Tech Stuff | Ain't Complicated

The Web, Your Secrets, Your Number

Far too many people just don’t care about online privacy. Maybe you’re one of them. And maybe I don’t care if I spit into the wind on this subject. Again.

Hidden inside Ashley Hayes-Beaty’s computer, a tiny file helps gather personal details about her, all to be put up for sale for a tenth of a penny.

[…]

The Journal examined the 50 most popular U.S. websites, which account for about 40% of the Web pages viewed by Americans. (The Journal also tested its own site, WSJ.com.) It then analyzed the tracking files and programs these sites downloaded onto a test computer.

As a group, the top 50 sites placed 3,180 tracking files in total on the Journal’s test computer. Nearly a third of these were innocuous, deployed to remember the password to a favorite site or tally most-popular articles.

But over two-thirds—2,224—were installed by 131 companies, many of which are in the business of tracking Web users to create rich databases of consumer profiles that can be sold.

The top venue for such technology, the Journal found, was….

I was surprised.

Maybe you won’t be.

Dictionary.com

Amazing!

The top venue for such technology, the Journal found, was IAC/InterActive Corp.’s Dictionary.com. A visit to the online dictionary site resulted in 234 files or programs being downloaded onto the Journal’s test computer, 223 of which were from companies that track Web users.

It’s a long article, but I highly recommend it to you: The Web’s New Gold Mine: Your Secrets

An Ominous Use of Facebook

I use Facebook, albeit with great caution and reserve.

But even that caution and reserve would not have protected me from a Gardes Maroc Maroc:

Muslim uses Facebook profiles to find and target Christians

But what if your Facebook profile were used as a weapon against you by Muslim extremists opposed to your Christian faith?

According to Compass Direct News, this is exactly what is happening in Morocco, where over 100 foreign Christians have been deported since the beginning of the year for allegedly “proselytizing.”

Facebook user Gardes Maroc Maroc collected pictures and information from Christian converts’ Facebook profiles, then posted 32 collages of the Christians, referring to them as “hyena evangelists,” “wolves in lamb’s skins” and accusing them of trying to “shake the faith of Muslims.” If the latter statement were true, the Christians would be guilty of breaking Morocco’s anti-proselytizing law and would face deportation or prison.

[…]

In addition to Maroc singling out several Christians, he also called for authorities to investigate the Village of Hope in Ain Leuh, where he claimed “foreign missionaries” were indoctrinating the children. This may be part of the reason the orphanage was raided on March 8 and 26 foreign Christians expelled.

Does this mean I will hide my faith online?

No.

At least not at this point.

Which naturally begs this follow-up question: At what point would I consider hiding my Christian identity online?

Facebook to Track and Target?

Facebook to target ads based on users’ trail

Facebook has laid the ground for a new system that would track its users’ behaviour as they visit other sites around the internet, using the information to deliver highly targeted advertisements to them on the social networking site.

So-called “behavioural targeting” is widely used by companies such as Google but, on Facebook.com, the move is likely to provoke a new round of criticism over incursions into users’ privacy.

[…]

The move would mark a departure for Facebook which, until now, has targeted ads based only on the personal information in a user’s profile – such as location, age, gender and relationship status. An announcement on the system is expected on Wednesday, at Facebook’s annual F8 conference in San Francisco.

I report; you decide.

Well, wait. I have one observation:

F8 😯

Whose fate?

ZeuS: Do You Know This Security Issue?

I read a bit about the ZeuS malware this earlier this morning. Here’s one quote…but I don’t know who said it:

“The average corporation or consumer doesn’t know
there’s an issue there.”

Whoever it was said it, said this also:

“You can have all that stuff current
and you’re still not safe.”

I don’t know if that applies to part of my Internet security fortress: Malwarebytes ‘ Anti-Malware.

If you use computers and the Internet, I suppose you really should ready this: Online Business Banking? Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.

If you don’t use computers and the Internet…. 😯

Buzzed a la Google

I know this is long. And I know it’s about three favorite services on the Web: Google, Gmail, and Buzz.

But it really is an essential read. Even if you think privacy and security are passé in a pleasantly quaint and/or outright irritating sort of way.

On February 9, 2010, many Gmail users woke up to find a slightly different look to their inbox, along with some never-before-seen features. They were told that this was Google’s latest attempt at creating a social networking and messaging tool; it would be called Google Buzz. The company designed the service to seamlessly integrate with the company’s web-based email program, allowing its users to share links, photos, videos, status messages, and comments that would be organized in a “conversations” section of their inbox.

It seemed cool enough, but what many users didn’t know is that they were now sharing what was thought to be private information with other Gmail users.

Google executive Sergey Brin recently said that it was Google’s intention to “help bridge the gap between work and leisure,” but many parents feared for their children’s safety and strongly criticized Google for taking little to no account of privacy concerns for Gmail users who are underage.

[…]

Similar concerns have come up as a result of another Google feature that has yet to be disabled. Apparently by default, the mobile version of Google Buzz publishes a person’s exact location when they post any type of message to the service. This particular feature could be disastrous for many reasons, but especially if a user is in a situation similar to the woman discussed previously, i.e. has an abusive ex who can now track her down at a moment’s notice.

Not only that, but there are a thousand scenarios in which this could be dangerous for children. What if a young student updates Google Buzz using their mobile phone while walking home from school alone, unaware of the fact that complete strangers can be “following” them on the service? These are the types of concerns many believe Google isn’t taking into account or taking seriously enough.

[…]

“If your child has a Gmail account, talk to them about what Google Buzz is and how they should be properly using it,” Li said. “Please take action, which may be as dramatic as completely disabling Buzz on your child’s account. Do this as soon as possible, as I’m concerned that unsavory characters are already exploiting this parental control loophole.”

Now please read the full article: The Trials and Tribulations of Google Buzz.

Critical Security Update for Internet Explorer

I grateful for the Firefox browser. And I’m thankful not to have to use Internet Explorer (except for Web page testing).

But I know the majority of the world still uses IE. So here’s my PSA for you folks:

This security update resolves nine privately reported vulnerabilities and one publicly disclosed vulnerability in Internet Explorer. The most severe vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted Web page using Internet Explorer. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

This security update is rated Critical for all supported releases of Internet Explorer: Internet Explorer 5.01, Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1, Internet Explorer 6 on Windows clients, Internet Explorer 7, and Internet Explorer 8 on Windows clients. For Internet Explorer 6 on Windows servers, this update is rated Important. And for Internet Explorer 8 on Windows servers, this update is rated Moderate.

Source: Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-018

HT: Small Business Computing