements of remaining safe in an online capacity. It’s increasingly becoming the case that websites are asking for stronger, more obscure passwords. This often involves adding a numerical character or a capitalized letter.

Some tips include:

• Using something unrelated to you
• Making your password as long as possible
• Using a different password for every website

Stick to these rules, and you’ll find your password is practically impregnable.

Https and http

You’ve probably noticed these words in the search bar before, but have no idea what they really mean. While breaking them down in explicit terms might be a little complex, the basic premise you need to understand is:

• https – secure
• http – unsecure

If you’re on a website (particularly e-commerce sites) where you see http listed, the data isn’t encrypted. That means anything you enter on that site (including personal financial details) is being transmitted on a public network and could potentially be accessed. 

Antivirus

Antivirus software is crucial to protecting your computer from a number of potentially deadly viruses. There are a series of ways in which your device can become infected if you don’t clog loopholes.

That’s why it’s so important to not only install antivirus, but also check for regular updates. This should be done daily. You won’t want to fall behind the curve and let yourself become exposed. 

Social Media

Social media has changed the way we interact as a society. Because we associate talking to our friends with these platforms, it’s easy to forget there are people out there looking to take advantage. As such, it’s critical to never share anything too personal on them.

Ensure you aren’t making yourself a target on a social network:

• Don’t accept friend requests or private messages from people you don’t know
• Block people who approach you inappropriately
• Avoid including overly personal details about yourself in a post

It’s wrong to be scared by social media, but it’s also not wise to publicise too much about yourself on there. Some things should stay private.

Moviepass CEO Brags App Tracks Your Location Before and After Movies

Everyone knew the MoviePass deal is too good to be true — and as is so often the case these days, it turns out you’re not the customer, you’re the product. And in this case they’re not even attempting to camouflage that. Mitch Lowe, the company’s CEO, told an audience at a Hollywood event that “we know all about you.”

“We get an enormous amount of information,” Lowe continued. “We watch how you drive from home to the movies. We watch where you go afterwards.”

It’s no secret that MoviePass is planning on making hay out of the data collected through its service. But what I imagined, and what I think most people imagined, was that it would be interesting next-generation data about ticket sales, movie browsing, A/B testing on promotions in the app and so on.

I didn’t imagine that the app would be tracking your location before you even left your home, and then follow you while you drive back or head out for a drink afterwards. Did you?

It sure isn’t in the company’s privacy policy, which in relation to location tracking discloses only a “single request” when selecting a theater, which will “only be used as a means to develop, improve, and personalize the service.” Which part of development requires them to track you before and after you see the movie?

The startup’s plan is to “build a night at the movies,” perhaps complete with setting up parking or ordering you a car, giving you a deal on dinner before or after, connecting you with like-minded moviegoers, etc. Of course they need data to do that, but one would hope that the collection would be a bit more nuanced than this.

In a statement, a MoviePass representative says:

We are exploring utilizing location-based marketing as a way to help enhance the overall experience by creating more opportunities for our subscribers to enjoy all the various elements of a good movie night. We will not be selling the data that we gather. Rather, we will use it to better inform how to market potential customer benefits including discounts on transportation, coupons for nearby restaurants, and other similar opportunities.

Tencent Lets Parents Reward Kids' Good Grades With Game Time

If you grew up with video games as a kid, you probably struck a deal with your parents: pass a school test with flying colors and you can play more. Tencent wants to formalize those arrangements. Chief executive Ma Huateng has proposed digital contracts that offer game time to kids (for Tencent games, of course) in return for either reaching certain academic criteria or performing chores around the home. He wasn't specific about when these agreements would be available, but he noted that children could have their friends witness the signing of a contract.

This isn't an altruistic gesture. Tencent's Honor of Kings (Arena of Valor in the US) has been so popular and addictive in its native China that the mobile multiplayer title now has time limits to prevent kids from playing too long. Between that and a degree of Chinese government pressure (games like HoK have been likened to "opium" by one delegate), Tencent has an incentive to implement its own limits before officials impose them.

Not that it's the only company facing scrutiny. The World Health Organization has considered formally recognizing video game addictions, and mobile OS developers like Apple have promised more parental controls that restrict overall phone use. In that light, Tencent isn't so much leading the way as it is responding to an emerging trend.

Your Cell Phone Is 10 Times Dirtier Than a Toilet Seat. Here's What to Do About It

Most people don’t give a second thought to using their cell phone everywhere, from their morning commute to the dinner table to the doctor’s office. But research shows that cell phones are far dirtier than most people think, and the more germs they collect, the more germs you touch.

In fact, your own hand is the biggest culprit when it comes to putting filth on your phone. Americans check their phones about 47 times per day, according to a survey by Deloitte, which affords plenty of opportunities for microorganisms to move from your fingers to your phone.

“Because people are always carrying their cell phones even in situations where they would normally wash their hands before doing anything, cell phones do tend to get pretty gross,” says Emily Martin, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Research has varied on just how many germs are crawling on the average cell phone, but a recent study found more than 17,000 bacterial gene copies on the phones of high school students. Scientists at the University of Arizona have found that cell phones carry 10 times more bacteria than most toilet seats.

Studies have found serious pathogens on cell phones, including Streptococcus, MRSA and even E. coli. Just having these microbes on your phone won’t automatically make you sick, Whittier says, but you still don’t want to let them enter your system. Viruses can also spread on phones if one person is sick with strep throat or influenza and coughs on their cell phone before handing it off to a friend.

Fortunately, there are easy ways to avoid some germs. One of the worst places to use your phone is in the bathroom, Martin and Whittier both agree. When toilets flush, they spread germs everywhere, which is how phones end up with fecal bacteria like E. coli. “Taking a cell phone into the bathroom and then leaving with it is kind of like going in, not washing your hands and then coming back out,” Martin says. “It’s the same level of concern.”

Keeping your phone out of the bathroom will help, but if you want to clean your phone, a few different methods will work. Many people just wipe their phones with a soft microfiber cloth, which will remove many of the germs. For a deeper clean, Whittier recommends using a combination of 60% water and 40% rubbing alcohol. Mix the ingredients together, and then dip a cloth in the solution before wiping it gently across your phone. Unless you’re sick, doing this a few times each month is plenty, Whittier says. Stay away from liquid or spray cleaners, which can damage your phone.

Still, the best advice has more to do with you than the phone. Wash your hands several times a day, the experts say, and you’ll likely be just fine.

Phone Hijacking: The Latest Identity Theft Threat

Security experts have warned consumers for years that their smartphones could be an easy gateway to their identities.

Think of it this way: a thief grabs your phone or someone picks it up in a coffee shop where you’ve left it. If you haven’t passcode protected it or it was still unlocked, they now have access to your email, your Amazon app, your PayPal app, your social media apps, your mobile wallet, and more, all with a few simple password changes.

Clicking “forgot my password” provides them with a link that’s sent to your email or phone number, which they now have access to. A quick browse through your social media might even provide them with the answers to your security questions, such as your mother’s maiden name and the town where you were born. They change all of your passwords and go on a spending spree, all while locking you out.

But experts are now warning about an entirely new threat involving your phone. Phone hijacking, as it’s been called, is technically a form of account takeover. A thief walks into a mobile carrier store and pretends to be you. With a few simple steps, they upgrade your account and walk out with a couple of brand-new iPhones. You only discover the problem when your real phone stops working because the number has been transferred to those new phones…or when the bill for those phones arrives.

This might sound like a random crime of opportunity, but the reality is smartphone hijacking doubled in 2016, and the damage from all forms of account takeover reached well over $2 billion that year.

How are thieves pulling this off? First, there’s a lot of information about consumers floating around “out there.” Seemingly harmless information like your email address and cell phone number aren’t so harmless when a criminal gets just a couple more pieces of information. If you’ve used your email address as your cellular account username, it only takes buying your data off the internet to see if you’ve reused an old password.

Stealing or buying other pieces of data like your medical account information can also help a thief hijack your phone. After all, these records often include a Social Security number, your date of birth, address, email address, and other pertinent details, which could be enough to recreate a driver’s license and convince a cellular employee to upgrade your phone.

To fight back against this kind of crime, consumers have to be prepared to adopt some proactive habits. First, this is precisely why you never reuse a password. In data breaches like the MySpace breach or the Yahoo breach that compromised a database of years’-old information, those old passwords can come back to haunt you if you’re still using them.

Next, it’s absolutely vital that you take action the second you spot something out of the ordinary. Some victims of phone hijacking have reported that they received “changed password” emails from their providers, or that their phones quit working right. Those are giant red flags that must be addressed immediately.

Finally, do not make the mistake of thinking, “Well, it’s just a phone. We’ll figure it out later.” As mentioned above, your phone contains a lot of access to the rest of your identity. Don’t dismiss these warning signs without following through.